OVERVIEW
The Kelly Gibson Foundation, in partnership with the Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust, announces the 2025 Swing Hard For Soldiers Scholarship Program. Under the program, scholarships will be awarded to high school juniors through 5th year students in college as of Fall 2025. Applications are evaluated based on academics, community involvement, financial need and essay responses.
The program is an equal opportunity scholarship program and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, gender, religion or ethnic origin.
If you have previously received a scholarship, that will be taken into consideration during the selection process.
If a scholarship is awarded, it will be the student’s responsibility to submit their student ID number and college information to the Kelly Gibson Foundation.
Scholarships must be redeemed with in 3 years of being awarded - Nov. 7, 2028.
SCHOLARSHIP CRITERIA
- Under the program, scholarships will be awarded to high school juniors as of Fall 2025 through 5th year students in college (cannot be older than 22 years old).
- Applicants must be a child or grandchild of someone who has served or is currently serving in either the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Guard, or Coast Guard.
- Applicants must be a resident of the following Parishes in Louisiana: Ascension, Assumption, East Feliciana, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Saint Bernard, Saint Charles, Saint Helena, Saint James, Saint John the Baptist, Saint Martin, Saint Mary, Saint Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge Parishes.
- Or a resident of the following Counties in Mississippi: Hancock, Harrison, Pearl River Counties.
- Applicants have a record of volunteerism in the community and participation in extracurricular school activities.
- Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 (on 4.0 scale), and plan to attend a 2 or 4-year college or technical school.
- If selected to receive a scholarship, the recipient must be present at the Swing Hard for Soldiers Golf Tournament on Friday, November 7th, 2025 by 4:00PM. The scholarship presentation will be held at Tchefuncta Country Club on 2 Country Club Park, Covington, LA, 70433.
RESUME
Please attach an activity log or resume where asked to within the application form. Please include your name on it. Your document should include: any academic honors or awards you have received, extracurricular activities, school related and non-school related volunteer activities, and any leadership positions within these activities and in the community.
ESSAY REQUIREMENT
Please attach a one page document with your name at the top where asked to within the application form. Your document should have your responses to both prompts in an essay format.
1.) How has your family's military service inspired your commitment to volunteerism, and provide an example of how you've applied this inspiration in your own community involvement?
2.) What aspect of your family's military connection has been the most impactful to you?
DEADLINE
Applications must be received by SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2025 at 11:59PM. No exceptions. If you are having trouble with the online form, please reach out to Bryan Day at bryan@thekellygibsonfoundation.org. You will receive confirmation from Jotform that your application has been recorded.