Nearly 2,000 Students To Benefit From Air Force Aid Society Grants

The Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) is awarding grants and scholarships, ranging from $500 to $5,000, to 1,930 scholars for the 2020-21 academic year. 

Gen. Henry H. ArnoldThe scholarships are part of the General Henry H. Arnold Education Grants program. A former General of the Army and former General of the Air Force, Henry H. Arnold founded the nonprofit in 1942 to alleviate the financial distress and assist with the educational goals of Air Force — and now Space Force — members and their families. 

Most of the grants, according to AFAS, are awarded based on financial need and with the family's income and the student's educational costs in mind. Some merit scholarships, however, are available for freshman applicants with a 4.0 GPA.

“This year we received a total of 2,239 General Henry H. Arnold Education Grant applications, of that 304 were merit scholarship applicants,” said  Kaleth O. Wright, AFAS CEO and retired Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force. “We are excited each year that we award this money to the dependent children and spouses of our service members. While we wish we could help everyone, we know the support we provide will go a long way in getting these students closer to achieving their career aspirations.”

Since the inception of the educational grants program, AFAS says it's awarded over $183 million to more than 15,614 students.