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Military & Service FamiliesWorth a shot

Scholarships for Military Children

Offered by Fisher House Foundation · Free to apply

Award
$2,000
one-time award
Deadline
February 11, 2027
deadlines recur around February each year
Estimated odds
1 in 20
Solyo estimate, not a published rate
Application effort
~4 hrs
about $25 of expected value per hour

Fisher House Foundation funds 500 awards of $2,000 for unmarried dependent children under 23 who hold a valid uniformed services ID, with a sponsor who is active duty, Guard or Reserve, retired, or deceased. Because at least one scholarship goes to every commissary location that receives qualified applications, the real competition is local, and families do not need to live near the commissary they select. High school applicants need a 3.0 unweighted GPA and current college students a 2.5, plus a transcript and a 500-word essay on a topic published when the application opens. The application opens in December and closes February 11, a tight window that runs across the holidays. Check DEERS enrollment and ID card validity first, since an expired card stops the file.

How hard is the Scholarships for Military Children to win?

Real competition, but not a lottery. The time cost is low enough relative to the award that a qualified student comes out ahead by applying.

Estimated odds
roughly 1 in 20 applicants
Modelled applicant field
~10,000 students
Awards each cycle
500
Payoff per hour of work
$25 / hr

What drives the odds here

Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.

  • More rivalsOpen nationwide, so the field is large
  • Fewer rivalsAn essay is required, which filters out casual applicants
  • Fewer rivalsAn official transcript is required
  • Fewer rivalsRequires a military or national-service connection
  • Fewer rivalsRequires at least a 3 GPA

How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.

Who can apply for the Scholarships for Military Children?

These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.

  • Open to high school seniors and current college students
  • GPA of 3 or higher (unweighted)
  • For active-duty military or veteran families or students who lost a parent in military service
  • Age 22 or younger
Confirm these before applying
  • Must be an unmarried dependent child under age 23 with a valid Uniformed Services ID card (DEERS enrollment)
  • Application includes a 500-word essay on a topic announced when the program opens
Good to know
  • Sponsor may be active duty, Reserve/Guard, retired, or deceased from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, or Space Force
  • The 3.0 unweighted GPA minimum applies to high school applicants; current college students need a 2.5, and college freshmen must submit a first-semester transcript
  • Must be enrolled or planning to enroll full time in a bachelor's degree program, or a community/junior college path designed for direct transfer to a four-year program
  • Families do not need to live near a commissary; applicants select any commissary location, and at least one award is made per commissary with qualified applicants

What the application takes

  • Essay required, about 500 words.
  • Transcript required. Request it from the school registrar ahead of the deadline.

Deadline and application cycle

The current deadline is February 11, 2027. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around February 11 each year. Applications open December. The window straddles the holidays, so start the essay in December; a lapsed DEERS record or expired ID card will disqualify the applicant.

Applications open and essay topic published
December 2026
Application closes
February 11, 2027
Apply on the official site →Free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge a fee.

Does your student actually qualify?

See if your student qualifies in 30 seconds. Solyo checks 20+ criteria against their real profile: GPA, state, grade level, intended major, and more, across every award in this directory at once.

Match my student to scholarships →

Common questions about the Scholarships for Military Children

How much is the Scholarships for Military Children worth?

The Scholarships for Military Children awards $2,000. 500 awards are made each cycle.

When is the Scholarships for Military Children deadline?

The current deadline is February 11, 2027. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around February 11 each year. Applications open December. The window straddles the holidays, so start the essay in December; a lapsed DEERS record or expired ID card will disqualify the applicant.

When do Scholarships for Military Children applications open?

Applications open December, and close February 11, 2027. The window straddles the holidays, so start the essay in December; a lapsed DEERS record or expired ID card will disqualify the applicant.

Who is eligible for the Scholarships for Military Children?

Key requirements: Open to high school seniors and current college students; GPA of 3 or higher (unweighted); For active-duty military or veteran families or students who lost a parent in military service; Age 22 or younger.

Does the Scholarships for Military Children require an essay?

Yes. The application requires an essay of about 500 words and a transcript. Expect to spend about 4 hours on it.

How hard is it to win the Scholarships for Military Children?

Solyo estimates the odds at roughly 1 in 20 applicants, against a modelled field of ~10,000 students. The pool stays that size because an essay is required, which filters out casual applicants and an official transcript is required. At 4 hrs of work, that is about $25 of expected value per hour. This is an estimate from award structure, not a published acceptance rate.

Is the Scholarships for Military Children free to apply?

Yes. The Scholarships for Military Children is free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application fee, and Solyo verifies every listed award against its official page.

More military & service families

Lists this award appears on

Award details are curated by Solyo and verified against the official scholarship page. Deadlines and requirements can change between cycles, so always confirm on the provider's site before applying.