08/23/2026
At VFW Auxiliary National Headquarters, we have received a number of questions recently about VFW and VFW Auxiliary scholarships and contests. There is some confusion about which scholarships and contests "belong" to which organization, so we've created this quick, handy guide to help keep it all straight!
VFW Auxiliary scholarships for high school students include the Young American Patriotic Art Contest and 3-Dimensional Art Contest. Find more information about these on our website, here: https://vfwauxiliary.org/what-we-do/scholarships-2/
The VFW Auxiliary Continuing Education Scholarship for members and their immediate family can be found here: https://vfwauxiliary.org/scholarships/continuing-education/
The VFW Auxiliary's Illustrating America contest is for students in grades K-8. Find more, including submission forms, here: https://vfwauxiliary.org/what-we-do/youth-activities/
While we do promote the Voice of Democracy and Patriot's Pen as part of our Scholarships Program, these are VFW scholarships. If you have questions about them, please reach out to them directly. You can find this year's theme and submission information, including a guide to finding local Posts, on their website, here: https://www.vfw.org/community/youth-and-education/youth-scholarships
The VFW's "Sport Clips Help a Hero Scholarship" information can also be found on their website, here: https://www.vfw.org/assistance/student-veterans-support
Learn more about the Smart-Maher Teacher of the Year contest, sponsored by the VFW, here: https://www.vfw.org/community/youth-and-education/teacher-of-the-year
We hope this helps! Thank you for promoting these incredible opportunities.
