The Veterans United Foundation (VUF) has reached a new milestone in its continuing efforts to support veterans, surviving spouses, and the children of fallen service members.
The nonprofit organization recently awarded a record $200,000 in scholarships to a group of military-connected individuals to fund degrees in fields ranging from medicine, engineering, social work and public policy. This year’s class of 25 awardees has received the largest scholarship total in the program’s history.
“For many of our recipients, this scholarship removes a barrier that has been standing between them and a goal they’ve been working toward for years,” Molly Froidl, a foundation coordinator for VUF, told Military.com. “Sometimes, through injury, loss or years of putting their own ambitions on hold to support a family or recover from service, this scholarship tells them that what they’ve been through matters—that someone is invested in where they go next.”
The scholarships support veterans with 100% service-connected disabilities, in addition to surviving spouses and children of service members who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the nation.
Recipients hail from 22 states and Washington, D.C., and are pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees at some of the nation’s most prestigious institutions in the country.
“These 25 scholars represent the very best of our military community,” VUF board president Erik Morse said in a statement. “Their resilience, dedication, and ambition inspire us every single day. It is our profound honor to invest in their futures and to stand behind the families who have sacrificed so much for all of us.”
‘Whole Person’ Rigorous Selection Process
The selection process wasn’t easy for either the candidate or the review panel, requiring both sides to be thoughtful and dedicated to the cause.
“These aren’t students who simply applied and moved on,” Froidl said. “They wrote deeply personal essays about the impact of military service on their lives, and were selected through a rigorous process that considered the whole person.”
A review panel assesses the applications, and the final selections reflect not just need, but character, resilience and purpose. We don’t just ask, ‘What do you need?’ We ask, ‘Who are you, and what are you working toward?’
Since launching in 2012, the scholarship program has awarded more than $2.15 million in scholarships to veterans, spouses and children of service men and women.
The continued funding is due to the generosity of Veterans United Home Loans employees. The organization reports that nearly 90% of the staff contribute a portion of their salary to the foundation, which is matched dollar-for-dollar by the organization.
“Veterans United Home Loans was built on the idea that serving those who served isn’t only about a home purchase — it’s a long-term commitment,” Froidl said. “When our employees started voluntarily donating portions of their paychecks to support military families, it became clear that education was one of the most meaningful and lasting ways we could help.”
Greater Need for Annual Scholarship Awards
Organizers said the need has become greater year over year as more veterans, spouses and children looking for a helping hand.
“There are veterans navigating the transition from service to civilian life while managing service-connected injuries or disabilities,” Froidl said. “Every year, there are children who grew up in military families, sometimes losing a parent to combat or to the invisible wounds of war, trying to build a future without the means their peers take for granted.
“Higher education is one of the most powerful tools available to build a future around, but it’s also one of the most expensive.”
It’s also a continuing expense for recipients at different life stages, and at different military touchpoints.
“We recognized that the sacrifice of military service doesn’t end when someone comes home — it ripples through families for years, affecting career paths, financial stability, and educational opportunity,” she added. “We wanted to do something about that in an intentional, sustained way.”
The full list of the 2026 VUF scholarship recipients is available here.
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