Legacy Scholarship FAQ

FOR APPLICANTS

Question: Why is there no longer a hard copy of the application?
A 100 percent online application system is a more efficient way to handle submissions, ensure their security, and make verifications and submissions more accurate. The process is more environmentally friendly.

Question: Did a parent have to die in combat or on foreign soil for me to be eligible?
Absolutely not! Where children of the fallen are concerned, their parents must only have been serving on active duty during the post-9/11 era. However, an official military death certificate (Form DD1300) MUST be provided.

Question: Will you accept a disability rating from the Social Security Administration?
No. We will only accept an official disability rating from the Department of Veteran Affairs. The paperwork showing the VA disability rating must be included in order to be considered for the award.

Question: What are the “’acceptable educational expenses” I may claim in the portal?
These expenses may include tuition, fees, books, program costs, meal plans and housing, up to $5,000 for disabled and $20,000 for Fallen Heroes. To see the full list please click on this link.

Question: What are examples of what I may not claim when filling out the Legacy Portal?
The Legacy Scholarship will not be used to pay for loans, pay off debt, provide furniture costs, car payments, mortgages, personal hygiene etc. The Legacy Scholarship is to cover educational needs only!

Question: Why do I now need the information requested in order to apply?
The American Legion Legacy Scholarship is completely need-based. As such, we must still collect information on veteran eligibility (for example, DD214 / NGB Form 22 / DD1300 / VA (Veterans Affairs) disability paperwork) and detailed financial information to determine actual need.

Question: Must an application be completed in one sitting?
Applicants will create user accounts and passwords on legion.org, which will allow them to return to the application at any time.

Question: Will my information be secure?
Absolutely! Your information will be protected by our application system. The American Legion will not disclose your protected information to any other parties.

Question: When will applicants find out the status of their submissions?
When you finish entering all of your information into the Legacy portal application, you will immediately see if you are eligible for the need-based scholarship. If you qualify, your application will be reviewed by a staff member, and final chosen applicants are notified via email (on their application) mid to late May.

Question: Will the application process be different in 2025?
Yes. You will know immediately if you are eligible for the need-based Legacy Scholarship once you enter all the financial information in the new portal.

Question: How many times may I apply for the Legacy Scholarship? If I am eligible, how many times can I receive this scholarship?
We encourage you to apply every January for the Legacy Scholarship if you are enrolled in a college, university (for undergraduate or graduate) or trade school. If you qualify for the need-based Legacy Scholarship, you are eligible to receive this scholarship no more than six (6) times.

Question: Are there restrictions on how I spend my award?
Yes. First, you must ensure that you are attending an institution at which The American Legion Legacy Scholarship awards are allowed to be used. The only restriction on post-secondary institutions is that they not be for-profit and/or only nationally accredited. (This means a nonprofit school with ONLY national accreditation is also not able to receive funds from The American Legion Legacy Scholarship.)

Additionally, only “qualified educational expenses” will be considered valid, needs-based expenses. These expenses may include tuition, fees, books, program costs, meal plans and housing, using expenses up to $5,000 for disabled and $20,000 for Fallen Heroes. To see the full list please click on this link.

FOR DONORS

Question: How do I make a donation to The American Legacy Scholarship Trust Fund?

OPTION 1:
You can make a donation by visiting https://mylegion.org/PersonifyEbusiness/Give/Donate-Online/Donate-Now?CashProductId=134416. You will be redirected to a secure, online donation page. On this page, you may either donate online or download a printable form to be mailed in.

OPTION 2:
You may send checks, money orders and/or a complete donation form with your credit card information to: American Legion Charities, Attn: American Legion Legacy Donation, PO Box 361626, Indianapolis, IN 46236

Question: Where can I gather more information about the history of The American Legion Legacy Scholarship and trust?

You can gather quite a bit of current information from the main scholarship web page. You may also go to www.GuideStar.org and sign up for a free account, then search for the fund using its EIN: 42-1553035. If you cannot find the information you are looking for at either location, you may contact finance@legion.org or legacyfund@legion.org for additional inquiries.