In a way, we are all students of American history, especially most of the writers here at We Are The Mighty. In another, more specific way, there are people who are actually dedicating years of their lives to study U.S. history in an academic environment. For those people, the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is offering financial support to help them continue their important work and to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
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When it comes to going to college, $25,000 is nothing to shake a stick at, even for veterans using their GI Bill benefits. So, everyone headed to college or grad school to study American History in 2026 should know that the DAR is giving one-time scholarships for that exact amount to 10 deserving future historians: the America 250! Scholarship.
Historic preservation has always been an integral mission for the DAR, but 2026 marks an important year for the organization and its history, as well as the history of the United States. DAR’s America 250 campaign has a series of events planned across this great nation, but for ten students, the America 250! Scholarship will be the most lasting.
Like most scholarships, the application requires more than throwing your business card into the proverbial fishbowl. Students must be currently majoring in American history at an accredited university or college undergraduate or graduate program in the year 2026, be United States citizens, prove a minimum 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale or equivalent, and prepare a one-page online essay either on the founding of our nation or on the applicant’s personal volunteer achievements for community and country—a surefire win for a the War on Terror generation of veterans, right?
The DAR awards more than 30 scholarships annually, totaling close to $250,000, to students across the country, but the organization has never awarded a single scholarship of this size. The significant amount of the America 250! Scholarship, and that it will be awarded to ten separate students, is a testament to the importance of American history education that DAR continues to emphasize.
To apply for the Daughters of the American Revolution America 250! Scholarship, visit the DAR AcademicWorks application page. Students can also view other scholarship opportunities on the DAR scholarship list. Send any and all questions to america250scholarship@nsdar.org.
