Grants and scholarships are available to student veterans through PennWest Edinboro, the state of Pennsylvania (Pa State Grant), and various external organizations.
Assistance provided to students through 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, it is highly recommended that you investigate and compete for additional financial aid through grants and scholarships. Below are resources to assist you in finding applicable grants and scholarships.
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 the University 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 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:
Documents that you should have on hand in order to complete these information requirements include:
Find out more about completing the FAFSA.
The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency provides grants to Pennsylvania residents who meet basic eligibility requirements. While the state grant program is available to all eligible Pennsylvania residents, Pa State Grant also administers three veteran-specific programs:
The Children of POW/MIA Soldiers Program
The Children of POW/MIA Soldiers Program provides up to $1,200 a year for students who are the children of Pennsylvania residents who were soldiers designated as POW or MIA. Eligible students will have a parent who served on active duty after Jan. 31, 1955, the parent must have been a Pennsylvania resident prior to serving on active duty, the parent must have been designated as a POW/MIA, and the parent must have received an honorable discharge or not been found to have deserted or defected to the enemy. Students applying for this grant should first complete their FAFSA and then contact Pa State Grant for an application.
Dependent Educational Gratuity
Children of service members who died while on active duty can receive a grant of up to $1,000 a year under the Dependent Education Gratuity.
Pennsylvania National Guard Education Assistance Program
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.
PennWest Edinboro 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 PennWest Edinboro 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 for students in specific fields such as math, science or art. |
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$1,000 |
Awarded to active duty service members, veterans and their spouses, applications are accepted July 1 – Oct. 1. |
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$1,000 |
Awarded to veterans and active duty service members with a demonstrated financial need. Applications are accepted starting in January. |
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$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. |
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$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. |
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$2,500 |
Awarded to veterans and active duty service members actively pursuing an undergraduate degree in their sophomore or junior years and earning a 3.0 GPA. |
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Varies |
Purple Heart recipients, their spouses, and direct lineal descendants are eligible for this scholarship. Must maintain at least a 2.75 GPA. |
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Varies |
This is a scholarship for veterans who required loans in order to complete their college education. The 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. |
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$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, and 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. |
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$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. |
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$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. |
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$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. |
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Scholarship for dependent children of armed forces service members. Essay required for consideration. |
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$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. |
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$2,000 to $5,000 |
Awarded to dependent children of veterans. Eligible individuals include descendants of participants in past conflicts including the Korean War and American Legion Auxiliary members. |
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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. |
Department of Labor Scholarship search engine through careerinfonet.org
FinAid.org scholarship search engine
College Board scholarship search engine
Learn more about financial aid and assistance
Each year a graduating veteran student is honored with the Student Veteran of the Year Award. This award of $250 is granted to a student based not only on academic success, but on the ability to succeed while coping with the struggles that many veterans face when returning to school after serving their country. Previous recipients have included parents working full-time jobs while attending classes and a student who completed four bachelor’s degrees in four years.
In order to receive the Student Veteran of the Year Award, students must write a one-page essay describing their transition from military life to school and how they have achieved academic success and the application form found below. Essays, along with submitted academic records, are reviewed by a panel consisting of Student Veterans Association President, the Veterans Success Center Coordinator, Edinboro ROTC Leadership, and the Vice President for Enrollment Management. All submissions are voluntary and should be received no later than the end of the second week of April of the student’s graduating year. Students graduating during the fall or summer semesters may apply during their last spring semester of attendance.
Submissions may be sent to veterans@pennwest.edu or dropped off at the Veterans Success Center beginning the last week of March.
Student Veteran of the Year Application
2017 - Tyler Stanton
2016 - Melissa Winfield
2015 - Ryan Butters
2014 - Patricia Gerhauser
Events sponsored by SGA
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.