Navigating Fisher House Foundation Scholarships: Eligibility and Opportunities
The Fisher House Foundation stands as a pillar of support for military families, offering a range of programs designed to ease the burdens of service. Among these initiatives, the scholarship programs provide invaluable assistance to military children and spouses seeking to further their education. Understanding the eligibility requirements and available opportunities is crucial for those looking to benefit from these programs.
Understanding Fisher House Foundation
Fisher House Foundation is one of the premier quality-of-life organizations supporting military families. It provides a "Home Away from Home" near military medical centers for families experiencing a personal medical crisis. Beyond just housing, the Fisher House Foundation extends its support through various scholarship programs aimed at assisting military families in their pursuit of higher education.
Fisher Houses: A Home Away From Home
Fisher Houses are gifted to the military services and Department of Veterans Affairs. The commander or director of each medical center where the houses are located are responsible for establishing the eligibility, priorities, and selection criteria. Fisher Houses are open to all veterans of all eras, though eligibility varies by location based on criteria established by the medical center. It is best to reach out to the specific house for more information.
Volunteering is done at the local Fisher Houses, and not through the Fisher House Foundation. The manager is in a better position to know what is needed at his or her house. In almost all cases, volunteering is welcome, but please arrange your visit through the manager of the house you wish to visit in advance.
The decision on where to build future Fisher Houses is based on need and Fisher House Foundation board approval. Normally, a need and justification is submitted from the medical center to either the service Surgeon General (Army, Navy, or Air Force) or the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Fisher Houses at VA medical centers. The requesting medical center commander or director must demonstrate that the medical center's mission attracts patients from far distances (at least 50 miles) for long periods of time. Fisher House Foundation pays for the construction costs and furnishings of each Fisher House.
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Scholarships for Military Children Program
The Scholarships for Military Children Program recognizes the contributions of military families to the readiness of the fighting force and to celebrate the role of the commissary in the military family community. The goal of the scholarship program is to award a minimum of one $2,000 scholarship at each commissary location that receives applications from students who meet all of the eligibility requirements.
Eligibility Criteria
The Scholarships for Military Children program is open to unmarried military dependent children under the age of 23 who possess a valid Uniformed Services Identification (USID) card. Applicants or their sponsors need not live at or near an installation that has a commissary. Current high school seniors and college students who have not completed their first semester must submit high school transcripts. College students who have completed at least one semester must submit a college transcript (unweighted).
To be eligible, applicants must be enrolled or planning to enroll full-time in a four-year undergraduate college or university, accredited in the U. S. or a community or junior college must be enrolled in a program of study designed to allow them to transfer directly into a four-year program. High school applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 basis). College applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50.
A student’s parent(s) or sponsor(s) must be one of the following: active duty, reserve/guard, deceased, or retired from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, or Space Force.
Dependent children of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), Public Health Service, other federal or military-related agencies or activities, or DoD civilian employees are not eligible unless they meet the above requirement.
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It's important to note that while some laws permit parents to extend their medical insurance coverage, including through Tricare, to their children through the child's 26th birthday, but only if they or their parents pay the full premium for that coverage. The law did not extend military dependency status to age 26 for any other purpose.
Scholarship Details
The Scholarship for Military Children Program will award a minimum of one $2,000 scholarship at each commissary that has qualified applicants. The scholarship awards will be given for a maximum of 4 years. Exceptions can be considered if the student is enrolled in an undergraduate program of study that normally requires more than 4 years. All exceptions will be handled on an individual basis.
The scholarship funds are to be used for undergraduate tuition only (and specific course fees that meet IRS standards). IRS Publication 970 states that scholarships may be used to pay for qualified expenses, which include tuition, fees, lab fees and books. Scholarship checks issued by Scholarship Managers are made payable to the school the recipients will attend, not to the student.
This is a merit-based program that does not consider need. If a student receives other scholarships (e.g. GI-Bill, 9/11 Fry Scholarship or other resources) that when combined fully meet or exceed the cost of tuition, we ask the student to consider declining this scholarship so that it is available for others.
Application Process
The Scholarships for Military Children Program requires that the student complete the application themselves. The entire application and selection process is independently managed by Scholarship Managers (SM), an international, not-for-profit, scholarship service organization. All decisions reached by SM are final.
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Applications are submitted online, and all tabs of the form must be completed before final submission. Validate your eligibility as a military dependent by entering the benefits number found on the reverse of the Uniformed Services Identification (USID) card. If you qualify for an ID card but do not have one you should immediately schedule a visit to a military personnel office and bring proper documentation.
If a student's high school will not release an official transcript to them, the preferred course of action is to ask the school if they will put the transcript in a sealed envelope, which can be included with the application (be sure your name is on the envelope). If the school will not agree to this, the student or parent should contact the school guidance department and inform them that schools are required by law to release "unofficial" transcripts to parents (if the child is under the age of 18) or to the student (if the child is 18 or older). Provide attachments that help us better understand your program.
The application period for the 2026-2027 academic year will open on December 10, 2025, and close on February 11, 2026. Applicants will be informed whether they were awarded funding or not by the end of August. Unfortunately, no we do not provide feedback on submissions. Due to time constraints, we ask the judges to score each submission based on the criteria listed on the application. All award winners will be required to submit 6-month and 12-month video clips that will be used for marketing materials on our social media platforms (you will be required to sign a photo and video release).
Funding
Funding of the scholarship program is provided by commissary business partners such as manufacturers, suppliers or vendors who normally provide gifts or prizes for patrons through various promotional programs. Those funds instead are being donated to this unified cause through the Fisher House Foundation, program administrator for Scholarships for Military Children. Fisher House Foundation has received some Congressionally appropriated funds for the construction of new houses. Once an individual house is gifted to the military, it is supported by two sources of funds: (1) from the income generated by a Congressionally approved trust fund maintained by each military service (these funds are referred to as "nonappropriated funds") and (2) from voluntary donations, given by individuals and organizations. The government pays only a portion of the costs.
Heroes’ Legacy Scholarship
The "Heroes' Legacy Scholarships" program honors not only those who have fallen in battle but all who have died or have become disabled through their active military service since September 11, 2001. The program is open to their dependent unmarried children under age 23.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the Heroes’ Legacy Scholarship, students must:
- Be a child with one parent who died while serving on active duty on or after September 11, 2001, in any branch or component of the U. S.
- Be a child with one parent who became disabled while serving on active duty on or after September 11, 2001 (which means the parent qualified to receive traumatic Servicemembers Group Life Insurance), or be a child with one parent who was on active duty on or after Sept.
Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship Program
Fisher House Foundation sponsors a separate scholarship program for military spouses called the Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship Program and is administered by the National Military Family Association in partnership with Fisher House Foundation.
About Joanne Holbrook Patton
Our Scholarship Program is named in honor of Joanne Holbrook Patton, a fifth-generation Army daughter and daughter-in-law of General George S. Patton. She was married to the late Major General George S.
Program Details
The National Military Family Association recognizes the unique challenges today’s military spouses face in pursuing additional training or education. Frequent moves make it difficult to complete programs and establish a career. We are here to help ease the financial obstacles that accompany pursuing a higher education. NMFA awards an average of $500 for career funding and $1,000 for degrees. Up to $2500 is available for clinical supervision towards licensure in the mental health profession.
Spouses are also eligible for funding, typically $1,000, to build their own businesses. This includes entrepreneurs, LLCs, direct sales, franchises, contractors, and other for-profit ventures.
Additional Fisher House Foundation Programs
The Fisher House Foundation extends its support to military families through additional programs:
Hero Miles Program
Fisher House Foundation has administered the Hero Miles program since 2005, in accordance with the 2005 Defense Authorization Act. The program is specific in that wounded, injured, and ill service members and their families are eligible. The service member will submit a request through a case worker, social work staff, or service casualty offices. All tickets are electronic. The passenger will need the record locator and confirmation number along with a government issued photo ID at the airport. Fisher House Foundation does not permit any changes that would result in the Foundation paying a change fee unless the reason is a medical necessity, and beyond the ability of the passenger to anticipate. Generally, Fisher House Foundation does not place limits on the number or frequency of the travel as long as it is reasonable and in the best interest of the wounded, injured or ill service member.
Hero Miles was established to reunite families.
Hotels for Heroes
Hotels for Heroes provides hotel rooms to the families of wounded, injured, and ill service members who are undergoing treatment at authorized medical centers when a Fisher House is not available. In general, the focus of Hotels for Heroes support is for situations involving significant medical events and emergencies. When the service member or veteran is receiving treatment at a hospital that has a Fisher House on site, and the house has space available, the Hotels for Heroes program is not an option. Hotels for Heroes supports the Fisher Houses by providing lodging to families when a house is full. The family is put on a waiting list by the House manager and hotel lodging is provided until a room at the House becomes available, at which time the family must move into the Fisher House. Hospital case workers and other military liaisons submit requests on behalf of service members who are undergoing treatment at hospitals where there is no Fisher House.
Fisher Service Award
Fisher House Foundation and Military Times Foundation partnered to create the Fisher Service Award. This annual program will award a total of $250,000 to be divided among the top applying nonprofits with innovative programs improving the life of active duty and veteran communities. Award funding may be used to execute any necessary program expense. This includes wages/salaries, supplies, capital campaigns, building repair, and professional fees.
Other Scholarship Resources for Military Families
Military families have access to a number of scholarship options to help offset some of the out-of-pocket college expenses. While the Scholarships for Military Children Program and the Heroes’ Legacy Scholarship are available to military-connected teens from any service branch, there are dozens of additional scholarships available through service-specific departments and other military-affiliated organizations such as American Legion, Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, Military Youth of the Year, DECA scholarships for emerging leaders, and branch aid organizations like Air Force Aid Society and Army Emergency Relief.
Fisher House Foundation also has a free, easy-to-use custom scholarship search engine tailored to military families called “Scholarships for Service,” available at militaryscholar.org.
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