VFW Scholarship Programs – Patriot’s Pen

I get asked by many if the VFW offers scholarship opportunities – the answer is a resounding YES! The VFW Scholarship competitions are currently in progress, please check back towards the end of the 2019-2020 school year for next year’s competition’s information.  The National Association of Secondary School Principals has placed Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy on the NASSP National Advisory List of Contests and Activities for 2019-202 and it is expected to do the same next year.

Patriot’s Pen is a nation-wide patriotic essay writing competition.  The competition is open to any child in 6^th to 8^th grades in any form of schooling (public, private, homeschool, etc.) enrolled by the October 31 deadline. Students must be legal residents of the United States, its territories or possessions. 

Next, let us know the student would like to participate.  We can be contacted via by clicking here.  We will accept all essays entered by any 6^th, 7^th or 8^th graders in Aransas County, TX.  If you do not live in this county, contact us and we can give you contact information for a VFW Post near you.

The Post convenes a panel of judge to read the essays and grade them in three categories – Knowledge of the Theme, Theme Development and Clarity of Ideas.  Post 3904 announces the 1^st, 2^nd and 3rd place winners who will be given a cash prize.  Depending on the number of entrants, the Post sends essays to the District level.

The District will convene a panel of judges to read the essays from across the district.  The District pays a prize for 1st, 2^nd and 3^rd places.  The Winner has their essay sent to the State Competition where their essay is graded against the other 23 District winners.  The State winner for Texas typical receives $1,000 at the Department of Texas Mid-Winter Conference Voice of Democracy Banquet in January.  The State winner’s essay then goes to VFW Headquarters in Kansas City, MO, for grading against 53 other Departments.

The winner for 2019-2020 Patriot’s Pen Contest will receive $5,000 plus and all-expense paid trip for the winner and a parent or guardian to Washington, DC. Stay tuned – our next blog will discuss the Voice of Democracy Scholarship competition where the National winner will win over $30,000 in scholarship money for a US college or university, trade school or other authorized post-secondary school within the United States.