VFW Youth Scholarships

The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) offers two annual youth scholarship competitions for middle and high school students.

Voice of Democracy is an audio-essay competition for students in grades 9-12. Students submit a recorded essay based on the annual patriotic theme through a participating local VFW Post. The national first-place winner receives a $35,000 scholarship, and additional scholarships are awarded at local, state and national levels.

Patriot’s Pen is a written essay competition for students in grades 6-8. Students submit a 300-400 word essay based on the annual theme through a participating local VFW Post. The national first-place winner receives $5,000, with additional awards available at local, state and national levels.

The 2026-27 theme for both contests is “What a Veteran Taught Me About America.” Entries must be submitted to a participating local VFW Post by midnight on October 31, 2026.