Mar 15, 2023
When Army veteran Alyssa Parker began searching online for scholarships available to veterans, she quickly found the VFW's "Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship.”
“I found it right away in a scholarship search,” said Parker, who served for four years and 10 months and deployed to Kuwait and Jordan in 2015 with the 463rd Medical Detachment Veterinary Support Service Unit out of Fort Benning, Georgia.
Following her research on the scholarship’s positive impact, Parker applied and was soon awarded $5,000 towards her pursuit of a master’s degree in global environmental policy with a concentration in agriculture, food and global health policy from American University in Washington, D.C.
Hoping to someday work for the United States Agency for International Development or a nonprofit dedicated to helping people directly or indirectly, Parker sits near the finish line.
“I have three semesters left, or the equivalent of 1.5 years,” Parker said. “I plan on graduating in the Spring of 2024.”
Like Parker, many veterans in pursuit of higher learning turn to the VFW’s “Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship” for a hand up. The scholarship, founded in 2014, provides service members and veterans with the financial assistance they need to complete their educational goals without incurring excessive student loan debt.
Since its inception, the VFW’s “Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship” has awarded $11.4 million to more than 2,400 veterans and service members wanting to further their education.
For applications, details or eligibility guidelines on the VFW’s “Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship,” visit vfw.org/assistance/student-veterans-support.