Scholarship America Veteran Scholarship for Educators
The Scholarship America Veteran Scholarship for Educators supports U.S. Armed Forces veterans who plan to continue serving their communities by pursuing careers in the K-12 school system.
Scholarship America Veteran Scholarship for Educators
The Scholarship America Veteran Scholarship for Educators is committed to supporting U.S. military veterans who aspire to make a lasting impact in K-12 education. This program offers financial assistance to veterans pursuing degrees in education, or school-based counseling, school-based social work or school psychology, supporting their journey toward meaningful careers within the K-12 school system.
The program is administered by Scholarship America®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarships and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. Eligibility for individual programs is determined at the sole discretion of the sponsor and eligible applications are reviewed by Scholarship America’s evaluation team.
About the Scholarship
Approximately 100 scholarships are available for honorably discharged veterans pursuing degrees or certifications in eligible fields such as education counseling, psychology and social work and who plan to become employees in K-12 school system.
Eligibility
To apply for the Scholarship America Veteran Scholarship for Educators, applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Have served in the United States military in any of the following branches:
- Air Force, Air National Guard
- Army, Army National Guard
- Coast Guard
- Marine Corps
- Navy
- Be an honorably discharged veteran, no longer drilling or serving by July 2026.
- Provide one of the following documents before award disbursement:
- Certificate or Letter of Eligibility from the Department of Veteran Affairs.
- DD214 or other document proving honorable service.
- Be pursuing a degree in education or school-based counseling, school-based social worker, or school psychology, with the intent to work in the K-12 school system.
- Be a high school or GED graduate, current post-secondary undergraduate, or graduate-level student.
- Plan to enroll full-time in an undergraduate or graduate program leading to an associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree at an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming academic year. Doctoral programs are not eligible.
- Attend a college or institution that:
- Is not on warning or probationary status with the federal government.
- Is not in litigation with the federal or a state government.
- Maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent).
Awards
If selected as a recipient, the student will receive a $5,000 award if attending a vocational-technical or two-year institution or a $10,000 award if attending a four-year college or university.
Awards may be renewed for up to four additional years or until a bachelor’s or master’s degree is earned, whichever occurs first. Renewal is contingent upon satisfactory academic performance (maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale) and full-time enrollment in an eligible field of study.
Awards may transfer from one degree to another if the recipient enrolls the semester following graduation. If recipients transfer institutions, the award will be adjusted to account for degree-type being sought.
Awards are for undergraduate and graduate study only.
Notification
All applicants will be notified in March.
Notifications are sent via email. When setting up your account, avoid using a school or work email. Instead, use an active, personal email address that you will continue to have access to.
Please make sure to add studentsupport@scholarshipamerica.org as well as the program email address as safe senders in your email contact list.
Payment of Scholarships
Scholarship America processes scholarship payments. Payment is made in August.
Selection of Recipients
Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of:
- Academic performance
- Demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities
- Work experience
- Three 1,000 character essays; essay topics are as follows:
- Describe your military service experience and how it has shaped your career and educational goals. Include how your degree or certificate program will prepare you for a meaningful career in the K-12 education system as an educator, school-based counselor, school social worker, or school psychologist.
- Statement describing any personal and financial challenges that may be barriers to completing postsecondary education
- Explain how you plan to use your education to serve your community, particularly within the K-12 school system. What role do you envision for yourself, and what does success look like for you five years after graduation?
Financial need, as calculated by Scholarship America, must be demonstrated for the student to receive an award.
Selection of recipients is made by Scholarship America.
Not all applicants to the program will be selected as recipients. Students may reapply to the program each year they meet eligibility requirements.
All applicants agree to accept the decision as final.
Requirements
As part of your application, you must upload the following:
- A current, complete transcript of grades. Grade reports are not accepted. Transcripts must display:
- Student name
- School name
- Grades
- Credit hours for each course and term in which each course was taken.
- Copy of the first two pages of the most recently filed IRS Form 1040 used for the Financial Information section of the application. Please black out all social security numbers and bank account information.
- Certificate or Letter of Eligibility from the Department of Veteran Affairs or a DD214 or another document of service proving honorable service. Please black out all social security numbers.
Your application is not complete unless all required materials are submitted electronically.
