The Scholarships for Military Children Program was created to recognize military families' contributions to the fighting force's readiness and to celebrate the commissary's role in the military family community.

The application period for the 2026-2027 academic year will open on December 10, 2025 and close on February 11, 2026. Recipients will be notified of their status by mail on or about May 15, 2026. Due to the volume of applications, non-recipients are not notified.

The Scholarships for Military Children Program is designed to award scholarships annually at each commissary operated by the Defense Commissary Agency worldwide, with funding provided through generous contributions.

For the 2026 2027 academic year, 500 scholarships valued at $2,000 each will be awarded. At least one recipient will be selected at every commissary location where qualified applications are received. Additional awards are allocated on a prorated basis, meaning commissaries with larger applicant pools may have more than one recipient.

Who Can Apply?

The Scholarships for Military Children program is open to unmarried military dependent children under the age 23 who possess a valid Uniformed Services Identification (USID) card. In addition, a student's parent(s)/sponsor(s) must be one of the following: active duty, reserve/guard, deceased, or retired from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, or Space Force.

• Must be enrolled or planning to enroll in a full-time undergraduate program leading to a bachelor’s degree or a community/junior college designed to allow for a direct transfer into a four-year program.
• High school applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 basis).
• College applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5. College freshmen must submit a first-semester college transcript.
• Applicants or sponsors do not need to live at an installation with a commissary simply select the commissary where you shop or the one nearest to you.

Scholarship Amount: $2000 (500 awards)

Application Deadline: February 11, 2026