Volunteer for Vets Scholarship
Scholarship Sponsored by Pontius Tax Law, PLLC
Overview
The Volunteer For Vets Scholarship is sponsored by Pontius Tax Law, PLLC to support U.S. Veterans and their children. The firm’s founder, John Pontius, is a U.S. Army Veteran and established the scholarship to solicit veterans’ perspectives on community support and to acknowledge their service. The scholarship seeks essays describing how communities can better support veterans and how military experience has shaped applicants’ lives. Applicants are encouraged to apply if they are a Veteran or the child of a Veteran.
Description: A scholarship founded by a veteran-owned law firm to gather veteran-focused input and provide financial support to veterans or veterans’ children.
- Sponsored by Pontius Tax Law, PLLC.
- Intended for Veterans and children of Veterans.
- Essay-based selection focused on community support ideas.
Eligibility
The scholarship is open to U.S. legal residents who are current high school seniors, vocational students, college students, or graduate students enrolled in a vocational program or a two- to four-year post-secondary institution. Applicants must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 and be in good academic standing. Employees of Pontius Tax Law, their immediate family members, and household members of such employees are ineligible to apply. Residency within one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia is required.
Eligibility: US residents enrolled in secondary or post-secondary education with a 3.0+ GPA; certain employees and relatives are excluded.
- Open to high school seniors, vocational, undergraduate, and graduate students.
- Minimum GPA requirement: 3.0.
- Excludes firm employees, immediate family, and household members.
- Applicants must be U.S. legal residents (50 states + DC).
Application Requirements
Applicants must complete the online application form and submit a 750–1,000-word essay addressing how communities can better support veterans, with specific examples. Essays will be screened for AI-generated content; any application containing detected AI writing will be denied. Required supporting documents include a professional résumé and an academic transcript; first-year college students and recent transfers may submit unofficial transcripts plus prior official transcripts, while high school students may provide proof of college acceptance. Preference is noted for students from or attending secondary school in the state.
Application Requirements: Online form, essay, résumé, and transcript; AI-generated content is prohibited.
- Essay length: 750–1,000 words on the specified prompt.
- Résumé and transcript required; alternate transcript options allowed for transfers and new students.
- AI-generated writing will disqualify the application.
- Preference for in-state secondary school students.
Award Value
The Volunteer For Vets Scholarship awards a single $1,000 prize to a selected recipient. The award is intended to provide modest financial assistance to a Veteran or the child of a Veteran while amplifying veteran perspectives on community support. Funds are granted as part of the scholarship program administered by Pontius Tax Law. Specific payment details are provided to the recipient after selection.
Award Value: One scholarship of $1,000 awarded to the selected applicant.
- Single award amount: $1,000.
- Targeted to Veterans or veterans’ children.
- Administrative details communicated to the recipient.
Application Timeline
The scholarship deadline is in November each year; the exact date is specified in the application materials. The recipient is selected during the month following the application deadline. Applicants should submit all materials by the stated deadline to ensure consideration. No specific award disbursement date is listed beyond the selection timeline.
Application Timeline: Annual November deadline with recipient chosen the following month.
- Application deadline: November (exact date provided in application).
- Recipient selection occurs in the month after the deadline.
- Submit complete materials by the deadline for consideration.
History of the Award
The scholarship was created by John Pontius, an attorney and U.S. Army JAG Corps Veteran who served with the 1st Armored Division in Germany and was deployed to Iraq. While stationed in Germany, Attorney Pontius supervised an IRS-sponsored VITA program, managing a team and ensuring quality control for thousands of tax returns for service members. That experience and his ongoing commitment to veterans inspired the scholarship’s formation to both honor service and gather practical ideas for community support. The firm expresses gratitude to all who have served.
History of the Award: Founded by a veteran attorney based on military legal service and volunteer tax-assistance experience.
- Founded by John Pontius, U.S. Army JAG Corps Veteran.
- Rooted in volunteer service assisting military personnel with tax preparation.
- Created to honor veterans and collect their perspectives on community support.
Contact
For scholarship-related inquiries, applicants must use the designated online contact form; the firm does not handle scholarship questions by phone. The contact form is the only supported channel for application questions and clarifications. Applicants should reference the scholarship name when submitting inquiries to ensure timely and accurate responses. All communications regarding the application process are handled through that form.
Contact: Use the scholarship contact form for all inquiries; phone inquiries are not accepted.
- All scholarship questions must be submitted via the contact form.
- No phone support for scholarship inquiries.
- Reference the scholarship name in communications for faster assistance.