AFAS MERIT & GRIT SCHOLARSHIPS

Each year, Air Force Aid Society awards a minimum of 20 Merit and Grit Scholarships of $5,000 each to dependent children of active duty and retired Airmen or Guardians who demonstrate outstanding academic potential based on GPA, or used Grit (Growth, Resilience, Integrity and Tenacity) in overcoming a specific challenge in their academic journey.

The Air Force Aid Society provides Education Support for children and spouses of Airmen and Guardians and can help pay for college in many ways in addition to the AFAS Merit and Grit Scholarships. AFAS also offers the needs based General Henry (Hap) Arnold Education Grant and helps with college books and tuition with the AFAS Supplement Education Loan.

 

Requirements

Eligibility

Incoming college and university freshmen students who have already successfully completed the Arnold Education Grant application may be considered for a Merit or Grit Scholarship.

Actually receiving an Arnold Education Grant is not a pre-requisite to receive a Merit or Grit Scholarship. A student can be awarded a Merit or Grit Scholarship without receiving the needs-based Arnold Education Grant.

Application

Consideration for the AFAS Merit and Grit Scholarships requires completion of the Arnold Education Grant application.

Students who are to be considered for a Merit or Grit Scholarship will be contacted directly by AFAS in June each year with details on submitting documents to include their end-of-year high school transcripts and video essays on a specified topic.

Selection

Students who have already been vetted through the Arnold Education Grant application process will be evaluated for the Merit Scholarship based on their cumulative GPA. Documents to submit include high school transcripts and their video essay on a specified topic. 

Those students ultimately chosen to receive a Merit or Grit Scholarship are announced in July each year. Funds will be disbursed directly to their college or university in August each year, and are limited to use for tuition, fees, books and curriculum-required materials.

My son received education support while attending his 4-year college. Thank you so much for helping my son to have a start in life that so many of us have never known. You’ve helped to change our family tree going forward.

TSgt Steven Twiggs, USAF (Ret)

The AFAS Scholarship lightened my financial burden which allows me to focus on the most important aspect of school – learning. I hope one day I will be able to help students achieve their goal just as AFAS helped me.

Joshua Ben Romualdo, Air Force dependent and student