Children of Warriors National Presidents’ Scholarship

15 -$5,000 scholarships awarded to students across the country

1. Where can a student find the application?
   • The application may be found at www.ALAforVeterans.org/Scholarships/Children-of-Warriors
   • This is an online application and submission.
2. When is the scholarship deadline?
   • The final deadline is March 1. The application form will close at 11:59 pm Eastern. No exceptions will be made. National Headquarters receives the entries and disperses them to the departments (states) for the first round of judging.
   • Winners will be announced in May via social media and on the national website www.ALAforVeterans.org.
   • Letters will be mailed in May to winners and their sponsoring units.
   • A list of winners will be emailed in May to department secretaries and education chairs.
3. Can anyone apply for the National Presidents’ Scholarship?
   • Candidates for this award shall be direct descendants of veterans who served in the United States Armed Forces during eligibility dates for membership in The American Legion and were honorably discharged. Membership in The American Legion Family is not required for this scholarship.
   • Applicants must be in their senior year of high school.
   • A student who is not a senior but taking college courses is not eligible.
   • Homeschooled students may apply providing they are the equivalent of a high school senior.
   • Students who have already graduated high school and/or are currently enrolled in college are not eligible
4. Is community service required and how many hours?
   • 50 hours of volunteer service is required to be eligible for this scholarship.
   • Verification of the time served must be in writing from the recipient organization(s).
   • Hours served volunteering for the ALA and The Legion Family are acceptable
     • For documentation purposes the unit president or post commander should sign off on the hours by writing a letter.
   • Hours may be spread over the course of the applicant’s high school career.
   • Hours may be from one organization or spread across several.
     • If spread across several, documentation must come from each organization.
     • The exception being if the various organizations were arranged through the applicant’s school. Then a single letter from the applicant’s school counselor listing all the organizations and hours will be sufficient.
5. My parents aren’t comfortable making copies of our FAFSA due to privacy concerns. Are there other options?
   • The FAFSA is no longer required.
6. Where do applicants turn in their scholarship entry?
   • Applications are submitted online to National Headquarters. No further action from applicants is needed.
7. What happens to the scholarship entry after it has been turned in?
   • Scholarship entries are distributed to the department (state) in which the applicant resides for the first round of judging. If the entry is selected by the state, then the entry is judged and certified one last time at the division level. There will be three winners in each of the 5 divisions. These entries are certified winners and receive the scholarship.
   • Applications of military students residing overseas will be distributed to their sponsor’s home state of record for the first round of judging.
8. How is the scholarship judged?
   • Character/Leadership 30%
   • Essay/Application 30%
   • Academic Achievement 40%
9. What is the amount awarded?
   • $5,000, 3 per division, for a total of $75,000 annually
10. How long does the student have to use the scholarship?
    • ALA NHQ must receive the Scholarship Certification Form within 12 months of notification (date on the winner’s letter). The scholarship money must be used within 24 months of the winner receiving notification.
11. How does a winner claim their scholarship money?
    1. A Scholarship Certification Form will be enclosed with the winner’s notification form, which must be completed by the student and their school’s registrar (or an equivalent position if no registrar is available).
    2. Once completed, the Scholarship Certification Form should be returned to the Education Program Coordinator at NHQ.
    3. Funds will then be released in the form of a check to the school.
12. Does the scholarship winner get the money or does the school?
    • The check is paid to the school for tuition and/or room and board.
    • In some circumstances, a special exception may be made. For example, for a student in the Air Force Academy, which has no tuition or room and board, the check was sent to the US Treasury on the student’s behalf to offset expenses (books, uniforms, etc.)
13. Is the money paid out in one lump sum or installments?
    • The Children of Warriors National Presidents’ Scholarship is paid in one lump sum, payable after NHQ receives the completed Scholarship Certification Form.
14. Is the Children of Warriors National Presidents’ Scholarship renewable? Can a winner apply for it again?
    • No, since one of the requirements is the applicant must be a senior in high school. A previous winner would no longer be in high school.

Non-Traditional Student Scholarship

5 - $2,000 scholarships awarded to Legion Family members, veterans, and spouses of active duty servicemembers or veterans. 

1. Where can a student find the application?
   • The application may be found at https://www.ALAforVeterans.org/Scholarships/Non-Traditional-Student-Scholarship. 

2. When is the scholarship deadline?
   • The final deadline is March 1. The application form will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. No exceptions will be made. National Headquarters receives the entries and disperses them to the departments (states) for the first round of judging.
   • Winners will be announced in May via social media and on the national website at www.ALAforVeterans.org.
   • Letters will be mailed in May to winners and their sponsoring units.
   • A list of winners will be emailed in May to department secretaries and education chairs.

3. Who can apply for the Non-Traditional Student Scholarship?
   • Applicant must be:
     1. A current member in good standing of The American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary, or Sons of The American Legion, must have held membership for the two preceding years (2023 and 2024), and be a paid member for the current (2025) membership year, OR
     2. A veteran who served in the United States Armed Forces and was honorably discharged, OR
     3. The spouse of an active duty servicemember or a veteran who was honorably discharged.
   • Applicants must also be a student returning to the classroom after some period of time in which his/her formal education was interrupted or a non-traditional student who is just beginning his/her education at a later point in life.

4. Do I have to be a full-time undergraduate student?
   • No, part time students are eligible, as are other degree students such as masters or doctorate students.

5. I was a winner of the Spirit of Youth Scholarship. Am I eligible to apply for the Non-Traditional Student Scholarship?
   • No, SOY scholarship winners are not eligible to receive this scholarship.

6. Is community service required to receive this scholarship?
   • No, there is no volunteer service required. 

7. I am not comfortable making copies of my FAFSA due to privacy concerns. Are there other options?
   • The FAFSA is no longer required.

8. Where do I turn my scholarship entry in?
   • Applications are submitted online to National Headquarters. No further action from applicants is needed. 

9. What happens to the scholarship entry after it has been turned in?
   • Scholarship entries are distributed to the department (state) in which the applicant resides for the first round of judging. If the entry is selected by the state, then the entry is judged and certified one last time at the division level. There will be one winner in each of the 5 divisions. These entries are certified winners and receive the scholarship.

10. How is the scholarship judged?
    • Character/Leadership 25%
    • Initiative/Goals 25%
    • Financial Need 25%
    • Academic Achievement 25%

11. What is the amount awarded?
    • $2,000 — one per division — for a total of $10,000 annually.

12. How long does the student have to use the scholarship?
    • ALA NHQ must receive the Scholarship Certification Form within 12 months of notification (date on the winner’s letter). The scholarship money must be used within 24 months of the winner receiving notification.

13. How does a winner claim their scholarship money?
    • A Scholarship Certification Form will be enclosed with the winner’s notification form, which must be completed by the student and their school’s registrar (or an equivalent position if no registrar is available).
    • Once completed, the Scholarship Certification Form should be returned to the Education Program Coordinator at NHQ.
    • Funds will then be released in the form of a check to the school.

14. Does the scholarship winner get the money or does the school?
    • The check is paid to the school for tuition and/or room and board.
    • In some circumstances, a special exception may be made.  For example, for a student in the Air Force Academy, which has no tuition or room and board, the check was sent to the US Treasury on the student’s behalf to offset expenses (books, uniforms, etc.)

15. Is the money paid out in one lump sum or installments?
    • The Non-Traditional Student Scholarship is paid in one lump sum, payable after NHQ receives the completed Scholarship Certification Form.

16.  Is the Non-Traditional Student Scholarship renewable? Can a winner apply for it again?
    • No, since one of the requirements is the applicant be returning to or starting school after a period of time.  A previous winner would no longer be returning to school.

James H Parke Scholarship

1. What is the James H Parke Scholarship?
   • Each Veterans Affairs medical center may nominate one Veteran Affairs Volunteer Services (VAVS) Student Volunteer to be considered for this scholarship. The nominee must have completed 100 hours of regularly scheduled VAVS during a calendar year prior to September 1. The nominee must also be in the 10th grade or above and have not reached their 19th birthday to be considered.
2. Where do I find more information on this scholarship?
   • Visit www.volunteer.va.gov/ParkeScholarship.asp to find more information about this scholarship.

Samsung American Legion Scholarship
(ALA Girls/Legion Boys State)

1. Who can apply for the Samsung American Legion Scholarship?
   • Scholarship applications are restricted to high school juniors who attend the current session of either the Legion Boys State or ALA Girls State program and are a direct descendant -i.e. child, grandchild, great grandchild, etc. -or a legally adopted child of a wartime veteran who served on active duty during at least one of the periods of war officially designated as eligibility dates for membership in The American Legion.
2. What is the deadline for the application of the Samsung American Legion Scholarship?
   • Applications for the Samsung American Legion Scholarship are due no later than the first day of the Legion Boys State or ALA Girls State program, using the online application.
3. Where can I find the online application and/or more information?
   • www.legion.org/get-involved/scholarships/samsung-american-legion-scholarship

Certification of Scholarship by University or College

1. Where do I find the form to complete the certification?
   • A Scholarship Certification Form will be enclosed with the winner’s notification form. If an additional copy is needed, please send a request to Education@ALAforVeterans.org
2. Where do I send the certification once it is complete?
   • Send the form to the American Legion Auxiliary National Headquarters once it is complete. The address is on the bottom of the certification form.
3. By what date do I need to send the certification to the American Legion Auxiliary?
   • Certification needs to be received by the American Legion Auxiliary National Headquarters 30 days prior to needing money. Once it is received, the turnover period for the money to be sent to the school is two weeks. National Headquarters asks for 30 days so that if there is a discrepancy, it can be figured out before the money is needed.