Did you know the GI Bill® may not cover all student costs? This is especially true of graduate students and those receiving CH 1606 and CH 35 benefits. For this reason, we highly recommended that you investigate and compete for additional financial aid through grants and scholarships.
Below are resources to assist you in finding the wide variety of grants and scholarships
for student veterans through PennWest Edinboro, the state of Pennsylvania (PA State
Grant) and various external organizations.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the application used to determine eligibility for federal grant and loan awards. This is done by determining the expected contribution of you or your family toward college costs. FAFSA determinations are used by both PennWest Edinboro and PA State Grant as the basis for its financial aid awards. The amount of money provided by a grant or loan is dependent on your FAFSA results. It is important to understand that any potential PA State Grant grants from the state of Pennsylvania will only be available if the FAFSA is completed.
The FAFSA is completed online and should take about an hour to complete. Having the proper documentation available during the application process will make applying for FAFSA faster and easier.
There are five categories of information that are required on the FAFSA:
- Information about you, the student
- Information on the student’s dependency status
- Information about the student’s parents
- Information about the student’s and parent’s (if applicable) finances
- A list of schools that should receive the results
Have these documents on hand in order to complete the FAFSA application:
Find out more about completing the FAFSA.
PA State Grant also administers the Pennsylvania National Guard Education Assistance Program (EAP). National Guard members may contact their unit training NCO for more information or to apply for EAP.
Military Family Education Program
House Bill 1324, known as the Pennsylvania GI Bill®, authorized the Military Family Education Program (MFEP) which allows spouses and children of Pennsylvania National Guard members to attend college at no or reduced cost.
Edinboro University offers numerous scholarships based on need, program of study, academic achievement and student status. Additional information is available by contacting the Financial Aid Office or your academic advisor. View the list of EU scholarships here.
Name |
Amount |
Information |
$2,000 to $12,000 |
Student Veterans of America offers seven sponsored scholarships from seven different companies. Each scholarship has multiple awards and is awarded to students in specific fields such as math, science, or art. |
|
$1,000 |
Awarded to active duty service members, veterans, and their spouses. Applications are accepted July 1 – Oct. 1. |
|
$1,000 |
Awarded to veterans and active duty service members with a demonstrated financial need. Applications are accepted starting in January. |
|
$5,000 |
Awarded to veterans and active duty service members at or below the rank of E-5 with a demonstrated financial need. Applications are accepted for fall and spring semesters. |
|
$15,000 average |
Awarded to veterans, active duty service members and their spouses. Criteria considered for award include career goals, service record, personal achievement and leadership potential. Applicants must complete two essays. |
|
$2,500 |
Awarded to veterans and active duty service members actively pursuing an undergraduate degree in their sophomore or junior years and receiving a 3.0 GPA. |
|
Varies |
Purple Heart recipients, their spouses, and direct lineal descendants are eligible for this scholarship. Must maintain at least a 2.75 GPA. |
|
Varies |
This is a scholarship for veterans who required loans in order to complete their college education. Scholarship is available to veterans who have completed their degree program. Resume and letter of hardship are required to apply, must commit to 100-400 hours of community service. |
|
$1,000 |
Awarded to Veterans or Gold Star Family members of any branch of service, who complete a 500+ word essay on how web- scraped data can be used to improve or create a product or service. |
Please note: This is not an exhaustive list of veteran scholarships. Student veterans
are also eligible for external scholarships that are not veteran-related.
Name |
Amount |
Information |
Varies |
30 grants issued annually to children of members of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Applicants must show basis of need and have a 2.5 GPA. Grants are for tuition, room and board, fees, books and supplies. |
|
$7,500 |
Numerous scholarships awarded to the children of Marines and Navy Corpsmen who are entering or are in an undergraduate course of study. Students must have a 2.0 GPA and their family must not have a gross income above $95,000. |
|
$2,000 |
Scholarship is open to unmarried children under age 23 of active duty, Reserve/Guard, or retired military commissary customers. Applications must be turned in at the nearest commissary. |
|
$500 to $2,000 |
Numerous scholarships awarded to the children of current or former Army service members or spouses of current Army service members who are entering or are in an undergraduate course of study. Students must have a 2.0 GPA and their family must not have a gross income above that of an E-9. |
|
|
Scholarship for dependent children of armed forces service members. Essay required for consideration. |
|
$500 to $2,500 |
Military spouses and dual military spouses are eligible. Awarded once to recipient and must be used within 12 months. Can be used for undergraduate or graduate programs. |
|
$2,000 to $5,000 |
Awarded to dependent children of veterans. Eligible individuals include descendants of participants in past conflicts including the Korean War as well as American Legion Auxiliary members. |
|
Chisholm, Chisholm, & Kilpatrick Child of a Disabled Veteran Scholarship |
$1,000 |
Scholarship is open to children of a disabled veteran who are either high school seniors with a GPA of 3.0 or students currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program with a GPA of 3.0 or better. Must complete a 500-word essay about giving advice to others with a disabled veteran parent. |
Veterans Success Center
John Christman, Ph.D.
Veterans Success Coordinator
206 Crawford Center
Email: jchristman@pennwest.edu
Phone: 814-732-1557
"GI Bill ®” is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.