Northern Virginia First Responders Scholarship Fund

Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Other

The Northern Virginia First Responders Scholarship benefits first responders and dependents of active first responders in the Northern Virginia Area by helping to finance their higher education.

Amount

Up to two $5,000 non-renewable scholarships will be awarded.

Criteria

• All applicants must be either:

• • A graduating high school student who is an “active volunteer” first responder (Police, Fire, EMT), defined to mean those who are in good standing with the department and who have been “active” a minimum of one year within the volunteer service, or
  • A first responder (Police, Fire, EMT) who is either a professional first responder or an “active volunteer,” or
  • A dependent of a first responder who is either a professional first responder or an “active volunteer”

• Preference will be given to applicants who are graduating high school seniors who are “active volunteer” first responders.
• All applicants must be a resident of the Counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Orange, and Prince William; and the Cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas, and Manassas Park.
• Applicants who are graduating high school seniors must hold a GPA of 3.5 or higher as shown through a high school transcript.
• Applicants must be in good standing with the county school system (if a graduating high school senior), and must demonstrate high moral character through a letter of recommendation by a teacher and/or an active officer where they or their family member serves.
• Applicants must demonstrate financial need through the submission of a FAFSA Student Aid Report, FAFSA4Caster, or through a short, written statement.
• Applicants must describe the extracurricular activities they participate in, demonstrate how they have shown resilience amid challenges in their lives, and express how their experience as a first responder, or connection to a first responder, has positively impacted their life through an essay submission no longer than two pages (double-spaced, size 12 font).
• Applicants must demonstrate how their experience as a first responder, or connection to a first responder, will enrich their experience in higher education and beyond, and describe where they see themselves in 10 years through an essay submission no longer than two pages (double-spaced, size 12 font).
• All applicants, regardless of age, must be pursuing a post-secondary education in any field at a university (other than a for profit university), a college (other than a for profit college), a community college, or other certification or skills acquisition or upskilling program offered by a nonprofit or a public entity.
• Applicants must disclose their current employment status and how many hours worked.
• Applicants must disclose the school they are expected to attend, their proposed field of study, and the current total amount of scholarships and grants they expect to receive for their education.

Deadline

This scholarship will open for applications in 2025, with the following schedule:

January 6, 2025	Online application opens
March 17, 2025	Online application due
June, 2025	Scholarship recipient(s) notified
August, 2025	Scholarship payments sent to recipients' College/University

Contact

For more information please contact Jennifer Cochran, Manager of Grants and Scholarships.

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