Georgia HERO Scholarship
Offered by Georgia Student Finance Commission · Free to apply
The Georgia HERO (Helping Educate Reservists and their Offspring) Scholarship helps children of Georgia National Guard members and US military reservists who served in a combat zone. A child qualifies if the parent was a Georgia resident deployed abroad to a designated combat zone on or after February 1, 2003, and served at least 181 cumulative days there, was evacuated for severe injuries, or was killed or 100 percent disabled from injuries received there. The award is up to $2,000 per academic year, prorated for part-time terms, with a maximum of $8,000 over four years; for children whose parent served, each qualifying deployment unlocks $2,000. It can be used at public and eligible private nonprofit colleges and technical colleges in Georgia. The student must have 12 months of Georgia residency before the term. Families must file the HERO application within two years of gaining eligibility and renew it each year. Awards are first come, first served as funds allow.
Other deadlines near this one
How hard is the Georgia HERO Scholarship to win?
A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first. The provider does not publish applicant or winner counts, so Solyo shows no odds figure for this award.
- Odds
- not published by the provider
- Paperwork
- ~3 hrs to file
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.
- Fewer rivalsOpen only to Georgia residents
- Fewer rivalsRequires a military or national-service connection
- Fewer rivalsOpen to a single grade level only
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 Georgia HERO Scholarship?
These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.
- Must be a resident of Georgia
- Must attend a college in Georgia (the award does not travel out of state)
- Open to high school seniors
- Open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents (green card)
- For active-duty military or veteran families or families with post-9/11 service in Iraq or Afghanistan
- Parent must have been a Georgia resident in the Georgia National Guard or US Reserves deployed to a combat zone on or after Feb. 1, 2003, for 181+ days, or evacuated, killed or 100% disabled there
- Apply within two years of gaining eligibility
Personalized matching
Does your student actually qualify?
Not sure your student clears every rule above? Solyo checks 20+ criteria against their real profile: GPA, state, grade level, intended major, and more, across every award in this directory at once.
What the application takes
No essay, recommendation letters, or transcript are required. This is one of the lighter applications in the directory.
Deadline and application cycle
The next projected deadline is June 30, 2027 (estimated). The last verified deadline has passed; the next cycle is projected from this award's usual June 30 deadline. Confirm the exact date on the official site.
- Initial application
- June 30, 2027 (estimated)
Free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge a fee. We use your student's information only to build their plan.
Common questions about the Georgia HERO Scholarship
How much is the Georgia HERO Scholarship worth?
The Georgia HERO Scholarship awards up to $2,000 a year ($8,000 total) and is renewable in later years.
When is the Georgia HERO Scholarship deadline?
The next projected deadline is June 30, 2027 (estimated). The last verified deadline has passed; the next cycle is projected from this award's usual June 30 deadline. Confirm the exact date on the official site.
Who is eligible for the Georgia HERO Scholarship?
Key requirements: Must be a resident of Georgia; Must attend a college in Georgia (the award does not travel out of state); Open to high school seniors; Open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents (green card). 1 more criteria are listed on this page.
Does the Georgia HERO Scholarship require an essay?
No essay is required. The application is light on requirements. Expect to spend about 3 hours on it.
How hard is it to win the Georgia HERO Scholarship?
A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first. The provider does not publish applicant or winner counts, so Solyo shows no odds figure for this award. What is known: open only to Georgia residents and requires a military or national-service connection. Plan on about 3 hrs of work.
Is the Georgia HERO Scholarship free to apply?
Yes. The Georgia HERO Scholarship 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
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- Illinois Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents ScholarshipFull tuition and mandatory fees at Illinois public colleges for four years · due June 30, 2027
- Indiana Tuition and Fee Exemption for Children of Disabled Veterans or Purple Heart RecipientsUp to 100% of public tuition and fees; up to $5,000 a year at private colleges · due June 30, 2027
- Indiana Tuition and Fee Remission for Children and Spouses of Indiana National Guard Members100% of tuition and regularly assessed fees · due June 30, 2027
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.