What are the eligibility requirements?
In short, all applicants must meet the following criteria:
*All veteran Sailors must have received an honorable discharge.
Do all eligible applicants receive an award?
No, this is a competitive scholarship program. Not all who apply will be awarded.
How many applicants do you award each year?
The number of applicants awarded depends on the available funding for the year. Based on available funding for AY25-26 we plan to award approximately 32 scholarships.
My family's income is higher than your limit. Should I still apply?
Yes. You can apply if your family’s income is over the income threshold, but you will need to provide a thorough explanation of your family’s financial need, and you may be required to provide additional documents to substantiate your explanation.
Are step-children of Sailors eligible to apply?
Yes. Step-children are welcome to apply, however, the military stepparent must remain married to the biological parent for continued eligibility. Step-children may be required to provide additional documentation to show proof of their relationship to the qualifying military parent (typically a tax document and/or a marriage certificate).
I’m minoring in a STEM field. Am I eligible?
No. You must be majoring in either science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or health science disciplines. If you are double majoring, then one of your majors must meet our requirements.
I changed my major and I’m no longer pursuing a degree in a STEM field. Am I eligible?
No. You must be persisting in your science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or health science disciplines in order to remain eligible for the scholarship.
I’ve already completed my undergraduate courses/earned my bachelor’s degree. Am I eligible?
No. If you’ve already earned an undergraduate degree or completed all of your undergraduate courses, then you’re not eligible for a scholarship.
I’m receiving VA and/or GI Bill benefits. Can I still apply?
Yes. Our scholarship can be used in addition to any other benefits you may be receiving.
How do I apply?
Our application is entirely online and is open from January 1 through March 1 every year. Learn more at https://brownhudner.org/apply. Note, we do not provide or accept paper applications, and all required documents must be provided electronically.
When does the application open and what is the award timeline?
Scholarship Timeline
What documents are required for the application?
No. All documents must be uploaded into the online application.
What is the dollar amount of the scholarship award?
Award amounts depend on the available funding for the year and the applicant’s competitive score. The award amount was $3,860 per student for the 2024-25 academic year.
How many students will be awarded?
The number of awarded students depends on the available funding for the year. We plan to award approximately 32 students for the 2025-26 academic year.
I won’t be able to get my official transcript by the application deadline. What can I do?
You can provide an unofficial transcript; it must be dated after January 1, 2025 and include:
If your major is not listed on your transcript, you’ll need to provide a signed letter from a school administrator verifying your major IN ADDITION to the transcript document. This must be combined as ONE document and uploaded as one file.
GED recipients: provide a copy of your GED if you haven’t attended college or career training since earning your GED.
My school will only postal mail my transcript, but you don’t accept documents by mail. What should I do?
Request your transcript be mailed to you. When you receive your transcript, open it, scan it, and upload it to your application.
What tax forms are accepted?
Both pages of the 2023 federal tax return (form 1040) that the applicant is claimed on. Even if you file your own taxes, you may have to provide your parent’s taxes.
You’re not required to provide the taxes for your qualifying military parent unless that’s the parent that claims you.
Acceptable federal tax forms are:
Federal (US) 1040-SR – submit all three pages*
Unacceptable tax forms include:
The general IRS site for all forms is: http://www.irs.gov.
How do I know if I should submit my parent’s tax return, or my tax return?
We use the federal government’s definition to determine whether an applicant is a dependent or an independent applicant. Determine the type of student you are here: https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/filling-out/dependency.
Note, not living with your parents, being responsible for your own educational expenses, or not being claimed by your parents on your tax forms doesn’t mean you are an independent student. We follow the federal government definition as indicated above.
What if I, or my parents, don’t file a tax return?
Provide a Statement of Non-filing of a Federal Tax Return form in lieu of taxes. The form can be found within the application and must be signed by you and your parents. If awarded, you’ll be required to provide an IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter.
Awardees that fail to provide the official confirmation, or provide false statements, risk forfeiting their scholarship award.
What military document do I need from my parent for the application?
Military parent no longer serving in the Navy: DD214 (Member-4) form.
Military parent is currently on active duty OR is a drilling reservist: Statement of Service (dated within 90 days of the application deadline)
Military parent was killed in action, killed in service, or killed in training: Report of Casualty DD 1300.
What is a DD214 (Member-4 version) form?
This document was provided to your military parent upon discharge from the military and should be used if your parent is no longer serving in the Navy.
The Character of Service on the DD214 must read: HONORABLE. Read the next question to find where this is located on the DD214.
The following CANNOT be accepted in place of a DD214 Member-4: Honorable Discharge Certificate, DD214 Member-1 forms (or short forms) including those where the Member-1 form is overlaid on top of the Member-4 page, DD214s that don’t indicate “Character of Service,” letters from Veterans’ Affairs, disability documents, duty orders, or military IDs.
Where can I find the “Character of Service” on the DD214 (Member-4 version)?
Character of service can be found using the table below. The form number/date appears in the bottom left corner of the DD214.
DD Form 214, Feb 2022: Box 26
DD Form 214, Aug 2009: Box 24
DD Form 214, Feb 2000: Box 24
DD Form 214, Nov 88: Box 24
DD Form 214, 1 Jul 79: Box 24
DD Form 214, 1 Nov 72: Box 9e
DD Form 214 MC (1900), 1 Jul 66: Box 13a
DD Form 214, 1 Nov 55: Box 13a
Some DD214s don’t show the character of service. That means the document is not the final version and your military parent will need to obtain a final version at: www.archives.gov/veterans.
What if I don’t have my parent’s DD214 (Member-4 version), or proof of their honorable service?
Your military parent will need to obtain their military record at www.archives.gov/veterans. It can take up to several months to obtain this information, so plan accordingly. If you are unable to obtain the document during the application open period, you are welcome to apply the following year.
My parent is currently on active duty or is a drilling reservist. What kind of service proof do you require?
If your parent is still on Active Duty or is a drilling Reservist you’ll need to submit their Statement of Service. The Statement of Service must be on official US Department of Defense (Navy) letterhead and signed by the Adjutant, Personnel Officer, Executive Officer, or Commanding Officer of your parent’s current unit and dated within 90 days of the application deadline.
The following documents CANNOT be accepted in lieu of the Statement of Service: duty orders, military IDs, Honorable Discharge Certificate, DD214 forms, letters from Veterans Affairs, or disability documents.
My parent served primarily as a drilling reservist. What kind of military documentation do you require?
We need your parent’s final DD214 as listed in the question above. If your parent doesn’t have a DD214 documenting the full length of their service, then we require the most recent DD214 with character of service AND one of the following documents:
I’ve been awarded a scholarship… now what?
Congratulations! We’re honored to have you as a Brown Hudner Scholar!
Your next step is to log in to your MyAward account and complete your Award Acceptance. We can’t send your scholarship check to your school until these items are completed. The deadline to complete is November 1.
I’ve completed all my Award Acceptance items… now what?
You can track the progress of your scholarship, including the date your scholarship was/will be sent on your Brown Hudner Scholar account page.
I’m not attending the school I indicated on my application. How can I update it?
You can update the school you’re attending in your Award Acceptance.
Can my scholarship be applied to summer classes?
Yes, as long as your summer classes are in the same academic year. Be sure to communicate this with your school early in the academic year, so your scholarship can be distributed to include the summer semester.
I have funds leftover from my scholarship. Can I use them the next academic year?
No. Your scholarship is for the academic year in which it was awarded. If your scholarship is paid partially, or in full, it will count as one of your four paid awards. Any unused portion of your scholarship must be returned to us at the end of the academic year.