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 www.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 www.militaryscholar.org to learn more and apply before the upcoming deadline!