Sponsoring Institution: Veterans of Foreign Wars

Type: Audio Essay Scholarship and Essay Scholarship

Eligibility: All grade 9-12 students in public, private, parochial school, or home study programs in the U.S., its territories or its possessions. Dependents of U.S. military or civilian personnel in overseas schools are also eligible to participate in the Voice of Democracy Audio Essay Scholarship. Similarly qualified students in grades 6-8 are eligible to submit entries for the Patriot Pen.

Application Deadline: The deadline for submissions for both the Audio Essay Scholarship and Patriot Pen is October 31st annually.

Highlight: The VFW promotes patriotism and demonstrates their investment in future with 2 annual scholarship awards contests: the Audio Essay Scholarship for students in grades 9-12 and, continuing the theme for a younger audience, the Patriot Pen Scholarship for students in grades 6-8 . Requirements for the Audio Essay Scholarship are short and sweet: just record between 3-5 minutes of your considered thoughts on a CD or Flash Drive and submit your typed version, along with the audio essay scholarship entry form, to your local VFW. For the Patriot’s Pen, it’s even simpler: just a 300-400 word essay along with your application! Each year has a different theme for each contest that involves reflecting on a patriotic icon or message or event, so each year is something new. If you have family in the military, or you’re interested in joining the military, or mostly, if you genuinely  have a deep interest and appreciation for being American and want to contribute something from the heart, this Audio Essay Scholarship or the Patriots Pen Essay Scholarship are easy ways to share your thoughts with appreciative members of the VFW and possibly win some money! There are 53 winners from all over the US for each contest! Not to mention, the audio essay scholarship grand prize of $30,000 goes a long way!