RSAMCC Merit Award Application & HCMOAA Military Community Scholarship Application

Please read the entire application before completing. Please direct any questions to rsamccmeritawards@gmail.com. Incomplete applications will NOT be considered.

After completing your application, submit your Unofficial Transcript by emailing it to rsamccmeritawards@gmail.com. All required supporting documents are due by February 27th, 2026. You will receive confirmation of receipt of documentation from our Merit Awards Chair. If you do not, please email rsamccmeritawards@gmail.com to confirm.

Limitations & Conditions

Restrictions apply to all Eligibility Categories

1. An Applicant must NOT be a previous awardee of a RSAMCC scholarship or HCMOAA Scholarship.

2. RSAMCC reserves the right to determine eligibility and to increase, decrease or withdraw any or all awards.

3. Applicants who accept a full four-year tuition/room & board scholarship, a full four-year grant, or an appointment to a military academy will NOT be eligible to receive any RSAMCC scholarship monies.  Additionally, any student who receives from a family member a Post 9/11 GI Bill disbursement that covers the entire cost of the yearly tuition/room & board, will NOT be eligible to receive RSAMCC Merit Awards Scholarship monies.

4. Recipients must be enrolled or plan to be enrolled in their accredited college, university or trade school for the 2026-2027 academic year.

5. Only an RSAMCC member (not a dependent) may apply for a merit award for graduate level education. All HCMOAA and RSAMCC dependent applicants should be applying for undergraduate or trade school level (RSAMCC applicants only for trade schools) education.

6. The number of scholarships awarded and the dollar amount of each scholarship are determined by the success of fundraising endeavors of the RSAMCC and HCMOAA. 

7. Scholarships presented at the annual RSAMCC Merit Awards ceremony will be deposited into the student's school account to be used for the costs of tuition, room and board for the 2026 Fall Semester. 

8. Unofficial transcripts can be emailed to RSAMCCmeritawards@gmail.com.  Application will be considered incomplete until all required supporting documents are received.  Supporting Documents, Transcript and Headshot must be received by Feb. 27th. 

Category of Scholarship Eligibility:

Please read the following categories carefully and then select your category or categories that you are eligible for below:

Category 1 - RSAMCC Merit Awards

The Applicant must meet all the following criteria:

1. Sponsor must be a member of RSAMCC in good standing by December 10, 2025. 

2. Applicant must not be in receipt of a full scholarship (pays tuition, room or board) or full post 9/11 GI Bill for the upcoming school year to include appointment to military academies for all service branches.

3. Be a rising college freshman, current undergraduate and graduate college student (RSAMCC member only) or trade school student for the fall semester of the 2026 academic year and your permanent home address is within a 50-mile radius of Redstone Arsenal (with at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale).

4. Plan to pursue an Associate's, Bachelor's, or higher-level degree (RSAMCC member only for higher degree) from an accredited college or university or certification or degree from an accredited trade school for the 2026-2027 academic year.

5. Satisfy all limitations, conditions, and restrictions set forth in the "Limitations and Conditions" section of this notification.

Category 2 - Huntsville Chapter Military Officers Association of America (HCMOAA) Military Community Scholarship

The applicant must meet one of the criteria for 1-3 and criteria 4:

1. Be a child or grandchild of an HCMOAA member

2. Be a legal dependent spouse or child of an Armed Forces member who is: Active Duty and assigned to a Redstone Arsenal unit and resides within a 50-mile radius of  Redstone Arsenal at the time this application is submitted, OR a Reserve Member and assigned to a Redstone Arsenal unit and resides within a 50-mile radius of Redstone Arsenal, OR a National Guard Member and assigned to a Redstone Arsenal unit and resides within a 50-mile radius of  Redstone Arsenal, OR a retired military member residing within a 50-mile radius of Redstone Arsenal

3. Participate in a local JROTC program within a 50-mile radius of Redstone Arsenal

4. Plan to pursue an Associate's or Bachelor's from an accredited college or university for the 2026-2027 academic year.  Individuals currently enrolled in a program must possess at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale.  

5.  ​Satisfy all limitations, conditions, and restrictions set forth in the "Limitations and Conditions" section of this notification. 

Based on your selection below, a series of questions will appear. Complete all questions pertaining to your category selection. Failure to complete questions could result in your application not being accepted.

Short Answer Essay (no more than 500 words)

Content Guidelines

1) Write in first person.  Use your own voice and highlight what is unique about yourself.  The reviewers are looking for evidence of your authentic voice in your responses.

2) Write in a clear and concise manner.  The reviewer must be able to understand what your main idea is and follow it from beginning to end.  

3) Answer the entire question.  Pay close attention to what is being asked and make sure that it is clear to the reviewer that you have answered the question.

4) Include specific details, examples, and reasons to fully develop your ideas.

5) Important:  Refer to the following purposes of RSAMCC and HOMOAA in answering the essay question:

-Provide educational, cultural, and recreational activities

-Foster and preserve the ideals of good fellowship

-Promote social welfare and support community activities

-Support military and their Families, to include those of deployed military personnel, and government civilians

6) Your essay should be entirely your own work and you should write the essay without the assistance of AI technology including but not limited to ChatGPT or similar services. AI detection programs may be used to screen submitted essays.

Essay Question

Describe a meaningful life experience that you have had and how you think it will impact your future self.

After completing this application, please email a copy of your essay as an attachment to rsamccmeritawards@gmail.com. You will receive confirmation of receipt from our Merit Awards Chair. Essays must be received by 9pm CST on February 20th, 2026.

Headshot

Please provide a current headshot photograph of yourself to be used if selected for social media purposes and in our awards ceremony program and print.  Email after application submission to rsamccmeritawards@gmail.com. Must be received by February 27th, 2026

Accountability Statement

 I have thoroughly read the application instructions, understand, and meet all of the stated eligibility requirements.  I agree to abide by the decision of the Merit Awards Committee and in no way shall challenge/question its selection of winners.  

If I receive a RSAMCC Merit Award or HCMOAA Military Community Scholarship, I understand and will abide by, the following criteria:

•   The RSAMCC Merit Award and HCMOAA Military Community Scholarship may only be used for tuition or room and board.

•   I must enroll in the school of my choice and use the 2026 RSAMCC Merit Award or HCMOAA Military Community Scholarship for tuition or room and board in the fall of 2026.

•    A check in the amount of the full award will be written to and sent directly to the school.

•   I will return/forfeit the RSAMCC Merit Award or HCMOAA Military Community Scholarship if one of the following occurs:  1) I am awarded a fully-funded scholarship (this includes the VA GI Bill), or 2) I fail to utilize the RSAMCC Merit Award or the HCMOAA Military Community Scholarship before December 31, 2026.  

•   If you change schools prior to the start of the fall of 2026 semester, you must inform the RSAMCC (at rsamccmeritawards@gmail.com) of the name and contact information of the new school to which you want the scholarship to be sent in time for the change to be made before fall semester starts for fall of 2026.  

Signature

By typing your name in the signature blocks provided, you are attesting that all information contained within this application is true and accurate to the best of your knowledge.​