VFW Student Fellowship Grant

VFW Student Fellowship Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Veterans Of Foreign Wars Of
Last Updated: August 13, 2025

Summary

The VFW Student Fellowship, hosted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Student Veterans of America, empowers student veterans to advocate for their community on Capitol Hill. Running from October 2025 to March 2026, this program offers selected fellows the chance to collaborate on policy priorities, attend leadership training, and participate in significant conferences, ensuring their voices are heard among 500 advocates at the VFW Washington Conference. Travel expenses are fully covered.

Overview

Student Fellowship To continue empowering tomorrow’s leaders, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Student Veterans of America (SVA) will once again host the 2025-2026 VFW-SVA Legislative Fellowship, providing exemplary student veterans the opportunity to make their voices heard on Capitol Hill and in their community. This program has been held annually since 2014. The 2025/2026 VFW-SVA Legislative Fellowship program is scheduled from October 2025 to March 2026. Chosen Fellows will work with VFW and SVA staff on a shared policy priority. Selected fellows will attend and participate in SVA’s Leadership Institute from Oct 16 – 18, 2025, followed by the 18th Annual SVA National Conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Jan. 8 – 10, 2026. They will then be flown to Washington, D.C., to ensure the veterans’ message is delivered to Capitol Hill alongside 500 fellow advocates as part of the VFW Washington Conference, Feb. 28 – March 5, 2026.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Candidates will undergo evaluation based on the following criteria: Current VFW membership (or eligible for VFW membership)Proof of current enrollment (e.g. unofficial transcript, class schedule, letter from school, etc.) at an accredited college or university during the fellowship programProof of military service (DD214-member 4 copy, preferred).This program is open to all majors, and some may be eligible for college credits.Submission of an essay (length 3-5 pages)Submission of a 30 to 60 second video describing why you want to become a VFW-SVA Legislative Fellow.Virtual or phone interview with the selection committee Travel expenses will be covered for both trips to include airfare, hotel accommodations, local transportation to/from meetings and a per diem allowance. You must be a member of this organization to apply for this award - become a member. Current VFW membership (or eligible for VFW membership)