Supporting Military Spouses Through Education and Workforce Advancement
Columbia Southern University (CSU) is honored to partner with Hiring Our Heroes (HOH), a program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, to establish the Hiring Our Heroes: Legacy of Service Scholarship. This scholarship reflects a shared commitment to supporting military spouses by expanding access to higher education and addressing the unique educational and workforce challenges associated with the military lifestyle.
Military spouses play a critical role in supporting service members while often navigating frequent relocations, career disruptions, and limited access to traditional educational pathways. Through this initiative, CSU seeks to educate, advocate, and collaborate with national partners to empower military spouses to achieve their academic and professional goals. To read more about their mission, please visit the Hiring Our Heroes website.
Scholarship Details
This scholarship will cover tuition and technology fees for up to 60 credit hours, or for a maximum of 36 months, whichever comes first, upon completion of the selected online degree program.
Eligibility
The scholarship is open to the legal spouse of any active-duty, reserve, or National Guard member from any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. Applicants must:
- Be the current legal spouse of an active-duty, reserve, or National Guard service member.
- Be able to demonstrate military relationship (e.g., provide a valid military ID).
- Provide parental or legal guardian consent for all required agreements for applicants under the age of 18.
- Be available to begin coursework within six months of the award date.
- Demonstrate the ability to maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA for undergraduate programs.
- Demonstrate the ability to maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA for graduate or post-graduate programs.
- Meet all academic and admissions requirements of Columbia Southern University.
- Remain in good academic and disciplinary standing with the university throughout the degree program.
Selection Process
Applications will open May 21, 2026, at the 10th Annual Military Spouse Employment Summit. The application period is May 21-July 17, 2026. Applications will be reviewed based on merit, need, and alignment with Hiring Our Heroes' mission to support and empower military spouses facing workforce and educational challenges.
The scholarship committee will review all applications and select a recipient; award notification will be issued the week of August 3-7, 2026.