If there’s one thing that I have learned from being around military families, it’s the fact that behind every brave soldier, there’s someone who’s just as strong holding the home together.
Military spouses, you move cities, rebuild routines, raise kids through deployments, and somehow still dream about going back to school or starting that business that you have always wanted. However, it is time to speak honestly, education and monetary well-being are not always high priority when the alarm is on.
Military Spouse Scholarships come in there. These programs are not money simply because they are giving you the freedom to embark your dreams and not feel bad about the price.
In this guide, I will take you through some of the best military spouse grants and scholarships that are currently in existence.
Top Military Spouse Scholarships You Can Apply for Right Now
1. MyCAA (My Career Advancement Account Scholarship)
If your spouse is active on duty and ranks from E1–E6, W1–W2, or O1–O2, then this is good for you. MyCAA offers up to $4,000 for military spouses pursuing licenses, certifications, or associate degrees that lead directly to employment.
Think nursing assistant, paralegal, medical billing, digital marketing, all those “work-from-anywhere” jobs that make sense when you move often.
2. National Military Family Association (NMFA) Scholarship
This one is close to my heart because it’s for every branch, Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Space Force, and even Public Health Service spouses.
NMFA helps military spouses cover tuition, certification costs, and even entrepreneurial training. Yes, if you’ve ever dreamed of starting a business, this scholarship could help fund your startup education or online course.
What I love most? It’s flexible. Whether you’re going back to college or diving into a short tech program, they’ve got your back.
3. Fisher House Foundation Scholarships for Military Children and Spouses
Most people hear “Fisher House” and think of the homes near hospitals for wounded warriors. But they also offer a fantastic education grant program for both military spouses and children.
You can use it for undergraduate or graduate studies, and it’s run through base exchanges like the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES).
4. Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship
Named after the wife of the late General George S. Patton Jr., this scholarship celebrates the resilience of military spouses.
It’s open to spouses of all military branches, including National Guard and Reserve. The awards typically range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, but here’s the kicker: it’s renewable in some cases if you stay consistent with your studies.
5. Hope for the Warriors Scholarship
If your spouse was wounded or you’ve faced life-changing circumstances due to military service, this one’s for you.
Hope for the Warriors has scholarships which not only deal with academic scholarship but also deal with emotional and professional rebuilding. It is not so much about GPA, but your story, your determination, your recovery, your optimism.
6. Army Emergency Relief (AER) Spouse Scholarship
This is an Army spousal scholarship that has existed over decades. It pays tuition and books as well as other associated expenses. The best part? You are also eligible to apply even when you are studying on a part-time basis or online.
So, if your mornings are filled with school drop-offs and your evenings are your “study hours,” this one fits your lifestyle perfectly.
7. Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) General Henry H. Arnold Education Grant
For Air Force spouses, this is the best option. Grants range from $500 to $5,000, but it depends on your financial need and academic plans.
Applications usually open each November, so mark your calendar, and check again and again, the eligibility documentation of your spouse early to avoid delays.
8. Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society Education Program
The name sounds formal, but this one is actually very approachable. It offers both grants and interest-free loans to Navy and Marine Corps spouses pursuing higher education.
If you’re the type who hates debt (who doesn’t?), you’ll appreciate how generous they are with repayment plans and flexible deadlines.
9. Coast Guard Mutual Assistance Education Grant
Coast Guard families, you’re not left out. This grant can help with tuition, books, and even college application fees.
It’s smaller than some of the others but incredibly easy to apply for, and every bit counts when you’re budgeting school costs.
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Hidden or Lesser-Known Grants for Military Spouses
1. Google for Veterans and Families Grant
Google quietly funds scholarships through partner organizations for military spouses who want to learn digital skills, things like data analytics, UX design, and project management.
They often come in the form of Google Career Certificates (which employers take seriously) and are entirely online.
2. Lockheed Martin Vocational Scholarship
If you’re interested in technical fields like manufacturing, computer science, or electronics, this corporate-backed grant could help. They accept military spouses as applicants under their “community advancement” initiative.
3. Local Credit Union and Community Foundation Scholarships
You’d be surprised how many credit unions near military bases offer small scholarships ($500–$2,000) each year. These are rarely advertised but often have the highest acceptance rates.
To find them, visit your base’s community center or search “[Your base name] + community scholarship.” I’ve seen spouses get funding in less than two weeks this way.
4. State and Online College Military Spouse Grants
Some states, like Texas and Florida, provide their own military family tuition waivers or discount programs.
Meanwhile, many online universities (like Southern New Hampshire University, Liberty University, and Purdue Global) have military spouse discounts some up to 30% off tuition.
That’s basically a scholarship in disguise.
5. Entrepreneurship and Small Business Grants
Not everyone wants to go back to school, and that’s okay.
If you have a different ambition of opening your own business, the grants provided by such programs as StreetShares Foundation or Nav Small Business Grants are open to military spouses who start their own business.
These are not the conventional academic scholarships but nevertheless, they transform lives in a transformative manner.
Conclusion
The life of a military wife can be a ride on a rollercoaster that has no end.
You pack, unpack, say goodbye, start over and in all this, your personal dreams usually stay in the background.
But here’s the truth: your dreams matter too.
These military spouse scholarships and grants exist because people finally realized what military families have known all along, that behind every mission, there’s someone making invisible sacrifices at home.
So whatever grant it is you want, take a step today. Apply. Even if you think you won’t qualify, do it anyway, because the version of you that applied is already braver than the one that didn’t.
And who knows? Maybe one scholarship will be the first step in writing your own comeback story.
So tell me, which of these scholarships are you planning to apply for first?