SCHOLARSHIPS FOR MILITARY CHILDREN: Fisher House Foundation, DeCA announce winners of student grants
NOTE: To see a DeCA video related to this release, click here.
FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va. – Fisher House Foundation has announced the winners of its annual Scholarships for Military Children program, which awards deserving children of U.S. service members scholarship grants, providing an early boost to their continued educational success.
This year, the nonprofit foundation awarded 500 children $2,000 scholarships for the upcoming 2025-2026 academic year. Awards ceremonies, hosted by commissaries around the world, have been honoring this year’s winners.
“This year’s success is a testament to the strength of our military families and the unwavering generosity of our donors,” said Marshall Banks, director of community relations at Fisher House Foundation. “Each scholarship is more than a check – it’s a powerful message of encouragement and belief in what these young people can achieve. We’re proud to stand with them as they take the next step in their journey.”
Banks went on to note that, due to the continued support from donors, Fisher House Foundation has awarded $25,126,000 in scholarships since 2001.
Scholarship awards ceremonies are being held at commissaries across the U.S. to recognize those students who’ve been selected to receive a scholarship.
Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) Director and CEO John Hall stopped in at the Fort Lee commissary’s scholarships award celebration on Aug. 6 to offer his congratulations to the local students being honored there.
“It’s really quite an accomplishment and quite significant to your parents I know as well,” he said. “Having sent four children through college, I know that can be a challenge. Thanks to Fisher House for partnering with us on this. It’s a great thing that we do.”
Fisher House Vice President of Community Relations Julie Riggs also attended the Fort Lee ceremony to congratulate the students.
“On behalf of Fisher House Foundation, I want to congratulate our winners on their scholastic achievement, and on being chosen as recipients of the Fisher House Scholarship for Military Children. I’ve enjoyed reading your essays and want to thank you for all the hard work that you’ve done.”
Each year, scholarship applicants submit their official transcript indicating a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale for high school applicants, or a cumulative minimum GPA of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 scale for students already enrolled in college. Also required is an essay, 500 words or less and no longer than two pages.
Eligibility for the program is determined using the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) database. Applicants must ensure that they, as well as their sponsor, are enrolled in DEERS and have a current military dependent ID card. Applicants must also be planning to attend or already be attending an accredited college or university full-time in the fall of 2025, or be enrolled in a program of studies designed to transfer directly into a four-year program.
Applicants who have been awarded a full scholarship to attend a college or university, or who receive an appointment to one of the military academies or affiliated preparatory schools, are not eligible to receive funds from this program. A full scholarship is usually defined as one that provides for payment of tuition, books, lab fees and other expenses.
All rules and requirements for the program, as well as links to frequently asked questions are available at the Scholarships for Military Children website, as is the full list of this year’s winners.
During the Fort Lee celebration, students Angel Alston, who plans to attend Virginia Commonwealth University; Savanna Cleveland, who will attend the University of Virginia; Davaney Davis, a rising sophomore at James Madison University; and Anthony Hernandez, who will also attend Virginia Commonwealth University, each took a moment to thank the program’s sponsors.
For Angel Alston, the $2,000 scholarship grant has already been earmarked for expenses. “For me the scholarship means a lot, because it meant that I could buy a new school laptop and also a graphing calculator. It’s very important for my major,” she said, explaining she would be majoring in biomedical engineering.
While Anthony Hernandez didn’t have specific plans for the award, he said that just knowing it was there helped him focus on his goal.
“I’m super excited about my college career,” he said. “Scholarships and opportunities like this really help lighten the financial burden of my schooling and allow me to focus on what matters most, which is my education.”
“As someone who has personally navigated the cost of putting three children through higher education, I understand how valuable every dollar can be,” said Navy Command Master Chief Mario Rivers, senior enlisted advisor to the DeCA director. “Each award not only eases the financial burden, it also offers encouragement and recognition, serving as a powerful motivator for students to stay focused and strive toward their goals.”
Fisher House Foundation also has a custom scholarship search engine tailored to military families, called “Scholarships for Service.” It’s free and available on mobile devices and computers at militaryscholar.org.
Fisher House Foundation is ranked a four-star charity by Charity Navigator. No government funds are used to support the Scholarships for Military Children program. Commissary vendors, manufacturers, brokers, suppliers and the general public donate money to fund the program.
Applications for the 2026-27 school year will open in December, when the annual announcement, including answers to frequently asked questions and this year’s essay question, will be posted at www.fisherhouse.org/scholarships.
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About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees, disabled veterans and other authorized patrons and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit, saving authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5-percent surcharge, which supports the costs of building, modernizing and sustaining commissary facilities. A core military family support element and valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military services and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.