Military Scholarships

The Thomas Edison State College Foundation established the scholarships listed below to recognize the service and sacrifice of U.S. Active, Reserve, and National Guard service members; their spouses; veterans; and wounded warriors. The scholarships are funded entirely by student, College staff, and Foundation donations. Depending on available funds, the scholarships are offered during each award year to eligible students.

Additionally, for military service members and their families (and other eligible civilians), Scholarship and Financial Aid Explorer contains comprehensive information on the scholarships and financial aid offerings of numerous public and private organizations.

Thomas Edison State College Military Scholarships

Each Thomas Edison State College military scholarship listed below has two versions; one for applicants to the College and the other for students currently enrolled in the College. Students may apply for any scholarship offered for which they are eligible.

• Active Military (Applicant Students Only)
• Active Military (Enrolled Students Only)
• Dependent Spouse/Veteran (Applicant Students Only)
• Dependent Spouse/Veteran (Enrolled Students Only)
• Wounded Warrior (Applicant Students Only)
• Wounded Warrior (Enrolled Students Only)

Eligibility Criteria: In addition to any other eligibility criteria, each scholarship requires the submission of documentation to verify the military related status of the applicant. Scholarships can be applied for on the online application during the annual award year application period.

General Requirements for any Military Scholarship

• Have applied for financial aid (Federal, State (NJ residents only, and Thomas Edison State College)
• Applicants must meet all eligibility criteria for the scholarship(s) for which applied.
• Documentation (must be submitted before the Application Period closes)
  • Active/Reserve/Guard/Dependent Spouses: Provide a copy of the front side only of your military/dependent ID card (blacked out SSN) or a command letter verifying your active duty or dependent status
  • Veterans: Provide a copy of your DD 214 or GI Bill Certificate of Eligibility
• The scholarship can be used for tuition, fees, or books for Thomas Edison State College courses

Other Military-related Scholarship Sources

The sources listed below are either organizations or individual scholarships intended primarily to support military members and/or their family members with funds in support of their education. Contact the individuals or organizations identified in the informational links.

• American Legion
• American Patriot Freedom Scholarship Program
• Anchor Scholarship
• Armed Forces Children's Foundation Fund
• Army Scholarship Foundation
• Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund
• Fisher House
• FRA Education Foundation
• Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund
• Hartwell Fallen Soldiers Children's Fund
• Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund
• Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarships
• Ladies Auxiliary of the Fleet Reserve Association
• Military One Source
• Military Family Support Trust
• NAIMES 2013 Student Spotlight Award
• Navy Supply Corps Foundation
• Pat Tillman Foundation
• Purple Heart Scholarship
• Veterans of Foreign Wars
• Wings Over America Scholarship Foundation

• Serving in the active or reserve components of the U.S. Armed Forces (Air Force, Army, Marines, or Navy), the U.S. Coast Guard, or the National Guard at the time of scholarship application
• Current applicant to the College at the time of scholarship application

• Serving in the active or reserve components of the U.S. Armed Forces (Air Force, Army, Marines, or Navy), the U.S. Coast Guard, or the National Guard at the time of scholarship application
• Currently enrolled at Thomas Edison State College at the time of application
• Have at least a 3.0 Thomas Edison State College GPA at the time of application
• Have completed a minimum of 12 Thomas Edison State College credits, with at least six hours being from Online or Guided Study courses
• Incompletes, withdrawals, and failed classes do not count as completed credits and students must successfully complete 66 percent of courses attempted

• One of the following:
  • A dependent spouse of a member of the active or reserve components of the U.S. Armed Forces (Air Force, Army, Marines, or Navy), the U.S. Coast Guard, or the National Guard at the time of scholarship application
  • An honorably discharged or retired veteran of the active or reserve components of the U.S. Armed Forces (Air Force, Army, Marines, or Navy), the U.S. Coast Guard, or the National Guard at the time of scholarship application
• Current applicant to the College at the time of scholarship application

• One of the following:
  • A dependent spouse of a member of the active or reserve components of the U.S. Armed Forces (Air Force, Army, Marines, or Navy), the U.S. Coast Guard, or the National Guard at the time of scholarship application
  • An honorably discharged or retired veteran of the active or reserve components of the U.S. Armed Forces (Air Force, Army, Marines, or Navy), the U.S. Coast Guard, or the National Guard at the time of scholarship application
• Currently enrolled at Thomas Edison State College at the time of application
• Have at least a 3.0 Thomas Edison State College GPA at the time of application
• Have completed a minimum of 12 Thomas Edison State College credits, with at least six hours being from Online or Guided Study courses
• Incompletes, withdrawals, and failed classes do not count as completed credits and students must successfully complete 66 percent of courses attempted

• Wounded or injured while on duty with the active or reserve components of the U.S. Armed Forces (Air Force, Army, Marines, or Navy), the U.S. Coast Guard, or the National Guard
• Current applicant to the College at the time of scholarship application
• Provide medical verification of wounds/injuries sustained by the service member while on active duty

• Wounded or injured while on duty with the active or reserve components of the U.S. Armed Forces (Air Force, Army, Marines, or Navy), the U.S. Coast Guard, or the National Guard
• Currently enrolled at Thomas Edison State College at the time of application
• Have at least a 3.0 Thomas Edison State College GPA at the time of application
• Have completed a minimum of 12 Thomas Edison State College credits, with at least six hours being from Online or Guided Study courses
• Incompletes, withdrawals, and failed classes do not count as completed credits and students must successfully complete 66 percent of courses attempted
• Provide medical verification of wounds/injuries sustained by the service member while on active duty

Comprehensive listing of financial aid, scholarship, and education information for Service Members. For more information, visit American Legion.

The American Patriot Freedom Scholarship Program is operated by Homefront America USA and offers $1,000 scholarships to dependent children of Service Members to use towards a four-year degree, vocational, or technical certificate. For more information, visit American Patriot Freedom Scholarship Program.

The Anchor Scholarship is available to dependents of service members who have served a minimum of six years in a unit under the administrative control of Commander, Naval Surface Forces, U.S. Atlantic Fleet or U.S. Pacific Fleet. You must attend, or plan to attend an accredited four-year college or university and intend to work toward a BS or BA degree to be eligible for this award. For more information, visit Anchor Scholarship.

The Armed Forces Children’s Education Fund is a non-profit corporation to financially assist the needs of surviving children of U.S. Service Members who lost their lives on or after October 7, 2001. For more information, visit Armed Forces Children’s Foundation.

The Army Scholarship Foundation offers scholarships for undergraduate education for dependent children of U.S. Army Soldiers and spouses of active duty enlisted U.S. Army Soldiers. For more information, visit Army Scholarship Fund.

Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund provides assistance to civilian, federal, and postal employees, their spouses, and college-age children. The Fund sponsors an annual merit-based scholarship competition each year for eligible applicants: For more information, visit Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund.

Website highlights several scholarships including Heroes’ Legacy Scholarships for deceased or disabled Service Members’ children, as well as separate scholarship programs for military spouses and their children. For more information, visit Fisher House.

The FRA Education Foundation makes scholarships available to eligible* full-time students who are U.S. citizens attending accredited colleges and universities in the United States. *Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel and their families are eligible for FRA Education Foundation scholarships. For more information, visit FRA Education Foundation.

Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund provides scholarships for dependent children of active duty Service Members who are either killed or permanently disabled (100% VA rating) as the result of an operational mission or training incident, or who are currently certified as MIA or POW. For more information, visit Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund.

Scholarships for spouses and dependent children of killed or disabled active duty Service Members and Reservists. The scholarship is one of the few that can be held if enrollment is postponed. Purple Heart recipients are also automatically eligible for scholarship aid. The Hartwell Fallen Soldiers Children’s Fund provides mentoring and financial support for education, medical expenses, and counseling for children of Service Members killed in action in Iraq or Afghanistan. For more information, visit Hartwell Fallen Soldiers Children’s Fund.

The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund serves United States military personnel wounded or injured in service to our nation, and their families. For more information, visit Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarships are available to all spouses of uniformed Service Members. Funds have few restrictions and may be used for undergraduate or graduate schooling, professional certifications, or vocational training, online or in-class programs, and either fulltime or part-time attendance. A valid military ID is required to be eligible for the program and applicants should be prepared for a timed online application process. For more information, visit Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarships.

Ladies Auxiliary of the Fleet Reserve Association (LA FRA) is chartered to aid, assist and promote all matters pertaining to welfare, social, and patriotic works of the Fleet Reserve Association, its members and their families. For more information, visit Ladies Auxiliary of the Fleet Reserve Association.

Find educational opportunities amid a long list of military resources. Registration and log-in to the website is required to access some of the online resources. For more information, visit Military One Source.

Military Family Support Trust offers a variety of scholarships including 14 named scholarships with the history of each one explained on its website, and provides funding over the course of four years. For more information, visit Military Family Support Trust.

To celebrate academic achievements of military students in the Armed Forces Voluntary Education programs. The Student Spotlight Award is an opportunity for students to demonstrate their academic achievement to the military and civilian educational community through an exploration of how the academic experience has influenced their military career. Application deadline is June 30, 2013. For more information, visit NAIMES Student Spotlight Award..

Activities of the Navy Supply Corps Foundation are centered in more than 20 local chapters which have grown through the years from natural regional groupings of Supply Corps officers into a worldwide organization serving the Supply Corps community. Each chapter is chartered by the Foundation and is an ongoing resource for the active duty, reserve, retired, and prior service Supply Corps officers in the geographic area served by the chapter. It is this federation of local chapters which forms and is the strength of the Navy Supply Corps Foundation. For more information, visit Navy Supply Corps Foundation.

The Tillman Military Scholars program awards scholarships to Service Members, spouses of Service Members, and their dependent children. For more information, visit Pat Tillman Foundation.

The Purple Heart Scholarship is available to members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH), their children, stepchildren, or grandchildren. Dependents of veterans who were killed or wounded in action and died before they could join MOPH are also eligible. Applications are available online in mid-September of each year. For more information, visit Purple Hearts.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars’ Voice of Democracy program is open to all 9-12 grade students, and awards one national first-place winner a $30,000 scholarship to a U.S. university, college, or vocational/technical school. Other national scholarships range from $1,000-$16,000, and the first-place winner from each state level VFW Department wins an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, DC. For more information, visit Veterans of Foreign Wars.

The Wings Over America Scholarship Foundation offers college scholarships to dependent children and spouses of military members from the US Navy’s aviation community. The Foundation is funded solely through private and corporate contributions. For more information, visit Wings over America.