Grafton, West Virginia VFW Auxiliary announces spring scholarship opportunities

The national organization will offer one scholarship for each of its four conferences, and the winner will receive $1,000 to further their education by pursing a college degree or career direction at a vocational or technical school.

To be eligible, applicants, 18 years of age or older, must be a member of the VFW or be the immediate family member of the organization representative.

Each participant will be tasked with not only completing a scholarship application, but they will also have to compile a 300-word essay describing their commitment to their goals and how the funds will be used to help them attain them.

Applications must be submitted to the VFW Auxiliary national headquarters by Feb. 15.

Individuals may visit https://vfwauxiliary.org/scholarships/continuing-education/ to access a copy of the application, which may be either emailed to info@vfwauxilary.org or mailed to VFW Auxiliary National Headquarters, 406 W. 34th St., 10th Floor, Kansas City, MO 64111, Attn: Program Awards Administrator.

In addition, the organization will offer its Grace Minnix Higher Education Scholarship, and two lucky applicants will be gifted one-year scholarships in the amount of $1,500.

The scholarship was created on October 8, 1993, to honor and celebrate the accomplishments of Past National VFW Auxiliary President Grace Minnix. Through the endowment, members of the VFW Auxiliary and their families are assisted with the cost of continuing their education.

The scholarships may be used in any institutions of higher education, including universities, colleges, junior colleges or career colleges, as well as at trade schools.

In order to be eligible, students must have been a member of the Auxiliary for at least one year prior to the application process or be related to a member of the VFW Auxiliary, as either a child or grandchild.

The application must be submitted to the local VFW Auxiliary prior to April 1 to be verified and submitted.

The VFW Auxiliary will also present awards to students with a creative touch through two art contests. Traditionally, the VFW’s Patriotic Art scholarship contest was held as one competition. This year, however, the organization has opted to break it down into two competitions.

High school students are also invited to take part in the VFW’s Young American Patriotic Art contest, as well as the 3-Dimensional Patriotic Art Contest.

Any students in grades 9-12 under the age of 18 are eligible to apply to either competition.

Artists will compete in the Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest by entering two-dimensional art pieces, which will be judged, and the first-place winner from each state will advance to the national competition to vie for their chance to win awards totaling $34,000.

Participants may submit pieces including watercolor, pencil, pastels, charcoals, tempera, crayon, acrylics, ink, oils, markers or other media on either canvas or paper. The work cannot be framed and should be no smaller than 8-by-10 inches, but no larger than 18-by-24 inches, not including a mat.

Additionally, students may enter the 3-Dimenstional Patriotic Art Contest with submissions that may include paper, papier-mâché, pottery, clay, metal work, fabric or other kinds of medium. Art is required to be no larger than 18 inches in any direction and is not to exceed more than 5 pounds in weight.

Submissions will be judged and those who advance to the national level will compete for awards totaling $4,000.

For a complete list of rules and regulations for either contest, please visit vfwauxiliary.org/scholarships/young-american-creative-patriotic-art-contest.

The deadline to submit artwork to these contests is March 31.

Locally, all contests will see first-, second- and third-place finishers, who will all receive accolades.

For more information on any of the contests, please contact Scholarship Chair Amanda Bise at 304-476-3354, or log onto https://vfwauxiliary.org/scholarships/.