Scholarships: Continuing Education & Patriotic Art

Kim Lewis
2015-2016 Scholarships
National Ambassador

The Voice of Democracy and Patriot's Pen Scholarship Contests are being promoted heavily in Auxiliaries and Departments right now. While promoting those scholarships to students, parents and teachers, don't forget to mention the other scholarships we offer, including the VFW Auxiliary Continuing Education Scholarship and the Young American Creative Patriotic Art Scholarship. Both applications can be found online on the National Organization's website Scholarships Program page.

Please read each application carefully so you understand the rules for each scholarship contest before you speak with teachers, students and/or parents! 

• Patriotic Art is open to all students in grades 9-12. There are eight National winners, with the first-place winner receiving a $10,000 scholarship.
• Continuing Education Scholarship for members, their spouses and children. There are four $1,000 scholarships, one selected from each conference. Financial need is a significant consideration in the selection process.

Community Awareness of our Scholarship Contests is again one of our goals this year.We need to let the community know what great financial opportunities we provide for talented students. Some ways to achieve this are:

• Place a free advertisement/Press Release in your local newspaper describing the elements of each contest – including the amount of the scholarships and who to contact. 
• Place posters in local stores, restaurants, libraries, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA, etc., with permission. Download the Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest Poster for FREE from the National Organization's website Program Resource page.
• Encourage students to view previous winning entries. They can be found on the Scholarships Program page of the National Organization's website. 
• Don't forget about social media to reach students and their parents. Facebook, Twitter, and Post/Auxiliary websites at the local, District and Department levels are excellent places to post information about our contests. A sample social media post for the Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest and Continuing Education scholarship is below:

Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest Sample Social Media Post:

There were more than 3,400 entries in the 2014-2015 Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest. View the winners and find out how a student in grades 9-12 that you know can enter the 2015-2016 contest and win up to $10,000 in scholarships: (link to application and winners)

Continuing Education Sample Social Media Post:

Did you know the VFW Auxiliary offers a $1,000 Continuing Education scholarship? It’s designed to assist members and their family members who wish to further their education by pursuing a college degree or career direction at a vocational/technical school. The spouse, daughter(s) and son(s) of members are also eligible to apply. Click HERE for more information and an application (link to application). Apply soon! The deadline is 2/15/16.

At National Convention, several of you asked questions about these scholarships. Please see answers below:

Q.:  Can someone other than a teacher sign the Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest Application?
A.:  Yes, not every student entering may have an art teacher. For example, home-schooled students, who have always been allowed to enter the contest, do not have an art teacher. A responsible adult can sign certifying the entry as being the student’s original art.

Q.:  Must students submit their Young American Creative Patriotic Art entry to the closest VFW Auxiliary or may they submit it to any VFW Auxiliary?
A.:  As long as the students attend school in the same Department (state) as the sponsoring Auxiliary, they can submit their entry to any Auxiliary within that Department (state).