HARRISBURG, PA — As Pennsylvania students prepare for the start of a new semester, state officials are urging families of veterans to apply for financial assistance through a long-standing program designed to ease the burden of rising college costs. The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs announced that its Educational Gratuity Program is now accepting applications for the upcoming term, offering support to the children of wartime veterans who were killed in action or left permanently disabled as a result of their service.
“These grants can help to alleviate the financial burden families face when their children graduate from high school and go on to higher education,” said Maj. Gen. John Pippy, Pennsylvania’s adjutant general and head of the DMVA. “We encourage eligible families to apply now for the upcoming semester. Your sacrifice has been immense and this is one way for Pennsylvania to show its continued support of your family.”
The program provides up to $4,000 — distributed as $500 per term for eight semesters — to children between the ages of 16 and 23 who meet the program’s eligibility requirements. Applicants must be Pennsylvania residents for at least five years and must attend a college, university, trade school, or apprenticeship program within the Commonwealth. All applicants must also demonstrate financial need.
For military families already navigating the high cost of higher education, that assistance can make a tangible difference. Army veteran Jayme Cooper, whose son is now a first-year student at East Stroudsburg University, said the support offers meaningful relief.
“With my son in his first year at East Stroudsburg, we are quickly discovering just how expensive college is,” Cooper said. “With tuition, room, board, books and fees, every last dollar helps. We are beyond grateful to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for extending this support to the children of disabled veterans.”
Brig. Gen. (PA) Maureen Weigl, deputy adjutant general of Veterans Affairs, emphasized that the benefit is not limited to traditional four-year colleges — a key flexibility as more students turn to alternative training and career pathways.
“A special feature about this grant program is that it can be applied to colleges, trade schools and apprenticeships across the Commonwealth,” Weigl said. “The DMVA wants to see that finances are not a deciding factor on whether to advance your education. It is important to see every military child succeed in life, especially those whose family has sacrificed while in uniform.”
The Educational Gratuity Program is open to children of honorably discharged wartime veterans with service-connected total and permanent disabilities, as well as to children of veterans who died in service during periods of war or armed conflict. State officials say the financial assistance stands as part of the Commonwealth’s broader commitment to supporting veterans and their families long after their service ends.
Applications and additional information are available through the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Families are encouraged to review eligibility requirements and apply ahead of the upcoming academic term.
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