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 retired AGR with 20+ satisfactory service years creditable for retired pay and placed on the Air Force Retired List (no other retired classifications are considered eligible) are 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. Applicant enters student and sponsoring member/other parent data, completes all application sections, and submits the application including all required documentation by the deadline.
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:
  • Children of 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)
  • Children of Title 32 Guard Performing Full-time Active Duty- Attach orders showing performance of full-tune active duty through December 1 of the academic year
  • Children of Retired- Attach DD Form 214 Statement of Service with reason for separation listed as “retirement”
  • Children of Retired Reserve (Not age 60/not receiving retired pay) - Copy of sponsoring member’s retirement order (DD Form 214 Statement of Service); notice of eligibility for retired pay at age 60 showing assignment to Retired Reserve Section and placement on the USAF/USSF Reserve Retired list, or retired pay order showing retired with pay on 60th birthday or later
  • Children of Deceased – Attach a copy of DAF Form 1613, Statement of Service or Death Certificate

• Spouses of Active Duty, Title 10 and Title 32 Reservists on extended active duty - Copy of regular Active Duty member’s assignment orders to present duty station or Title 10/Title 32 Reservist’s extended active duty orders showing active duty status through December 1st of the academic year
• Spouses of Title 32 Guard performing full-time active duty - Copy of sponsoring member’s Title 32 orders/contract showing performance of full-time active duty through December 1st of the academic year

• • Spouses of Deceased members (widows/widowers) - Copy of deceased member’s DAF Form 1613 Statement of Service or State 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
  • If the student has any previous college credits, submit transcripts from all colleges or vocational technical schools attended
• 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.

Application Status

Once the application is submitted, no edits can be made. Applicants will be able to view the status of their application by logging back into the application. AFAS will notify the applicant if corrections need to be made to the application via email, and at that time they will be able to log back in to make those updates. If the applicant does not make corrections, reminder emails will be sent to the applicant. Be sure to add education@afas-hq.org to your contacts and check your email regularly, as well as junk/spam folders.

Application Process Timeline

• Applications available from January 1 – April 30
• Selection notification in mid-June
• Fall 2025 Disbursements in early August
• Spring 2026 Disbursements in early December

NOTE: The AFAS Grant Program application deadlines for the 2025-26 academic year is April 30, 2025. 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/