Florida Scholarships for Children and Spouses of Deceased or Disabled Veterans

Eligibility

Florida Scholarships for Children and Spouses of Deceased or Disabled Veterans offers numerous awards that vary in amount. Location restrictions exist. Military service requirements apply.

Description

The Scholarships for Children and Spouses of Deceased or Disabled Veterans provides an award to dependent children or un-remarried spouses of qualified Florida veterans. The veteran must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen and have Florida listed as the their official home of record in DEERS database immediately preceding time of death, determination of 100 percent permanent and total disability, or prisoner of war/missing in action classification. The child must be between the ages of 16 and 22; be a dependent child of a qualified veteran whose official military and residency status is certified by the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs; and receive educational opportunity until such a time as the parent classified as prisoner of war or missing in action is returned alive or otherwise classified. The spouse of a disabled veteran must be married to a qualified veteran whose official home of record is listed as Florida in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) database; be married to the disabled veteran for one or more years; and accept scholarship funding only during the duration of the marriage and up to the point of termination of the marriage by dissolution or annulment. The spouse of a deceased veteran must be un-remarried; have been the spouse of a qualified veteran whose official military and residency status is certified by the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs; and apply for the scholarship within 5 years after the veteran's death. The student must enroll in an undergraduate degree or certificate program for a minimum of six credit hours, 180 clock hours, or the equivalent, per term at an eligible participating postsecondary institution. A student who is enrolled in at least six credit hours at an eligible Florida public postsecondary institution will receive an award equal to the amount of tuition and required registration fees. A student who is enrolled at an eligible private postsecondary institution shall receive a fixed award calculated by using the average matriculation and fee calculation for full-time attendance at a public postsecondary institution at the comparable level. A student enrolled part-time shall receive a reduced award by either one-half or three-fourths of the maximum award. An eligible student may receive funding for up to 110 percent of the number of the required credit hours of an initial baccalaureate degree or certificate program for which the student is enrolled. The applicant must be submitted by April 1, 2026, for priority consideration. Applications received after April 1, 2026, will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis if sufficient funds remain. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the Florida State Department of Education for more information.