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Ways to Pay for School: Army College Scholarships

College Scholarships for Army Veterans and Service Members

As previously reported, in seeking higher education scholarships for military, it can be beneficial to look for specific ones that are only open to an explicit group of people. In our next part of branch specific scholarships, we’re going to dive into those that are open only to Army personnel and their family members.

Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP)

With the F. Edward Hébert Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program, the U.S. Army will help qualified students by paying for up to 4 years of full tuition when obtaining an accredited health-field degree (medical, veterinary, psychology, optometry, dental, specialty nursing, etc.)

Recipients also qualify for a monthly stipend of $2,200 and the potential of a $20,000 sign-on bonus. To qualify, you must meet the following criteria:

• Be a U.S. citizen
• Possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
• Have an acceptance letter/be enrolled in an accredited graduate program in the U.S. or Puerto Rico
• Maintain full-time status during the entire length of the enrolled program
• Qualify as a commissioned officer

For more info, please visit our Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) page.

Army Women’s Foundation Legacy Scholarship Program

This program awards four scholarships each year to past and present women soldiers (U.S. Army, U.S. Army Reserve, or Army National Guard) and their female children.

Each scholarship has differing qualifying criteria, but all are awarded for coursework at accredited institutions only and are based on a combination of merit, academic potential, community service, financial need, and letters of recommendation.

• Certificate and Community College Programs: High school graduate with a minimum 2.5 GPA; past awards have totalled up to $1,000
• College/University Program: Currently enrolled at a higher education institution and completed at least 30 credit hours with a minimum GPA of 3.0; past awards were as high as $3,000.
• Graduate Program: possess an undergraduate degree with a GPA of at least 3.0 and also enrolled/accepted into a graduate-level program (Masters or Doctoral); past awards were up to $3,000

For more info, please visit their website.

Army Nurse Corps Association Scholarship (ANCA)

The purpose of the ANCA Scholarship is to provide financial support to students enrolled in accredited bachelor’s or master’s nursing or anesthesia degree programs.

This financial assistance is open to a variety of U.S. citizens: current active duty or honorably discharged soldiers (any rank or component of the Army), spouses or children of current or previous Army service members, or parents to current or previous Army service members.

For more info, please visit their website.

HIP Pocket Scholarship

This is the Army ROTC “Green to Gold” scholarship program for soldiers to “earn while you learn.” This provides an opportunity for active duty Army service members to complete their bachelor’s degree and obtain commission at the same time.

Division commanders nominate two, three, and four-year scholarships under the HIP Pocket program to soldiers who exhibit potential for continued, outstanding service to the U.S. Army as an officer.

There are a number of qualifying indicators, but most notable are you must:

• Be under 31 years old
• Be a U.S. citizen
• Not be on a temporary/permanent PT profile
• Have either a minimum GPA of 2.5 (for college-attending soldiers) or a minimum SAT of 1000 and/or ACT of 19 (if no college-level coursework has been completed).

The scholarship will cover full tuition, provide a book and supply stipend of $1,200, and supply a monthly living expense of $420 for up to 10 months per year.

For full details, please visit this link.

RELATED: Army Green to Gold Program

Army Emergency Relief Scholarships (AER)

AER opens its two scholarship programs to DEERS-listed dependent spouses and children of U.S. Army soldiers (active duty, deceased active, retired, deceased retired, medically retired, grey area retiree, AGR, and ARNG/USAR on Title 10 orders).

Those applying must be pursuing their first undergraduate degree at an accredited institution (some trade schools are accepted), and children applying must be under the age of 24.

• Shinseki Souse Scholarship Program: May receive assistance for up to four academic years of full-time or eight academic years of part-time with re-application each year. Award amounts vary each year depending on the number of applicants, total approved scholarship budget, the applicant’s Expected Family Contribution (per FAFSA) and the average cost of attendance.
• Ursano Scholarship Program: Need-based assistance is established to assist children for up to four academic years as long as they reapply each year and continue to meet eligibility criteria. Award amounts vary each year based on the number of applicants, total approved scholarship budget, the Expected Family Contribution (per FAFSA), and the average cost of attendance.  Past awards ranged from $500 to $3,400.

For more info, please visit their website.

Army Engineer Spouses Club Awards

The Spouse’s Club provides two main types of scholarships to family members of U.S. Army Engineers.

• Army Engineer Memorial Awards: Candidates eligible for these merit-based awards may be any U.S. citizen-graduating high school student whose sponsor, parent, or legal guardian is a U.S. Army/National Guard/Reserve Engineer (active duty, retired or deceased), a current employee of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and has a parent who’s a current member of the Army Engineer Spouses Club.
• Geraldine K. Morris Award: Candidates eligible for these merit-based awards may be any U.S. citizen-graduating high school student who enrolls in a nursing program leading to a degree or certification. The student’s sponsor, parent, or legal guardian must be a U.S. Army/National Guard/Reserve Engineer (active duty, retired or deceased), a current employee of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and has a parent who’s a current member of the Army Engineer Spouses Club.

For more info, please visit their website.

82nd Airborne Division Association Education Fund

While the original purpose of the 82nd Airborne Division Association was born out of comradery, it eventually made pointed efforts towards a constructive, positive project to render financial assistance to dependent children of 82nd Airborne Division troops killed in action.

Over the years it has evolved, and today the educational fund gives out two main classifications of scholarships.

• One classification is for dependent children of Airborne Veterans, who are voting LIFE members of the 82nd Airborne Division Association. The other is any former active duty 82nd Airborne Division Trooper, who is an Association LIFE Member of a Veteran Chapter, within two years of honorable discharge/release from active duty, and having served no more than two tours of duty.
• The applicant must be intent on pursuing a bachelor’s degree at an accredited institution and must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours per semester.
• Eligibility is further based on a combination of financial need and academic excellence.
• The scholarship amount has in the past been capped at $2,000 per year and is paid directly to the recipient’s university.

For more info, please visit their website.

Army Aviation Association of America Foundation (AAAA) Scholarship

The AAAA Scholarship Foundation is a non-profit that was established to render financial assistance for the college-level education of members of the AAAA. Spouses, children, grandchildren, and unmarried siblings of current and deceased AAAA members are also eligible.

The scholarships are merit-based, with applicants being judged on academic achievement, leadership, volunteer service, work experience, and essay responses. Past  awards ranged from $1,000 to $12,000. The applicant must be attending an accredited college or university or be selected for fall entry as an undergraduate or graduate. For more info, please visit their website.

Green Beret Foundation Scholarships (GBF)

• The GBF provides three scholarships for qualifying applicants who intend to pursue an undergraduate degree:
• DOL1 Scholarship is for children of Special Forces Non-Commissioned Officers.
• DOL2 Scholarship is for the children of Special Forces Warrant Officers.
• DOL3 Scholarship is for the children of Special Forces Commissioned Officers.

For all scholarships, applicants must have already been accepted by or be attending an accredited college, university, or vocational institution. Additionally, applicants must have a minimum 2.5 GPA and must provide a 500-1000 word personal statement, letters of reference, and a resume of community service/honors/extracurriculars.

For more info, please visit their website.

Association of the United States Army Scholarships (AUSA)

With membership open to all ranks and components of the U.S. Army, the AUSA offers a wide range of scholarship offerings to its members to include:

• Delta Dental Oral Health and Wellness – Past awards have included $2,000 scholarships. To be eligible, you must be pursuing a program such as dentistry, nursing, home healthcare aid, or caregiver training.
• Joseph P. and Helen T. Cribbins – Past awards include $10,000 scholarships. To be eligible, you must pursue a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).
• SMA Leon Van Autreve—Eight of these scholarships have been offered in the past: one $25,000, one $10,000, one $5,000, and five $2,000 scholarships, for a total of $50,000. Eligibility is determined for highly motivated and educated professionals who wish to dedicate themselves to service to the Nation and pursue self-improvement.

For more info, please visit their website.

Army ROTC Scholarships

ROTC stands for Reserve Officer Training Corps. The Army ROTC program can help pay for your education, while you become a commissioned officer in the Army Reserve after you complete your schooling.  This program is available at over 1,100 great institutions nationwide.

Perks of the ROTC program include the ability for students to have a more traditional college experience but with no tuition debt after completion.  Army ROTC scholarships and stipends will cover 100% of your college tuition.

Military Tuition Assistance

While there are a few standard regulations for TA across all services ($250 per semester hour, with a yearly cap), each branch has different rules governing TA.

The basic usage limits for the Army are:

• Maximum of $4,000 per year
• Up to 130 semester hours toward an undergraduate degree
• Up to 39 semester hours toward a graduate degree
• Up to 21 semester hours toward a certificate.

Any soldiers considering using their TA should set up an account on ArmyIgnitED and utilize the tools available for career planning. Reaching out to the counselors at your on-base education center can also help you explore more individualized assistance.

RELATED: Tuition Assistance Overview: Everything You Need to Know

While these are viable examples of Army-specific options that you can research based on your circumstances, they certainly aren’t the only Army scholarships available if you plan to enroll in a military-friendly college.

RELATED:

• Army Education Programs
• College Scholarships for Military and Veterans
• Scholarships for Air Force Service Members and Veterans
• Army Emergency Relief Scholarship Update
• Scholarships for Military & Veteran Dependents
• Army ROTC Scholarships and List of Colleges