VFW Scholarships

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible Countries: United States
• Admissible Criteria: To be eligible, the applicants must in grades 9-12 enrolled in public, private, parochial school, or home study program in the U.S., its territories or its possessions.
• Dependents of U.S. military or civilian personnel in overseas schools are also eligible to participate.
• Although U.S. citizenship is not required. Students must be lawful U.S. permanent residents or have applied for permanent residence (the application for which has not been denied) and intends to become a U.S. citizen at the earliest opportunity allowed by law.
• Foreign exchange students, students age 20 or over, previous Voice of Democracy first-place state winners, GED or Adult Education Students are ineligible.

Offered Benefits

• The national first-place winner will receive a $30,000 award that will directly provide to the recipient’s American university, college or vocational/technical school.
• Each VFW Department (state) first-place winner wins a minimum grant of $1,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C.
• Other national awards range from $1,000-$16,000

Application Process

• How to Apply: To participate, applicants must download and complete the 2019-20 entry form. The complete application must send to your local VFW Post.
• What do you need to enter?

1. Record your original 3-5 minute (+ or – 5 seconds max.) essay on an audio CD or a flash drive. (Music, singing, poetry or sound effects are not allowed.)
2. One student per CD or flash drive