Home  »  Military and Veteran Scholarships   »   How to Apply for Military and Veteran Scholarships

How to Apply for Military and Veteran Scholarships

Updated | Julie Provost
tips for applying to scholarships

When you are preparing to go to college or to help your son or daughter go to school, you will need to think about how you will pay for everything college-related. There are many ways for military families to get financial aid. One is to apply for scholarships.

From scholarships for veterans to scholarships for military spouses, to scholarships on a variety of topics, some you might never have thought about before. The key to applying for scholarships is to stay organized and submit applications.

Getting Started Applying for Scholarships for Military & Veterans

Identify and track 20 specific, niche scholarships tied to factors like your service branch, your high school’s founding year, an employer, or a local community club. Do not start close to the school deadline.
Build a 12-month calendar and mark the final submission dates, and set internal deadlines 90 days out for requesting transcripts and 45 days out for requesting letters of recommendation (LORs).  Request your official military transcript and current academic transcripts at least one month before you relocate.
Draft a 600-word personal essay focusing solely on one significant, non-classified professional challenge from your service. Write about the specific problem. Be sure to include the action you took and any positive result.

De-Jargonize All Military Terminology

Do not use military abbreviations or jargon. Review your essay and replace every military acronym (e.g., replace “NCOIC” with “Senior Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge”) and phrase with clear, civilian-friendly equivalents.

Verify All Word Counts and Formatting with a Checklist

Confirm the final essay length falls within the exact word count range. Make sure the font size matches the instruction, and the file type (PDF vs. Word) is correct. Do not wait for the final hour. Complete and submit the entire application package 2 days before the official deadline.

Create a Digital Submission Log

Maintain an audit trail of all applications. Immediately after submitting each application, create a separate entry in a spreadsheet or secure folder. Log the scholarship name, the exact submission date/time, and save a PDF copy of the submission confirmation screen.

Complete All Applications Requiring Multiple Inputs

Prioritize effort over volume. Focus submission efforts on scholarships requiring three or more components (e.g., LOR, transcript, interview, essay). These awards typically have a smaller applicant pool.

Want to conduct your own search of schools offering scholarships for the military?  Please see the almost 3,000 schools listed in the School Search tool.

Target a 5% Success Rate for New Application

Expect rejection and plan for it. If your goal is to win three scholarships, plan to submit 60 applications. Do not rely only on personal contacts for proofreading. Use the services of a local university’s writing center or a veteran service organization. You want a professional editor to review your final essay drafts, if possible.

Redirect Focus Immediately After Submission

As soon as you receive the digital confirmation from one scholarship, immediately begin creating a target list for the next one.

The more work a scholarship requires, the fewer people will apply for it. That means a better chance of winning the scholarship if you use it. Keep that in mind when you are working on a scholarship application that seems a lot more complicated than others.

If your school or community offers one, take a scholarship class. A class can give you step-by-step instructions to help you with the scholarship process. If you don’t have any in your local community, you can see if you can take a class online. There are a lot of options to gain some extra help in filling out your scholarship applications.

Do Your Best, and Let It Go

When it comes to scholarships, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the process. Do your best, stay organized, and once you turn them in, try not to stress. After you have submitted your application, there is nothing else you can do to help ensure they will pick you. Stay positive and hope for the best.

Schools Offering Scholarships for the Military

A quick search of the CollegeRecon School Search for schools offering military scholarships returns 745 results. Here are some partner schools that offer scholarships to the military:

NOTE: Partner schools have paid CollegeRecon for promotional consideration.

Want to conduct your own search of schools offering scholarships for the military?  Please see the almost 3,000 schools listed in the School Search tool. Please visit this link.

 

RELATED:

 

 

About the author

Julie Provost is a freelance writer, and blogger. She lives in Tennessee with her National Guard husband and three boys.

Tagged: