In keeping with the VFW's commitment to student veterans' success, every year the VFW teams up with Student Veterans of America (SVA) to host the VFW-SVA Legislative Fellowship program, providing exemplary VFW members who are student veterans the opportunity to make their voices heard on Capitol Hill and in their community.
Candidates will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Submission of an essay and short video proposal explaining the importance of veteran advocacy
- VFW membership eligibility
- Current enrollment at an accredited college or university
- Any major is eligible to apply and some majors are eligible for academic credit
Student veterans interested in applying must complete an application package that includes an essay and video proposal on the importance of veteran advocacy. The proposal should include a discussion of why the issue is important to the veteran community, and how the fellowship candidate plans to address the solutions through community-based advocacy. Selected fellows will attend 2024 SVA National Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, in January; and will be flown to Washington, D.C., to ensure the veterans’ voice is delivered to Capitol Hill alongside 500 fellow veteran advocates as part of the annual VFW Legislative Conference held in March.
VFW-SVA Legislative Fellowship opportunities are open to VFW members in good standing who are currently enrolled as students at accredited colleges and universities approved for GI Bill benefits. Visit vfw.org/Eligibility for more information on membership. Student veterans enrolled at colleges and universities with active SVA chapters are also encouraged to apply.
Visit studentveterans.org/chapters/find-a-chapter/ to find a chapter near you.
For the application essay and video proposal, applicants must describe the importance of veteran advocacy and why the applicant wants to be one of our advocates.
Expenses covered for the fellowship include airfare, hotel accommodations, local transportation to/from meetings and a per diem allowance to participate in the VFW March Legislative Conference.
Certain components of the 2023-2024 VFW-SVA Legislative Fellowship, including but not limited to in-person interactions and events, are subject to change. Please check back regularly for updates.
The application period for the 2023-2024 Legislative Fellowship class is now closed. Please check back next August for information on the 2024-2025 application period.
If you have questions on the VFW-SVA Legislative Fellowship program, please contact us.