To our Scholarship Applicants
Applications and all supporting documentation must be post marked no later than, Friday, April 30, 2023.
Remember, the US Post Office has published new delivery guidelines which means your package could be significantly delayed
Print copies of application and mail the package to:
Coastal Carolina Chapter of the Military Officer's Association
P.O. Box 373
Havelock, NC 28532
Application Details and Requirements
Applicants for our programs must be attending an accredited college or university as full-time students during the 2022-2023 academic year. All loans, scholarships, and grants are for students seeking their first undergraduate degree and are awarded for no more than five school years. No loans, scholarships, or grants are available for graduate-level studies.
General Eligibility: Applicants must be under 24 years old. Applicants must have a parent eligible for MOAA membership or be children of active duty, Reserve, National Guard, or retired enlisted military personnel. If the applicant served in a uniformed service before completing college, his or her maximum age for eligibility will be increased by the number of years he or she so served, up to five years. Applicants must have a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher. Children attending U.S. military academies and academy prep schools are not eligible. If selected for any Educational Assistance program, the sponsoring parent must have a paid MOAA membership (if parent is a military officer) throughout the college years and, if applicable, until the loan is repaid. Male applicants are encouraged to register for the Selective Service.
Selection Criteria: We evaluate students based of their scholastic ability (1/3), extracurricular activities (1/3), and financial need (1/3). The applicant provides this information in the online application.
Process: We notify semifinalists in mid-March, and they must submit supporting documentation. We notify finalists in early June, and they must submit proof of MOAA membership as appropriate and a fully executed promissory note.
Interest-Free Loans: This is our main program. The interest-free loans are renewable annually for up to five years of full-time undergraduate study. The interest-free loan program currently provides a $7,000 loan per student each year. Students selected as loan recipients and their sponsoring parent must sign a promissory note before receiving funds. We disburse funds electronically in two increments: one-half in early August and one-half in mid-December.
Scholarships:
American Patriot Scholarship: Limited to students who qualify for the interest-free loan program and whose military parent has died on active service or is receiving Traumatic Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (T-SGLI) payments. Currently, students receive scholarships of $7,000 each school year.
Earning an advanced degree or new certification is often a viable option for many military spouses, especially if you are looking to enter, reenter, transition to a new career field, or find that next step in your professional employment trajectory.
You can find scholarships and grants through federal and state government agencies, your chosen college or university (check with the admissions officer of the school you plan to attend), nonprofit organization (local chapters and national headquarters), private organizations, community spouses club on your installation, Employment Readiness and Education office on your military installation, and the Department of Education for the state in which you reside or will attend school.
Staying organized
Read application directions carefully and follow them. If you are not eligible for a specific scholarship, do not waste your time applying for these opportunities.
Below is a list of scholarships and grants that target military spouses or the greater military community. Although this is not an exhaustive list, hopefully this will get you started in the right direction:
Student Grants
While interest free loans are the backbone of the MOAA Scholarship Fund, we also offer several grant programs to eligible students. Grants are made possible by generous donors who recognize the value in higher education.
Designated Scholar Program: We consider all eligible loan recipients for this program. Students chosen receive a $6,500 interest-free loan and a $500 grant named by the donor. Students must correspond with the donor or their designee each fall.
Senior Grants: We notify current loan recipients entering their final year in college of these grants in January of their junior year. Students who believe they are eligible for these grants and who do not receive a link to the application should email edassist@moaa.org for additional information. Recipients of Senior Grants become ineligible for further Educational Assistance programs. The number of grants awarded varies from year to year.
General John Paul Ratay Educational Fund Grants: These grants are limited to children whose military parent retired and subsequently died. Students qualifying for a loan who meet the criteria of a Ratay grant are automatically considered. Students who believe they are eligible for these grants and who do not receive a request for supporting documentation should email edassist@moaa.org. Funding for this grant is limited and may not be available every year.
In response to the skyrocketing cost of continuing education and to better assist students of military families continue their education, the MOAA Scholarship Fund Board of Directors recently updated the disbursement formula to enable the fund to distribute more assistance in the form of grants. In 2021, 36% of assistance distributed was in the form of grants compared to 12% in 2019. The MOAA Scholarship Fund will continue to evaluate our programs to ensure we are meeting the needs of our families to the best of our abilities.