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The Purple Heart Scholarship Program is a competitive program that awards scholarships to Purple Heart recipients and their spouses, children, and grandchildren each year. At least one applicant with military service will be awarded the Navy SEAL LT Michael Murphy Memorial Award.
The Purple Heart Scholarship Committee will evaluate all applications that are timely received and meet the eligibility and application requirements described below. All aspects of the application (academic achievement, extracurricular activities, community and military service, work experience, letters of recommendation, and essay) are considered and evaluated by the Purple Heart Scholarship Committee. The Purple Heart Scholarship Committee shall make all decisions regarding the eligibility for a Scholarship and the award of a Scholarship, and all decisions by the Purple Heart Scholarship Committee are final.
Not every applicant will receive a scholarship. This is not a full tuition scholarship. The amount of the scholarship may vary each year subject to funding levels. Purple Heart Scholarship checks are required to be endorsed by both the student and the school. The college or university, therefore, may exercise some control over how the funds are utilized, and this can impact the level of financial benefit realized by the student.
ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible to apply for a Purple Heart Scholarship, applicants need to be a member of one of the following categories:
A Purple Heart recipient who is a Member of the MOPH, or
- The spouse of a Purple Heart recipient who is a member of MOPH, or
- The direct lineal descendent (child, stepchild, adopted child, grandchild, step-grandchild, or great-grandchild) of a Purple Heart recipient who is a member of MOPH, or
- The spouse, widow/widower, or direct lineal descendent as defined above of a service member killed in action (KIA) or who died of wounds. If the Purple Heart recipient is listed as KIA or died of wounds, supporting documentation and evidence must be included with the application.
A Purple Heart recipient who is not a member of the MOPH can become a member by applying online through the MOPH website: www.PurpleHeart.org. To be eligible to apply for the scholarship, the Purple Heart recipient must be a current member, a member at the time of his or her death or documented as KIA or has died of wounds. If you do not know whether your lineal descendent was a member of MOPH before passing, please contact MOPH Headquarters for assistance at (703) 642-5360 and ask for MOPH Membership.
A MOPH Associate membership or membership in the MOPH Auxiliary does not by itself convey scholarship eligibility. It is highly recommended that non-Purple Heart recipients become either Associate members or members of the Auxiliary, and such membership does convey additional credit in the application process.
In order to be eligible to receive a Purple Heart MOPH Scholarship, applicants must meet the following three requirements:
- A graduate or upcoming graduate (current senior) of a high school or GED program, and
- Accepted by or enrolled as a FULL-TIME* student at an accredited U.S. college, university, or trade school at the time the scholarship is awarded, and
- Able to demonstrate the capacity for advanced academic achievement or technical proficiency as demonstrated by maintaining at least a 2.75 cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) based on an un-weighted 4.0 grading system.
An applicant may receive a maximum of two scholarships awarded in non-consecutive years. Scholarship funds can be used for tuition, books, incidental fees, room and board, and other direct costs associated with higher education. Purple Heart scholarship funds cannot be used for transportation expenses, summer school, to pay pre-existing educational loans, or to pay for a special program/research project.
SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION TIMELINE
• February 1, 2026, Purple Heart Scholarship Application posted online. • May 1, 2026, Applications must be received via the website by 5:00 pm EST. No exceptions will be granted. • May 1 – June 1, 2026, Applications are evaluated by the Purple Heart Scholarship Committee. • Scholarship recipients are announced at the 2026 National Convention. Each applicant who is selected to receive a Purple Heart Scholarship will be formally notified in July by receiving an award letter in the mail. The names of every recipient will be posted on the Purple Heart website as well. Upon notification, each Scholarship recipient will be asked to submit a color photo, and biographical information to include information regarding the college, university, or trade school sent Agreement. Once that information is received, a two-way check will be made out to the scholarship recipient and the educational institution of his or her choice. If an applicant fails to submit the requested information, his or her scholarship may be given to an alternate applicant as designated by the Purple Heart Scholarship Committee.SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE
Deadline for ALL complete scholarship applications is 5:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time) May 1, 2026. No exceptions will be granted. The deadline listed above applies to all required documents and materials including transcripts, letters of recommendation, and the processing fee. Any required items received after the deadline listed above will not be considered in the applicant’s scholarship application package. The postmark date is irrelevant. QUESTIONS Should you have any questions or require additional information, please contact: MOPH Headquarters National Junior Vice Commander at scholarship@purpleheart.org or (703) 642-5360SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
Please read carefully before proceeding with your applicationSTEP-BY-STEP APPLICATION PROCESS
1. Submit the Application Fee:
2. Ensure you pay the scholarship application processing fee and
include a copy. The fee is required to proceed, and it is non- refundable under any circumstances. 3. Upload Your Completed Application:
4. After your application fee has been received, you may upload your fully completed scholarship application. Only complete applications can be submitted. 5. Meet the Deadline:
6. Only completed applications that are received by the stated deadline will be considered for review. Late or incomplete submissions will not be eligible. 7. Review Instructions Carefully:
8. Before submitting, make sure you have read and understood all instructions related to the application process. IMPORTANT REMINDERS
• Application processing fees are non-refundable.
• Only complete applications submitted by the deadline will be considered.
• Only application submitted by the deadline will be considered.
• Double-check your application and all required documents before uploading.
If you have any questions or require assistance, please contact the scholarship office prior to submitting your application.
Submit payment ONLY IF YOU HAVE SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION BEFORE THE DEADLINE:
2026 Scholarship Application
Please submit supporting documents to: scholarship@purpleheart.org
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
To apply, applicants need to complete and submit ALL of the following materials:
1. Purple Heart Scholarship Application Form, AND payment receipt
2. High school and / or college transcript through the latest completed semester or quarter, AND
3. Essay of 300-400 words on the following subject: “What is Patriotism?”, AND
4. Two (2) letters of recommendation, AND
5. A resume that lists all extracurricular activities and honors, community, and/or military service, and employment experience describing each activity in detail to include the number of hours the applicant spends per week/month on each activity, AND
6. A non-refundable $50.00 processing fee. We recommend credit card payments via PayPal (ZIFI) on our website. If you need to send a check or money order, make it payable to the Military Order of the Purple Heart and note "for Purple Heart Scholarship application fee " on the memo line. If paying by check or money order your payment must be received no later than 5pm EST on May 1, 2026. All applications should be uploaded as PDF files through the website in electronic format.
Anyone who knows the applicant's character or abilities—such as a teacher, coach, religious leader, supervisor, or commander—can write a letter of recommendation.
After you submit your application, the only detail you can change is the name of the college, university, or trade school you plan to attend.
Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Award
Lieutenant Michael Murphy was a United States Navy SEAL officer who was killed in combat on June 28, 2005, in Afghanistan. Lt. Murphy was killed protecting the men he led by knowingly leaving his position of cover while surrounded by enemy fire to get a clear signal to communicate with his headquarters to request immediate support for his team. He provided his unit’s location, requested immediate support, and then continued to fight until he died from his wounds. For his heroic actions, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Lt. Murphy was the first member of the U.S. Navy to receive the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War. For applicants with military service who are interested in being considered for the Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Award, please submit a copy of your DD 214, copies of all awards and decorations and any accompanying citations, in addition to the application requirements listed above.
Submit payment for the application below:
Contact Information
Gus Wittischack
Committee Member
Region V Commander
Email: Guswitts7979@att.net
Raymond Wetzel
Committee Member
Dept. of California Commander
Email: cacommander.moph@yahoo.com
Josephine Keller
National Junior Vice Commander
Committee Chairperson
Email: scholarship@purpleheart.org