Military Spouses
You ARE eligible if:
You are:
• The spouse of an Active Duty or AGR military sponsor assigned/attached to Fort Knox
OR
• The spouse of a deceased or retired U.S. military member living in the Fort Knox area
OR
• The spouse of an Active Duty/AGR military sponsor living in the Fort Knox area
AND you:
• Graduated high school or earned a GED/equivalency certificate
• Have been accepted (or expect to be accepted) into an accredited:
◦ college
◦ vocational school
◦ correspondence program
• Are pursuing:
◦ your first undergraduate degree
◦ OR your first graduate degree
• Have a valid military dependent ID card
You are NOT eligible if:
• You are an active duty service member yourself
• You are pursuing:
◦ a second bachelor’s degree
◦ a second graduate degree
Good News
If you applied before and did not win, you can apply again.
Fort Knox Area Counties
Kentucky:
• Breckinridge
• Bullitt
• Grayson
• Hardin
• Jefferson
• Larue
• Meade
• Nelson
• Spencer
• Washington
Indiana:
• Clark
• Floyd
• Harrison
Documents You’ll Likely Need
Prepare:
• Copy of military dependent ID
• Sponsor’s orders or retirement paperwork
• Proof of residence (if applicable)
• Acceptance/enrollment verification
• Transcript or previous grades
• GPA information
• Recommendation letter
• Headshot/photo
Important Difference From the Dependent Scholarship
For spouses:
• Graduate school IS allowed (if it’s your first graduate degree)
• But second degrees are not allowed
• Active duty military spouses only — not active duty applicants themselves
Documents & Information Checklist
Military Sponsor Information
Prepare:
• Sponsor full name
• Military status (Active Duty, AGR, retired, deceased, etc.)
• Copy of your military dependent ID for upload/email
Personal Information
Have ready:
• Full legal name
• Date of birth
• Email address
• Phone number
• Residential address
• County of residence
Education History
Prepare:
• High school graduation year or GED completion year
• Highest level of education completed
• All colleges/vocational schools attended
• Dates attended for each institution
Current College Information
Prepare:
• School name
• Current academic year
• Major/field of study
• Student ID number
Employment & Service Sections
These sections are detailed, so preparing them in advance is important.
Paid Employment History
For every job since high school, list:
• Employer/organization
• Job title/role
• Dates worked
• Frequency (full-time, part-time, seasonal, etc.)
• Total hours worked
• Paid or unpaid
• Awards/recognition received
Helpful Format
You may want to draft entries like:
• Organization:
• Role:
• Dates:
• Hours:
• Paid/Unpaid:
• Responsibilities:
• Awards:
Volunteer & Community Service
For each activity:
• Organization
• Role performed
• Dates
• Frequency
• Total service hours
• Paid or unpaid
• Awards/recognition
Examples:
• FRG involvement
• Church volunteering
• School support
• Food banks
• Community outreach
• Coaching/mentoring
Extenuating Circumstances
This section explains barriers that affected your ability to work or volunteer.
Possible topics:
• PCS moves
• Deployments
• Childcare challenges
• Financial hardship
• Medical issues
• Caring for family members
• Frequent relocations
• Spouse training cycles/deployments
Keep it factual, concise, and focused on resilience.
Essay Preparation
Question 1 (100–150 words)
“Tell us about yourself.”
Focus on:
• Your strengths
• Personal character
• Achievements
• Leadership
• Why you’re a strong candidate
Strong Structure
1 Brief introduction
2 Key experiences/qualities
3 Educational goals
4 Closing statement about determination or service
Question 2 (250–350 words)
Military spouse educational impact essay.
This is likely the most important section.
Strong topics include:
• Frequent moves interrupting education
• Balancing family and school
• Deployments
• Adapting to new environments
• Career sacrifices
• Childcare challenges
• Building resilience through military life
Recommended Structure
1 Introduce military spouse experience
2 Explain specific challenges
3 Discuss how they affected education/career
4 Explain how you adapted
5 Connect experiences to future goals
The committee usually wants:
• Authenticity
• Persistence
• Adaptability
• Commitment to education despite obstacles
Recommendation Letters
You need:
• 1 personal recommendation
• 1 professional recommendation
Personal Recommendation Options
• Friend
• Neighbor
• Mentor
• Family member (only one allowed)
Professional Recommendation Options
• Employer
• Supervisor
• Co-worker
• Volunteer coordinator
Have them complete the official scholarship recommendation form.
Additional Uploads
Prepare:
• Headshot/photo
• Military ID copy
• Recommendation letters
Best Strategy Before Opening the Form
Create a single folder with:
• Essays
• Resume/activity list
• Employment history
• Volunteer history
• PDFs/images for upload
Because the form cannot be saved:
• Write essays in advance
• Save everything separately
• Keep word counts checked
• Use copy/paste when ready