Special Forces Scholarship Fund 2026

United States Army Special Forces - the Green Berets - constitute our nation's largest special operations force. Green Berets have been at the forefront of combat operations across the globe for decades. The families of these Green Berets have borne a heavy burden. They, too, serve this nation while their soldiers are deployed repeatedly into harm's way. The Special Forces Scholarship Fund (SFSF) recognizes the service of Green Beret families by awarding them merit-based post-secondary educational scholarships. This is our mission. We invest in SF families. Scholarships change lives.

Scholarships are awarded annually and are limited to undergraduate and graduate studies that result in a degree or vocational certification from an accredited graduate school, university, college, community college, or vocational/technical institution. SF Scholars will receive no more than four (4) annual scholarships for undergraduate studies and two (2) scholarships for graduate studies.

ELIGIBILITY: Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Daughter or son of a current or veteran United States Army Special Forces Soldier.

• Undergraduate students must not have reached 26 years of age by 15 October 2026.

• Graduate students must not have reached 28 years of age by 15 October 2026.

• Full-time student pursuing degree/certification completion at an accredited post-secondary institution.

• A high school senior, high school graduate, or registered as a full-time undergraduate student at an accredited college or post-secondary vocational/technical institute.

• For graduate school scholarships, currently enrolled as a college senior or obtained a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and applied to an accredited graduate school program.

• Effective this year, scholarships will not be awarded to students attending Military Academies

ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION: Both the applicant and their SF Soldier sponsor must read and complete the Statement of Certification at the end of the application. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. If the sponsor is deceased, deployed, or otherwise unable to complete the certification, include a statement of that fact in the application packet.

You must include official documentation verifying the sponsor's possession of an 18-series military occupational specialty (MOS) or service in a Special Forces Group for a cumulative period of not less than five years. Acceptable forms of documentation are the DD Form 214, ERB, ORB, or Soldier Talent Profile. The children of non-18-series Soldiers who have served honorably in an active duty group for at least five years are eligible to compete. Documentation should be redacted to protect the SF Soldier's Social Security Number.

EVALUATION: SFSF scholarships are awarded based solely on merit. The selection committee will evaluate the essay submission across six (6) categories. Each category is worth up to six (6) points and is given equal weight by the committee. You will receive zero (0) points for any category not adequately explained. Non-traditional students include students with children, students with part-time jobs, students with special needs, or students starting college several years after high school graduation. Material submitted using any other method will not be considered. Scholarships will be awarded regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, or physical ability.