Scholarships For Military Children
1st Veterans Kids Care, Inc. is proudly offering Heroes Legacy Scholarship Programs which provides educational tuition assistance to honor and support the children and spouses of our nation’s veterans.
Scholarships for Children and Spouses of Military Veterans
Are you the child, spouse, or family member of a U.S. military Veteran or servicemember? If so, you may qualify for valuable scholarships that can shave thousands of dollars off your college expenses. Combined with military tuition assistance, tuition discounts, and/or other sources of financial aid, military dependent scholarships can make higher education affordable and accessible.
Earning your degree doesn’t have to be expensive — especially if there are Veteran servicemembers in your family. Keep reading to learn about college scholarships for children of Veterans, military spouses, and other military dependents. You might be surprised by some of the resources that are available to you — and by which scholarships you could qualify for.
We are now accepting applications for the 2025-2026 academic year! Apply Now!
​The application period will close at 11:59 pm Pacific Standard Time, May 1st, 2026.
1st Veterans Kids Care, Inc.
Heroes Legacy Scholarship Programs
​
Children and Spouses of Veterans Educational Scholarship Overview
​
Program Summary
1st Veterans Kids Care, Inc. proudly offers the Heroes Legacy Scholarship Programs which are scholarships to provide educational tuition assistance to honor and support the children and spouses of our nation’s veterans. Heroes Legacy Scholarships provide educational tuition assistance for undergraduate college, vocational or technical training programs.
These scholarships provide up to $2,000 annually toward tuition costs for students who continue to meet eligibility requirements. The scholarships are modeled closely on the State of Florida’s CSDDV program and reflects our commitment to ensuring that the families of deceased or disabled veterans have the opportunity to pursue higher education without the added burden of financial hardship.
Program Benefits
✔ Annual Tuition Support – Up to $2,000 per academic year
✔ Merit-Based Renewal – Continued funding for students who remain eligible
✔ Equal Access – No consideration of family income or Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
✔ Exclusive to Veteran Families – Reserved solely for children and spouses of eligible veterans
Eligibility Criteria
​
Veteran Eligibility
- Rated 100% permanent and totally disabled by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
- Died as a result of a service-connected disability
- Killed in action (KIA)
- Classified as Individually Unemployable
- Designated as Missing in Action (MIA) or a Prisoner of War (POW)
​
Dependent Child Eligibility
- Biological, adopted, or stepchild of a qualified veteran
- Listed with the VA as a dependent
- Between the ages of 16 and 22; initially eligible before their 23rd birthday
- Pursuing an undergraduate degree
​
Spouse Eligibility
- Legally married to a qualified veteran for at least one year
- Listed with the VA as a dependent spouse
- Widowed spouses must use the benefit within five years of the veteran’s date of death
- Remarried spouses are not eligible
​
Florida Residency Requirement
Veteran must have legal Florida residency for 12 months prior to the VA disability award date.
Application Process
​
When to Apply
- October 1 – April 1 annually (late applications wait-listed)
​
Renewals
- No reapplication needed unless GPA drops or student withdraws
​
School Transfers
- Notify 1st Veterans Kids Care scholarship director before switching schools to avoid funding delays
Application Requirements
- Apply via www.fvartc.org
- Submit veteran’s Full Name, SSN/VA Claim Number, Contact Info, and Conflict of Service
- Ensure complete and accurate submission
​
Review & Disbursement
Florida Department of Veterans Affairs. (FDVA) will verify applicants’ eligibility with the Veterans Department and will contact 1st Veterans Kids Care scholarship director will determine when and to what institutions to disburse
- Decisions will be completed in July before the fall semester
​
Dispute Resolution & Support
- Contact 1st Veterans Scholarship director at www.firstvartc.org for ineligibility or funding issues
1st Veterans Kids Care’s Role
We assist in verifying veteran status, advocate for applicants, and coordinate with FDVA to ensure eligible dependents receive their deserved support.
Scholarship Programs Details
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.
-
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.
-
High school applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 basis).
-
College applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5. College freshmen must submit a first-semester college transcript.
-
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.
-
Create an account that you can later come back to.
-
Complete all tabs of the form – a green checkmark indicates completion.
-
Write a short 500-word essay – the essay topic will be announced when the scholarship opens.
-
Submit transcripts.
-
High school applicants – transcript indicating a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale (unweighted).
-
College applicants – transcript indicating a cumulative minimum GPA of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 scale (unweighted).
-
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.
![171031151751-13-military-family-grief-super-169[1].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/326bde_3ba13bd0b33048d39e8cabcb7ccca664~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_0,y_16,w_1088,h_587/fill/w_943,h_508,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/171031151751-13-military-family-grief-super-169%5B1%5D.jpg)
Children and Spouses of Veterans Educational Scholarship Overview
Program Summary
1st Veterans Kids Care, Inc. proudly offers the Heroes Legacy Scholarship Programs which are scholarships to provide educational tuition assistance to honor and support the children and spouses of our nation’s veterans. Heroes Legacy Scholarships provide educational tuition assistance for undergraduate college, vocational or technical training programs.
​
These scholarships provide up to $2,000 annually toward tuition costs for students who continue to meet eligibility requirements. The scholarships are modeled closely on the State of Florida’s CSDDV program and reflects our commitment to ensuring that the families of deceased or disabled veterans have the opportunity to pursue higher education without the added burden of financial hardship.
​
Program Benefits
✔ Annual Tuition Support – Up to $2,000 per academic year
✔ Merit-Based Renewal – Continued funding for students who remain eligible
✔ Equal Access – No consideration of family income or Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
✔ Exclusive to Veteran Families – Reserved solely for children and spouses of eligible veterans
​
Eligibility Criteria
​
Veteran Eligibility
- Rated 100% permanent and totally disabled by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
- Died as a result of a service-connected disability
- Killed in action (KIA)
- Classified as Individually Unemployable
- Designated as Missing in Action (MIA) or a Prisoner of War (POW)
​
Dependent Child Eligibility
- Biological, adopted, or stepchild of a qualified veteran
- Listed with the VA as a dependent
- Between the ages of 16 and 22; initially eligible before their 23rd birthday
- Pursuing an undergraduate degree
​
Spouse Eligibility
- Legally married to a qualified veteran for at least one year
- Listed with the VA as a dependent spouse
- Widowed spouses must use the benefit within five years of the veteran’s date of death
- Remarried spouses are not eligible
​
Florida Residency Requirement
Veteran must have legal Florida residency for 12 months prior to the VA disability award date.
​
Application Process
​
When to Apply
- October 1 – April 1 annually (late applications wait-listed)
​
Renewals
- No reapplication needed unless GPA drops or student withdraws.
​
School Transfers
- Notify 1st Veterans Kids Care scholarship director before switching schools to avoid funding delays.
​
Application Requirements
- Apply via www.fvartc.org
- Submit veteran’s Full Name, SSN/VA Claim Number, Contact Info, and Conflict of Service
- Ensure complete and accurate submission
​
Review & Disbursement
Florida Department of Veterans Affairs. (FDVA) will verify applicants’ eligibility with the Veterans Department and will contact 1st Veterans Kids Care scholarship director will determine when and to what institutions to disburse.
- Decisions will be completed in July before the fall semester
​
Dispute Resolution & Support
- Contact 1st Veterans Scholarship director at www.firstvartc.org for ineligibility or funding issues.
​
1st Veterans Kids Care’s Role
We assist in verifying veteran status, advocate for applicants, and coordinate with FDVA to ensure eligible dependents receive their deserved support.
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.
-
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.
-
High school applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 basis).
-
College applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5. College freshmen must submit a first-semester college transcript.
-
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.
-
Create an account that you can later come back to.
-
Complete all tabs of the form – a green checkmark indicates completion.
-
Write a short 500-word essay – the essay topic will be announced when the scholarship opens.
-
Submit transcripts.
-
High school applicants – transcript indicating a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale (unweighted).
-
College applicants – transcript indicating a cumulative minimum GPA of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 scale (unweighted).
-
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.
