The General Henry H. Arnold Education Grant Program provides grants based on need to full-time college undergraduates who are dependent children of active duty, Title 10 Reserve and Guard on extended active duty; Title 32 Guard performing full-time active duty through December 1 of the academic year; retired due to length of active duty service or disability; Retired AGR/Reserve with 20+ satisfactory service years creditable for retired pay and placed on the Air Force or Space Force Reserve Retired List (no other retired classifications are considered eligible); deceased member who died while on active duty or in retired status. Spouses of active duty; Title 10 Reserve and Guard on extended active duty; Title 32 Guard performing full-time active duty through December 1 of the academic year; and surviving spouses of Air Force and Space Force members who died while on active duty or in retired status are also eligible to compete for these grants.

Costs covered under this grant include: Tuition, books, fees, supplies and curriculum-required materials. Room and board are not covered as they are subject to taxation.

Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) education support and tuition assistance is available to dependent children of Title 10 Reserve on extended active duty; deceased member who died while on active duty; spouses of Title 10 Reserve on extended active duty; and surviving spouses of Air Force and Space Force members who died while on active duty are also eligible to compete for these grants.

The General Henry H. Arnold Education Grant program, also known as the Hap Arnold Grant, is the centerpiece of AFAS education support. The application process for the Arnold Education Grant serves as the platform for other key education support opportunities at AFAS.

Grants based on need are awarded to eligible Air Force dependents each year. The specific amount awarded correlates to a student’s particular level of financial need.

A unique feature to this program – each grant awarded carries the name of an individual or organization exemplifying service to the USAF, and that biographical information is sent to each grant recipient.

Submitting an Application

1. Student answers eligibility questions and registers as a user on the Air Force Aid Society’s Education Grant Portal.

2. Student and sponsoring member/other parent complete the online application for the Gen. Henry H. Arnold Education Grant Program.

3. ALL applicants must submit:

• Front and back copies of the student’s military ID card

• Copy of sponsoring member’s qualifying documentation, with all but the last four of SSN blacked out, as follows:

  • Active Duty – attach copy of assignment orders to present duty station. Title 10 Guard/Reserve attach copy of extended active duty orders showing active status through December 1 of the academic year. (All Active Duty members sponsoring spouses for grants must be on active duty status through December 1 of the academic year).

  • Title 32 Guard Performing Full-time Active Duty- attach orders showing performance of full-tune active duty through December 1 of the academic year

  • Retired- attach DD214 or for Guard and Reserve members show notice of eligibility for retired pay at the age of 60.

  • Deceased – attach a copy of DAF Form 1613, Statement of Service ; or Death Certificate.

• Copy of the most recent transcript (unofficial acceptable). Must include any completed coursework, student’s name, school name, grades, credit hours for each course, and reflect the most recent cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale. If student never attended college, submit high school transcript. Students who are homeschooled are required to provide standardized test results (SAT, ACT, GED) or state-issued documentation of high school completion as proof of meeting 2.0 GPA requirement.

• Copy of full FAFSA Submission Summary and Student Aid Index (SAI) from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Note: Confirmation or acknowledgement pages for submitting the FAFSA are not acceptable.

• Students applying as a 5th year undergraduate must provide verification of enrollment in a 5-year degree program (5th year required for all students in degree program/major).

4. Submit the application and all required documentation to AFAS Education Assistance Department. Application deadline is April 30 of the current academic year.

After an Application is Submitted

AFAS reviews applications and confirms the applicant’s eligibility and member’s status. All applicants will be notified of their eligibility within 2 weeks of submitting their online application.

After application deadline, all eligible applicants will be evaluated for needs based grant selection, which is based on the cost of attendance at student’s chosen college and Expected Family Contribution (EFC) entered on Student Aid Report (SAR) from FAFSA.

If applicant is selected for a grant, an award notice – identifying the school selection upon which eligibility was based – will be emailed to the student in June. CHANGING SCHOOLS CAN AFFECT ELIGIBILITY. Re-scoring of eligibility is automatic when notice of school change is received. Applicants not selected will be notified in June.

All grant award checks will be made payable to the school’s financial aid office. Students attending Fall and Spring will be sent in two increments (first increment will be disbursed in early August, and the second in early December). Use of funds is limited to tuition, books, fees, and other curriculum-required materials. Room and board are not allowable expenses. Grant awards for 2024-2025 are valid through May 2025. However, funds may only be used for the academic year for which they were disbursed. Any check not cashed by May 31, 2024, will be canceled and funds will not be reissued.

NOTE: The AFAS Grant Program application deadlines for the 2024-25 academic year is April 30, 2024. All forms and required documents should be submitted in time to meet deadlines. Only applicants whose grant application materials (online applications and supporting documents) have been received by the stated deadline will be considered for a grant.

For additional information or questions see the Application Instructions Handout or contact AFAS Education Department by email at Education@afas-hq.org, or call 703-972-2647.

For more information, please visit the Air Force Aid Society website:
https://afas.org/haparnoldgrant/