GENERAL INFORMATION

The Army Women’s Foundation (AWF) recognizes the importance of education and the role it plays in personal, professional, and economic fulfillment. The Army Women’s Foundation Legacy Scholarship Program provides grants to women soldiers, past and present, and their lineal descendants to help them attain their educational goals. The AWF Legacy Scholarship Program offers financial support in four areas: Certificate Programs, Community College coursework, Undergraduate Degrees, and Graduate Degrees. Scholarships are awarded only for coursework from accredited institutions. Scholarships are based on merit, academic potential, personal essay, community service, letters of recommendation, and financial need.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education creates critical thinkers, increases science literacy, and enables the next generation of innovators.  According to the U. S. Department of Commerce, STEM occupations are growing at 17%, while other occupations are growing at 9.8%.  The US Army Women’s Foundation offers STEM grants through our scholarship program to meet this demand.  Apply Today.

ELIGIBILITY

1. Applicant must be a woman who has served or is serving honorably in the U.S. Army, U.S. Army Reserve or Army National Guard or the lineal descendant of a woman who has served or is serving honorably in the U.S. Army, U.S. Army Reserve or Army National Guard. If there is any evidence that the applicant or the applicant’s ancestor did not serve honorably, the application will not be considered. Eligibility requirements are non-negotiable, and appropriate evidence of Army service must be provided (e.g. DD214, discharge papers, letter from commander, etc.)
2. Certificate Program AWF Legacy Scholarships: Applicant must be a high school graduate with a 2.5 Grade Point Average (GPA) or GED and must be currently enrolled in or accepted into an accredited certificate granting institution.
3. Community College AWF Legacy Scholarships: Applicant must be a high school graduate with a 2.5 Grade Point Average (GPA) or GED and must be currently accepted into or enrolled in an accredited community college.
4. Undergraduate AWF Legacy Scholarships: Applicant must be currently enrolled at or accepted into an accredited college or university and have completed 30 credit hours of course work with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better. Credit hours must be completed prior to application deadline.
5. Graduate Program AWF Legacy Scholarships: Applicant must have achieved an undergraduate degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and must be enrolled in or accepted into a Graduate level program — Masters or Doctoral.

AWARDS

Selection of the Legacy Scholarship recipient(s) is made by a Scholarship Committee appointed by the Board of Directors of the U.S. Army Women’s Foundation. Each scholarship category (certificate, community college, undergraduate, and graduate) will be evaluated and considered separately by the  Scholarship Committee, which will also determine the number of scholarships awarded for each category and the amount of each scholarship. Army women will be considered in one group, and the lineal descendants of Army women will be considered in a separate group. In this way, peers will compete with their peers.
Scholarship recipients are eligible to compete in subsequent years and may receive a total of two awards except for the Graduate Program.   Graduate Program recipients are only eligible for one scholarship and may not compete in subsequent years.
The scholarship funds may be used to assist with tuition, fees, books, and school-documented room and board. Scholarships are awarded only to students attending accredited institutions. The funds will be sent to the academic institution for documented expenses and must be used in the academic year awarded. The academic year of the award begins the fall semester after the award announcement. These funds may not be used for prior academic expenses. If selected, AWF Legacy Scholarship recipients are to provide: a) a photograph and a statement for use in AWF publications, newsletter, website, social media, and marketing materials, etc. and b) follow-up information and feedback as to how the AWF scholarship assisted in their education for AWF research and marketing. Some of our named scholarships include:

The M.M. Costello Scholarship
The M.M. Costello Scholarship, named after the Department of the Army Civilian Nurse, Ms. M.M. Costello, R.N., is awarded each year to one recipient who meets the AWF’s stringent eligibility criteria and pursues a major in the healthcare field.  The scholarship amount is $3,000.
Established in 2019 with a grant from Army Veterans Gail and John Howell, the M.M. Costello Scholarship honors the memory and legacy of the Department of the Army Civilian Nurse, Ms. M. M. Costello.  Ms. Costello was John Howell’s early mentor while he was assigned as an Army Nurse Corps officer at Brooke Army Medical Center at Ft Sam Houston, TX. In John Howell’s words, “Ms. Costello was a dedicated nurse who taught him everything he needed to know to care for his patients properly.”
Ms. Costello started her career as a Cadet Nurse during WW II and then served as a Department of the Army Civilian nurse assigned to Brooke Army Medical Center.  Throughout her continuous service as a Department of the Army Civilian, Ms. Costello treated and provided outstanding care for Department of Defense patients and family members while mentoring a generation of Army Nurses Corps officers.
Ever the professional, Ms. Costello selfishly volunteered to serve on the evening shifts permanently to give flexibility to other nursing staff members.  Knowledgeable, attentive, and exacting in her standards, Ms. Costello epitomized the professional nurse and served as a role model for numerous members of the Army Nurse Corps and civilian personnel. Civilian personnel such as Ms. Costello are the backbone and stabilizing force of our Army Medical Treatment facilities, and this scholarship recognizes their service.

The Professional Contract Services, Inc  (PCSI) Scholarship for Disabled Veterans
Two scholarships of $5,000 each, sponsored by Professional Contract Services, Inc. (PCSI), will be awarded to two deserving disabled women veterans or lineal descendants of disabled women veterans, both with a disability rating of at least 50% as determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA).  All recipients must meet the established criteria of the AWF Legacy Scholarship Program, including the requirements that applicants must be women who are serving or have served honorably in any component of the U.S. Army (active duty, Reserves, or Army National Guard) or be a lineal descendent of an Army woman who has served honorably in any component of the U.S. Army and received a 50% or greater disability rating as determined from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The applicant must include the Summary of Benefits Letter provided by the DVA in their application packet.

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Legacy Scholarship
The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, nicknamed the “Six Triple Eight,” is a scholarship awarded annually in the amount of $2500.  The scholarship is named in honor of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, comprised of 855 women deployed during WWII with the mission of sorting and routing millions of pieces of unprocessed mail that the Army could not get to the troops on the front lines. Despite the Army’s and society’s restrictions due to their gender and race, the 6888th excelled under the most challenging circumstances and solved the Army’s morale and mail crisis. All recipients must meet the established criteria of the AWF Legacy Scholarship Program, including the requirements that applicants must be women who are serving or have served honorably in any component of the U.S. Army (active duty, Reserves, or Army National Guard) or be a lineal descendent of an Army woman who has served honorably in any component of the U.S. Army.

The LTC Nancy Porr Scholarship
This scholarship was established to honor the long service to the Nation by LTC Nancy Porr, Army Nurse (retired). Instituted by her husband, LTC Loren Porr (retired) and their son Matthew Porr, the new scholarship will be awarded each year under the auspices of the AWF Legacy Scholarship Program to a recipient who meets the AWF’s eligibility criteria. LTC Nancy Porr initially enlisted in the Army as a combat medic. Following her graduation from Elizabethtown Community College with an Associate Degree in Nursing she worked as a civilian registered nurse in Lawton, OK and Wurzburg USAH, Germany. As an Army spouse, LTC Porr followed her active duty husband to numerous assignments and she volunteered with the Red Cross and the hospitals wherever they were assigned. Always interested in education, LTC Porr enrolled in the Bachelor in Science in Nursing program at Troy State University and upon graduation was commissioned by her husband as an Army Nurse, primarily serving in the Army Reserves. LTC Porr completed her Master’s in Nursing and she worked as the school nurse at the Seoul American High School completing her Army career drilling with the 405th Combat Support Hospital (USAR) in Maine. LTC Porr embraced volunteering in many areas to include the additional training missions with the Army Reserve and as a civilian with the United Methodist Church and the University of Southern Maine Nursing Program. Never one to sit idle LTC Porr worked as a civilian nurse while completing her Advanced Nursing Practice Program with Simmons College. This $2,000 scholarship will be awarded to an eligible recipient who is pursuing a nursing degree at the ADN, BSN or graduate level or a related healthcare field. The recipient of the LTC Nancy Porr Scholarship must highlight their volunteer experiences to reflect the service modeled by LTC Porr. The applicant must attend an accredited college, university, or community college and preference will be given to applicants attending a not-for-profit school.