You may already be familiar with the commissary benefit, but did you know that Your Commissary works with its industry partners and community groups to support the military community in other ways, too? One example is our partnership with the Fisher House Foundation in support of the Scholarships for Military Children program, which recently began accepting applications for academic year 2024-2025!
About Scholarships for Military Children
Fisher House Foundation is known for supporting the military community, including providing a “home away from home” for military and Veteran families near military medical centers while their loved ones are hospitalized. The nonprofit foundation created the Scholarships for Military Children program in 2001 in partnership with the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) to recognize the contributions of military families to the readiness of the fighting force and celebrate the role commissaries play in enhancing the military quality of life.
“With Scholarships for Military Children headed into its 24th year, it remains an honor and a pleasure for us at the Defense Commissary Agency to partner with a foundation so dedicated to the military community and families,” said Todd Heasley, DeCA’s scholarships program liaison. “It is a true blessing to see the investment in military children toward their ultimate success.”
The scholarship program has received more than 117,500 applications and awarded more than $23 million in scholarships over the last 23 years. These grants are funded by contributions from commissary business partners, such as manufacturers, suppliers or vendors, as well as donations the foundation receives towards Fisher House Scholarships.
“The Defense Commissary Agency has been an excellent partner in providing scholarships for the children of the men and women who make up our armed services,” said Ken Fisher, chairman and CEO of Fisher House Foundation.
Eligibility requirements
According to the foundation, to be eligible for selection, applicants must
- Be unmarried military dependents under the age of 23
- who possess a valid Uniformed Services ID card; and
- whose parent/sponsor is active duty, guard/reserve, deceased or retired from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard or Space Force
- Be enrolled or planning to enroll full-time in the fall 2024
- in a U.S.-credited undergraduate college or university; or
- in a program of studies designed to transfer directly into a four-year program
- Have earned a cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 basis) of at least
- 3.0 for current high school students
- 2.5 for current college students
What applicants need to know
For academic year 2024-2025, the program will award 500 scholarship grants of $2,000 each. Applications must be completed and submitted by Wednesday Feb. 14, 2024, at 11:59 PM PST. Scholarship Managers (SM), which independently manages the entire application and selection process, will select at least one recipient for each commissary location that receives qualified applications. SM will make additional selections in proportion to the number of applicants from each commissary.
Applicants must complete the application, write and submit a 500-word essay on a specific topic, and provide evidence of meeting the eligibility requirements, such as transcripts and enrollment in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System database.
For more information on program rules/requirements and answers to frequently asked questions, please visit militaryscholar.org.
Share the news
If your child or another military child you know meets the program’s eligibility requirements, then please ensure they’re aware of this opportunity and encourage them to visit militaryscholar.org to learn more and apply before the upcoming deadline!
Do you know someone who’s been a recipient of this program in past years? If so, then please share how it’s impacted their life in the comments below!
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I also would love to see this opened up to 100% P&T veterans since my husband was not able to finish and retire. Those dependents miss out on a lot due to eligibility requirements of just active, retired, or reserve/guard. Please consider this. Should she go ahead and apply this the deadline is quickly approaching?
Huge thanks to Your Commissary and the Fisher House Foundation for this incredible program! I’m constantly blown away by the dedication American heroes show every day, and it warms my heart that organizations like yours go the extra mile to support their families.
$23 million in scholarships over 23 years? Wow! That’s truly life-changing for so many military kids, helping them pursue their dreams despite the unique challenges they face. It’s an investment in their future, but also in the future of our nation.
A special shoutout to the commissary partners and donors! Your generosity goes a long way. Every contribution, big or small, adds up to make a world of difference for these deserving students.
To all the applicants out there: Go for it! Put your best foot forward and share your story. This scholarship could be the key that unlocks your potential and sets you on an amazing path. Remember, deadlines are February 14th, so don’t wait!
And if anyone knows past recipients, please share their experiences! Hearing how this program has impacted their lives could inspire even more kids to apply.
Once again, thank you to Your Commissary and the Fisher House Foundation for recognizing the sacrifices of military families and investing in their bright futures. This program is a true gem, and I’m proud to be a part of a community that supports it!
I have a daughter that needs to apply. Greg Fanin, SSG, USAF, Ret
Dear SSG (ret.) Fanin,
That’s wonderful! We hope you’ll share the program web page with your daughter so she can learn more about the program and apply! She can find that page at https://www.fisherhouse.org/programs/scholarship-programs/scholarships-for-military-children/.
Sincerely,
Courtney Rogers
DeCA Consumer Advocate
Could you expand eligibility to children of 100% P&T service-disabled Veterans? I did not make it long enough in the service to retire because of service-disabilities and believe my children could make good use of this scholarship as I am no longer in good health to work several jobs to support them through school tuitions and other school expenses.
Thank you.
Sir, thank you for posting your comment! We are looking into your question and will follow up with you soon.
Sincerely,
Courtney Rogers
DeCA Consumer Advocate
My name is Ray. I’m an active Legionnaire and retired Navy SCPO of 22 yrs active navy, served during the period 1956-1978. My wife served as a dedicated and supportive navy wife for 20+ yrs of that 22 yrs. Our 3 children (daughters) were each born in separate countries between 1960 and 1971. Clearly they were “military brats, the eldest having been uprooted and retransplanted eleven (11) times in the 1st 18 yrs of her life. We helped each of them achieve their college degrees, and we’re proud of their achievements in life. But I sure wish the Fisher Foundation criteria and scholsr as hip opportunity extended to grandchildren. Our youngest grandchild is 20 yrs in age, graduated 12th in her Sr class of 300 graduating students in the class of 2021, is already a Junior in college, whereas her high school and Jr College academic standings qualified her for free college tuition and fees, but doesn’t cover any of her personal expenses, which includes transportation, meals, and lodging. Consequently, while carrying a full academic load of 15 semester hrs or more, she has to work an average of 32 hrs per week.
part-time to make ends meet and avoid going into debt to partially finance her secondary education.
Ray, SCPO, USN (Retired)
Dear Ray,
Thank you for your service and for taking the time to read this blog post! It’s clear that you are proud of your granddaughter, and we congratulate her on her hard work and academic success!
As you mentioned, the “Scholarships for Military Children” is only open to dependent military children. This is because this particular program was intended to serve as part of a focus on military family and quality of life initiatives. Fortunately, the Fisher House Foundation offers a free scholarship search engine tailored to military families called “Scholarships for Service,” which might help your granddaughter to identify other scholarship opportunities that may meet her needs. She can access this search engine at https://search.militaryscholar.org/ .
However, I should caution you that the Fisher House Foundation includes the following information on its Scholarships for Military Children FAQs regarding how recipients may use the scholarship funds: “IRS Publication 970 specifically states that scholarship money used to pay for room, board and travel is not tax-exempt, and as such, is beyond the desired purpose of this program.” Consequently, I recommend that your granddaughter check the requirements of any other programs she might identify before applying to determine whether they are able to be used for the purpose you described.
I hope you find this information helpful. Thanks again for your interest.
Sincerely,
Courtney Rogers
DeCA Consumer Advocate
I wish my grandchildren could be eligible also.
Dear Terry & Roberta Barngrover,
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post and share your feedback with us! As you mentioned, the “Scholarships for Military Children” is only open to dependent military children. This is because this particular program was intended to serve as part of a focus on military family and quality of life initiatives.
However, the Fisher House Foundation offers a free scholarship search engine tailored to military families called “Scholarships for Service,” which might help your grandchildren identify other scholarship opportunities that may meet their needs. They can access this search engine at https://search.militaryscholar.org/.
I hope you find this information helpful. Thanks again for your interest.
Sincerely,
Courtney Rogers
DeCA Consumer Advocate
Valid Id holder & dependent of Army retired sponsor
What an incredible opportunity for our military children! Apply now for a chance at these scholarships – it could make a huge difference in your academic journey.