Education Scholarship
Education Benefits 2000 toward tuition costs per year the student remains eligible
1st Veterans Kids Care
Children and Spouses of Veterans Scholarship Program 1stVCSV
• 1stVCSV Scholarships Explained – Program Overview
• Eligibility – Veteran, Child, Spouse
• Florida Residency Requirements
• Applying
• Eligibility Disputes
• Disbursements
• The 1stVCSV Scholarship is a scholarship offered to dependents of deceased or disabled
veterans. This scholarship is unique as it is only available to dependents of veterans.
• The 1stVCSV scholarship does not take into consideration a family’s income and Expected
Family Contribution (EFC), like many other scholarships do.
• All applicants receive equal consideration as long as they meet eligibility and application
requirements.
• 1st Vet's role in the process is to ensure the veteran meets the criteria for his/her family
member to receive the scholarship. It is our responsibility to notify the Florida Department
of Education of a veteran’s eligibility status
Veteran Eligibility
• To be eligible for the CSDDV Scholarship, the veteran must be: – 100% permanent and
totally disabled as determined by the Veterans’ Administration – Died from a service-
connected disability – Killed in action – Individually Unemployable – Prisoner of War or
missing in action.
• Benefits cease when the veteran is returned alive or otherwise classified AND – Be a Florida
resident 12 months immediately preceding the date of disability award.
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Eligibility for Children
• Children of veterans must be between the ages of 16 and 22.
• Children must be initially eligible before their 23rd birthday
• Be a dependent child of a qualified veteran certified by the FDVA – Adopted –
Biological – Step
• Pursuing an undergraduate degree • Listed with the VA as a dependent child
Eligibility for Spouse
• Legally married to a qualified veteran (including civil unions) for a minimum of one year –
Benefits stop if the marriage is dissolved or annulled.
• Listed with the VA as a dependent of the veteran
• Widowed spouses must use the benefit within 5 years of the veteran’s date of death –
Remarried spouses are not eligible for this scholarship.
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Florida Residency Requirements
• For a veteran’s dependents to be eligible for the CSDDV scholarship, the veteran must have
been a Florida resident 12 months immediately preceding the disability award date –
Example: The veteran is awarded 100% permanent and total disability with an eligibility
date of 15 Jan 2020 • In this scenario, the veteran is required to be a Florida resident on
15 Jan 2019 – 15 Jan 2020 – Veterans cannot receive disability starting 15 Jan 2020 and wait
a year to claim Florida residency for the purpose of the CSDDV scholarship – Residency
must be obtained prior to the disability award.
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When Do I Apply?
• The on-time application window is 1 October – 1 April the following year – Example: An
individual may apply from 1 Oct 2020 – 1 Apr 2021 as an on-time applicant for the
academic year 2021/22 – Applications received after 1 Apr 2021 will be wait-listed and will
only receive funding if there is money left over from on-time applications
• Funding decisions will be made by the Florida Department of Education in the month of
July before the Fall term begins Do I Have to Apply?
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Do I Have to Apply Every Year?
• If you are eligible for the scholarship and receive funds, you do not need to apply for
subsequent years, unless – You lose funding because your GPA is not met – You take time
off from school.
• If you are eligible for the scholarship and do not receive funds, you will need to reapply
• Reminder: If you lose funding for any reason, you will need to reapply What Happens if I
Transfer to Another School?
• If you would like to transfer from one school to another, you are required to notify the
Florida Department of Education.
• You must be enrolled in the new school prior to leaving the old one. Otherwise, you could
lose funding.
• The Florida Department of Education sends scholarship money directly to the school
Where Do I Apply? What Information Do I Need?
• Applications must be completely and correctly filled out at floridastudentfinancialaid.org to
be eligible for consideration.
• Applicants are required to provide the veteran’s – Name – SSN or Claim Number – Phone
Number – Email Address – Military Conflict.
• The applicant must provide the requested information on the application. Review the
CSDDV Scholarship Application.
• The Florida Department of Veterans Affairs will conduct a review of all applications and
notify the Florida Department of Education of the applicant’s results – It is the applicant’s
responsibility to follow their application from start to finish – The FDVA will not notify you
of any application issues, but a note will be added to your application – Applicants will
receive email updates from the FL Department of Education when additional information
is requested – Eligibility does NOT guarantee funds After You Apply for the CSDDV
Scholarship.
• The Florida Department of Veterans Affairs will complete the initial review of the
application.
• Upon completion of review, the applicant will be updated in the system to – Eligible –
Ineligible.
• Funds disbursement decisions are not made until July, prior to the Fall semester start
• Questions about disbursements can be directed to the FL Department of Education at
888-827-2004 – Do not direct disbursement questions to the Florida Department of
Veterans’ Affairs CSDDV Eligibility Disputes.
• What you should do if your application for the CSDDV is determined ineligible – Contact
the Florida Department of Education for clarification
• They will either assist with the ineligible status or
• They will have you contact the scholarship administrator for more information
• The most common reasons for denial – The veteran is not 100% permanent and totally
disabled as determined by the Veterans’ Administration – Florida residency is not met
• Not all veterans update their address history with the VA
• Veteran’s records are how we determine residency
• Veteran will have to provide proof of Florida residency
• The applicant does not provide a veteran’s requested information disbursements
• All funds disbursements and amounts are determined by the Florida Department of
Education (FDOE)
• The FDVA only determines eligibility for the CSDDV • Funds are disbursed directly to the
educational institution the dependent is attending
• If a dependent changes schools, they must notify the FDOE of the new school – Inaccurate
information can result in a delay in funding.
• Scholarship decisions are made in July, and funds are disbursed in late July – early August
– All disbursement questions must be directed to the FDO
Scholarships Programs Details
Scholarships for Military Children
We are now accepting applications for the 2024-2025 academic year!
The application period will close at 11:59 pm Pacific Standard Time, Wednesday, February 14th, 2024.
The Scholarships for Military Children program intends that a scholarship funded through contributions be awarded annually at each commissary operated by the worldwide.
Five hundred (500) scholarship grants, each for $2,000, will be awarded for the academic school year 2024-2025. There will be at least one recipient selected at every commissary location where qualified applications are received. Additional recipients are chosen on a prorated basis. Therefore, more applicants may be selected from those commissaries with more significant numbers of applicants.
Our 2023 Winners are posted
You may also visit our for more scholarship opportunities.
Who Can Apply?
The Scholarships for Military Children program is open to unmarried military dependent children under the age 23 who possess a valid Uniformed Services Identification (USID) card. In addition, a student's parent(s)/sponsor(s) must be one of the following: active duty, reserve/guard, deceased, or retired from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, or Space Force.
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Must be enrolled or planning to enroll in a full-time undergraduate program leading to a bachelor’s degree or a community/junior college designed to allow for a direct transfer into a four-year program.
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High school applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 basis).
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College applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5. College freshmen must submit a first-semester college transcript.
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Applicants or sponsors do not need to live at an installation with a commissary – simply select the commissary where you shop or the one nearest to you.
How Do I Apply?
The Scholarships for Military Children Program expects that the student completes the application themselves and they must attest to this when submitting the application.
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Create an account that you can later come back to.
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Complete all tabs of the form – a green checkmark indicates completion.
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Write a short 500-word essay – the essay topic will be announced when the scholarship opens.
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Submit transcripts.
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High school applicants – transcript indicating a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale (unweighted).
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College applicants – transcript indicating a cumulative minimum GPA of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 scale (unweighted).
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You must validate your eligibility as a military dependent by entering the benefits number found on the reverse of the Uniformed Services Identification (USID) card. If you qualify for an ID card but do not have one, immediately schedule a visit to a military personnel office with the proper documentation.