AVAA Stars & Stripes Scholars Fund Scholarship
Alabama Veterans Affairs Association is the oldest nonprofit organization of its kind, founded in 1974, dedicated to serving our educational professionals who serve our military-connected students. The school certifying officials, administrators, and affiliated educators believe in the importance of education and in providing for our veterans, service members, and their dependents. AVAA developed this scholarship opportunity to provide additional funding in support of individuals as they navigate the financial challenges of education.
The AVAA Stars and Stripes Scholars Fund is designed to provide financial assistance with tuition, fees, books, or supplies, and is provided to the institution on your behalf. All unused funds are refundable to the student when all financial obligations are met. The scholarship committee will evaluate each application based on completeness, content of the essay, and letters of recommendation. Scholarship funds must be used within the academic year in which the scholarship was awarded.
Eligibility Requirements
• A completed AVAA Stars and Stripes Scholarship Application
• Unconditionally admitted to an Alabama 2 or 4-year institution in pursuit of a certificate, undergraduate, or graduate degree.
• Two letters of recommendation from a school/college official (school certifying official, veteran administrator, counselor, or instructor) or an employer.
• A 500-word essay explaining the need to further your education, your career goals, and how you will use your prior experiences as a veteran, service member, or dependent of a veteran to give back to your community or organization.
• Must be a US citizen and a resident of the State of Alabama.
• The School Certifying Official or Veteran Administrator at the institution you are or will be attending will evaluate your application to ensure eligibility as a veteran, service member, or dependent.
• The School Certifying Official or Veteran Administrator will submit the completed application packet via our Scholarship Portal.
• Late applications will NOT be accepted.
• Minimum 2.0/4.0 scale, meeting satisfactory academic progress based on your institution’s policy
• Headshot/Photo
• Institution of attendance
• Program of pursuit
• Brief bio to be shared at our Annual Conference, on the AVAA Website, and on social media.
• Media Release Form
Timelines & Deadlines
Important Steps & Links
1) Complete and download the scholarship application at the link below. Students will complete page two ONLY. Page three to be completed by your college/institution.
2) Download and complete the media release form at the link below.
Student Media Release Form
**Required** - The media release form allows AVAA to use winners' images on the AVAA website and related publications for marketing purposes. Your information will NOT be sold.
3) Submit all required items from the list above to the School Certifying Official / Veterans Resource Official at your institution for submission.
**IMPORTANT** - Only School Certifying Officials or Veterans Resource Officials at your campus can access the submission portal. Please ask your SCO for more information, or email avaa@avaa.online for assistance.
After You Apply
After the scholarship committee reviews all applications, students selected to receive a Stars & Stripes Scholarship will be contacted directly by the AVAA Scholarship Committee Chair with notification of their award and additional information regarding next steps.
If selected as a scholarship recipient, please be sure to respond promptly to any communication from AVAA so your scholarship can be processed. All scholarship funds are mailed to your institution and applied to your account per the terms of your enrollment at that institution.