LMFSF 2025-26 High School Senior Scholarship Application

High School Senior Scholarship Application

Application Deadline: March 13, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time
Thank you for your interest in applying for a Lewis-McChord Family Scholarship. Established in 1989, the Lewis-McChord Family Scholarship Fund aims to help children and spouses of active duty, retired, and deceased service members reach their educational goals by providing scholarships to pursue post-secondary education at accredited institutions of higher learning.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the High School Senior Scholarship, you must meet the following four criteria:
1. Have a valid military dependent identification card.
2. Meet one of the following criteria:
  - child of an active duty service member stationed at or within a 50-mile radius of JBLM OR
  - surviving child of a service member last assigned to JBLM OR
  - surviving child of a service member residing within a 50-mile radius of JBLM OR
  - child of a retired service member residing within a 50-mile radius of JBLM.
3. Be graduating from an accredited high school, or home school program, this academic year.
4. Have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (83%) or higher through the first semester of the current academic year or for the duration of high school if already graduated.
You are not eligible if:
- You are currently serving on Active Duty.
- You have accepted a full scholarship that covers tuition, fees, and room and board for your post-secondary education including, but not limited to: military academy appointment, ROTC, academic, or athletic scholarship.
- You have completed high school and are currently enrolled at a post-secondary school (may be eligible for the Continuing Education Scholarship).
- You are a prior recipient of a Fort Lewis Military Family Member Scholarship/Lewis-McChord Family Scholarship.

Rules and Instructions

Scholarship applicants and future awardees must comply with the following guidelines:
- If an applicant is granted and accepts a full scholarship that covers tuition, fees, and room and board for the year in which the scholarship will be used (including, but not limited to, military academy appointment, ROTC, academic, or athletic scholarship) the student is no longer eligible to receive monetary assistance from the Lewis-McChord Family Scholarship Fund. The applicant should immediately notify the Scholarship Committee so that it may remove the applicant from the reviewing pool or distribute already awarded funds to alternate winners.
- If awarded a scholarship, students must furnish proof of enrollment at an accredited institution of higher learning no later than June 30, 2026. Failure to do so may result in forfeiture of scholarship.
- If awarded a scholarship, students may defer it for up to one year by submitting to the Scholarship Committee a written request for deferral no later than June 30, 2026. Failure to do so may result in forfeiture of scholarship.
- Lewis-McChord Family Scholarships are one-year awards and are not renewable. The Scholarship Committee will send a check for the amount awarded directly to the institution of higher learning no later than July 31, 2025. This money may be used for tuition, fees, room and board, and/or books and supplies. Awardees must provide all necessary information to the committee so that funds can be mailed directly to the school (i.e., student ID number or proof of acceptance/enrollment and the school’s Financial Aid Office mailing address). This information is due to the committee no later than June 30, 2026.
- All above communications must be sent to the Scholarship Committee via email at applications@jblmscholarship.org.
If you have any questions during the application process, you can contact the Scholarship Committee via email at applications@jblmscholarship.org.

Application Checklist

You may save your progress on this form. In order to access the saved form, you will need to use the link copied or sent to your email at the time of saving.

The following items are required in order for your application to be considered complete:
1. Applicant Information
  - All information will be treated in a confidential manner.
  - All identifying information will be redacted before the judging panel reviews your application.
  - Verification of your valid military identification card will be done for all award recipients.
2. Student Resume
  - Include extracurriculars, honors/awards, volunteer/community activities, and employment history.
  - Be succinct in your descriptions.
3. Unofficial Transcript
  - Transcripts must contain your GPA to include grades through the most recent term completed.
  - Transcripts do not need to be official. A high quality copy of the transcript will suffice. The Scholarship Committee may request an official transcript if it is deemed appropriate for final scholarship selection.
  - Transcript must be uploaded as a PDF file titled "Last Name_Transcript".
4. Two Letters of Recommendation that address your character, ability, and potential.
  - Letters should be written after September 1, 2025.
  - One letter should be from a faculty member. Homeschoolers should strive to find an unrelated recommender who can attest to their academic performance.
  - Supervisors, coaches, volunteer organizers, and coworkers are examples of acceptable sources of letters.
  - Letters should not be from relatives.
  - You will need to provide the name and email for each recommender.
  - Each letter must be uploaded as a separate PDF file titled "Last Name_LOR 1" and "Last Name_LOR 2".
  - If your recommender is required to provide their letter directly to our organization, they may email it to applications@jblmscholarship.org.
5. Personal Essay: How has your own background influenced the types of problems you want to solve, the people you want to work with, and/or the impact you hope your work can have?
  - Word count must be between 500-750 words.
  - Your personal essay must be completely your own work and not developed using artifical intelligence (AI) assistance.
  - This is a highly weighted part of your application.
  - Your essay will be evaluated based on clarity of thought, creativity, individuality, and grammatical soundness.
6. Signed Privacy Act Statement
7. Signed Applicant's Declaration/Essay Affirmation
8. CLICK SUBMIT and SIGN DOCUMENT no later than March 13, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
  - Any errors on the form must be corrected before the form may be submitted.
  - Incomplete, late, improperly submitted, or applications missing the required attachments will not be considered.
Completed applications must be submitted and signed with all attachments no later than March 13, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.

Applicant Information
Applicant's Name

First NameMiddle InitialLast Name
Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number.
Email
You will be notified of scholarship results at this email.
Alternate Email
Please complete if you would like award notification to be sent to an additional email.
Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState

Zip CodeCountry
Expiration of Applicant's DOD Identification Card

MonthDayYear
Physical verification of military identification will be required for all scholarship recipients.
Applicant's Status

Active Duty ChildRetiree ChildSurviving Child
Service Member's Name

RankFirst NameLast Name
Service Member's Branch

ArmyMarinesAir ForceNavyCoast GuardSpace Force
Service Member's Address (if different than applicant)

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState

Zip CodeCountry
Service Member's Current (if Active) or Last Duty Assignment

Student Resume
- Be succinct in your descriptions.
- Please use list format if you are entering more than one activity/award in each response block; give each item its own line.
State the course of study you intend to pursue.
e.g., B.A. in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology.
List up to ten extracurricular activities in which you have participated during high school (e.g., sports, clubs, JROTC, etc.) Prioritize those where you had the greatest level of involvement/responsibility. Include leadership positions/offices held, years, and an estimate of the total hours spent.
List up to ten of your unpaid volunteer and/or community involvement activities during high school (e.g., Scouts, religious activities, food bank, etc.) Prioritize those where you had the greatest level of impact or time committed. Provide a brief description of your duties/responsibilities and an estimate of total hours spent.
List up to ten honors or awards you have received or any honorary organizations you have belonged to during high school (e.g., National Honor Society, JROTC Awards, MVP, etc.) Prioritize those where you had the highest level of achievement or recognition. Consider including if an award is local, regional, state, or national level and include date(s).
List any employment during high school. Include a brief description to include position, duties, and hours worked per week.
List any additional credentials, experience, or unusual circumstances that you would like the committee to consider (do not repeat information listed above).

Word Count:0/150

School Information
High School Name
High School Location

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
Graduation Date

MonthDayYear
Date
Cumulative GPA
Enter as reported on unofficial transcript for most recent term completed.
Unofficial School Transcript File Upload (PDF format, titled "Last Name_Transcript")

Transcript must contain your GPA to include grades through the most recent term completed. Transcripts do not need to be official. A copy of the transcript will suffice. The Scholarship Committee may request an official transcript if it is deemed appropriate for final scholarship selection. Ensure documents are not encrypted or password protected.
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Letters of Recommendation
- Two letters of recommendation are required.
- Letters should be written after September 1, 2024.
- Letters of recommendation should address your character, ability, and potential.
- One letter should be from a faculty member. Homeschoolers should strive to find an unrelated recommender who can attest to their academic performance.
- Supervisors, coaches, volunteer organizers, and coworkers are examples of acceptable sources of letters.
- Letters should not be from relatives.
- Letters may be uploaded on this page or emailed directy from the reference to applications@jblmscholarship.org. Letters MUST be received no later than March 9, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Applicants are responsible for all coordinations with their references.

Reference Names and Contact Information (Two References Required)

	Name	Email Address
Reference #1
Reference #2

Reference #1: Letter of Recommendation File Upload (PDF format, titled "Last Name_LOR 1")

This attachment should be from Reference #1 listed in the table above. Only one attachment allowed per upload field. Please combine multiple pages into one pdf if necessary. Ensure documents are not encrypted or password protected.
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Reference #2: Letter of Recommendation File Upload (PDF format, titled "Last Name_LOR 2")

This attachment should be from Reference #2 listed in the table above. Only one attachment allowed per upload field. Please combine multiple pages into one pdf if necessary. Ensure documents are not encrypted or password protected.
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Personal Essay
- Word count must be between 500-750 words.
- This is a highly weighted part of your application.
- Your essay will be evaluated based on clarity of thought, creativity, individuality, and grammatical soundness.
- Your personal essay is to be completely your own work and not developed using artifical intelligence (AI) assistance.
Essay Question: How has your own background influenced the types of problems you want to solve, the people you want to work with, and/or the impact you hope your work can have? (Please enter a space between paragraphs.)

Word Count:0/750

CARROLL H. PAYNE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP OPT-IN

All applicants have the option to be considered for the Carroll H. Payne Memorial Scholarship sponsored by First Command Educational Foundation. If selected, one of the requirements is that the recipient will be asked to complete a 60-minute online financial course titled "Financial Readiness for Young Adults" within 7 days of notification of scholarship selection.
If you wish to be considered for the Carroll H. Payne Memorial Scholarship, please check the following box:

Yes, I wish to OPT IN for consideration of the Carroll H. Payne Memorial Scholarship. I agree to complete the 60-minute online financial readiness course and provide my certificate of completion to the Scholarship Committee within 7 days of notification of scholarship selection.
PUBLICITY RELEASE

I hereby grant full permission to use my name and likeness in publicity releases or displays as a winner of a Lewis-McChord Family Scholarship.
Applicant's Signature

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PRIVACY ACT STATEMENT

The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 USC Sec 522) requires that you be informed of the following:

The information supplied on this application is for local scholarship consideration and will be used in selecting individuals for awards.

I approve release of application information to the Scholarship Committee.
Applicant's Signature

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APPLICANT'S DECLARATION / ESSAY AFFIRMATION

I hereby declare that the information provided in this application is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge. I understand that any false information may result in the disqualification of my application.

I hereby affirm that the essay included with this application is exclusively the work of the applicant and was not created utilizing artificial intelligence in any way to improve or enhance this work.
Applicant's Signature

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Printed Name of Applicant

First NameMiddle InitialLast Name
Date signed*

MonthDayYear
Date
IMPORTANT: After clicking submit, you must review and sign the document in order to finish submitting your application. You will receive a confirmation email with a PDF of your completed application.
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