AFAS MERIT SCHOLARSHIP
Each year, Air Force Aid Society awards a minimum of 10 Merit Scholarships. These $5,000 scholarships are available to dependent children of active duty and retired Airmen or Guardians who demonstrate outstanding academic potential based on GPA.
The Air Force Aid Society provides Education Support for Airmen, Guardians, and their children and can help pay for college in many ways in addition to the AFAS Merit Scholarship. 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 Scholarship.
Actually receiving an Arnold Education Grant is not a pre-requisite to receipt of a Merit Scholarship. A student can be awarded a Merit Scholarship without receiving the needs-based Arnold Education Grant.
Application
Consideration for the AFAS Merit Scholarship requires completion of the Arnold Education Grant application.
Students who are to be considered for a Merit Scholarship will be contacted directly by HQ AFAS in June each year with details on submitting 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 based on cumulative GPA, high school transcripts and their video essay on a specified topic.
Those students ultimately chosen to receive a Merit 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.