Scholarships: ‘Tis the Season to Share information about ALL of our Scholarship Opportunities!

While you are at your Department Voice of Democracy awards ceremony, please take time to talk with students and their families about other scholarship opportunities. Whether they won first place in Voice of Democracy or not, give them a sales pitch about our scholarship opportunities. Ask these questions:

• Is the student also an artist?
• Are there any other students in the home?
• Do they have any family members that served in the military overseas?
• Are there any Boy or Girl Scouts in the family?

Use their answers to continue the conversation.

Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest

• Any student in grades 9-12 who is enrolled in a public, private or parochial high school or home study program in the United States.
• Maximum student age of 18 at time of local entry.
• Student must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
• Applicant does not have to be related to a VFW or VFW Auxiliary member to participate, but the student must attend school in the same state as the sponsoring VFW Auxiliary.
• Two- and Three-Dimensional Art
• Entry deadline to Local VFW Auxiliary is March 31, 2019

VFW Auxiliary Continuing Education Scholarship

• Applicant must be 18 years of age or older.
• Applicant must be one of the following:
  • Current VFW Auxiliary Member*
  • Spouse of current VFW Auxiliary Member*
  • Son of current VFW Auxiliary Member*
  • Daughter of current VFW Auxiliary Member*

*Qualifying member must have been a member of the VFW Auxiliary for one (1) year by the application submission deadline.

• Entry deadline to VFW Auxiliary National Headquarters is February 15, 2019.

VFW Scout of the Year

• Scouts who are registered, active members of a Boy or Girl Scout Troop, Venturing Crew, or a Sea Scout Ship who have received the Eagle Scout Award, Girl Scout Gold Award, Venture Summit Award or Sea Scout Quartermaster Award.
• Scouts must be 15 years of age and have demonstrated practical citizenship in school, scouting and the community.
• Scouts must be enrolled in high school at the time of selection. Note: All applicants still in high school who reach their 18th birthday during the nomination year remain eligible if otherwise qualified.
• Entry deadline to local VFW Post is March 1, 2019.

Department Specific Scholarships

• Many Departments offer their own scholarships. If your Department offers a scholarship, be sure to promote it!

2019-2020 Voice of Democracy and Patriots Pen Contests

• Themes for the 2019-2020 contests will be available in February 2019.

At the recent District 5 Department of Arizona Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen Awards I personally recruited two new members to the VFW Auxiliary by enticing them with scholarship opportunities. There is one student who plans to enter the Young American Patriotic Art Contest; three students that did not advance to the Department-level Voice of Democracy Contest this year and plan to try again next year; one student who will be eligible for Patriot’s Pen next year and wants to participate; and an Eagle Scout who will be working on his entry into that competition. This was by only talking with three families! Imagine the number of entries our scholarship contests would have if every family at every awards presentation was told about these opportunities?

Be sure to carry a few Scholarships At-A-Glance flyers with you or make your own custom flyers and include Scout of the Year and Department-specific scholarships.

Has your Auxiliary hosted a fund raiser for the Young American Creative Patriotic Art Escrow Fund? If so, please let me know what you did and include a photo or two so I can share your ideas with others.