US Army Child & Youth Services - Fort Wainwright, Alaska

Post-Secondary Education

Go for it! If you’d like to pursue college, it’s never too late. Below are the three steps you’ll need to take and resources to help along the way. For a more comprehensive guide, check out the Military Children’s Scholarship Handbook.

Choose a School Identify potential colleges or tech schools to which you’d like to apply. Important factors to consider are programs offered, location, cost, and school culture. Your guidance counselor or teachers may be able to suggest some good options for you. You can contact school admissions offices with questions or to arrange a campus tour.

You can search for schools and get general information about higher education below:

College Board

XAP Student Center (Mentor Sites)

Princeton Review

Peterson's College Search

Don’t forget about the great deals right here in Alaska. On Fort Wainwright you can take a variety of classes through the Education Center. Between UAF, Central Texas College, Embry-Riddle, and Wayland Baptist, the Ed Center offers many exciting options.

The University of Alaska, Fairbanks is right here in town and has excellent programs. All of the University of Alaska campuses, including UAF and UAA offer in-state tuition and amazing exchange opportunities, where you pay in-state tuition while studying abroad.

The Alaska Vocational Technical Center in Seward offers a range of career-oriented programs, as does Tanana Valley Community College in Fairbanks.

Military Academy Links

U.S. Military Academy at West Point

U.S. Air Force Academy

U.S. Coast Guard Academy

U.S Merchant Marine Academy

U.S. Naval Academy

Even if you plan to graduate from an out-of-state school, you can save a lot of money by starting out local. Most schools allow you to transfer after your sophomore year with no loss of credits. Just make sure the courses you take here will be transferable to your terminal program.

Apply for admission. Once you select your schools, begin the application process asap. You can ask for letters of recommendation from your teachers, counselors, or employers. You can ask your teachers for help on any essays that are required. You can register to take the SAT/ACT tests on collegeboard.com.

The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District offers a SAT prep course each spring at Lathrop High School. Call the Lathrop Counseling office for more information.

Just for fun, try the SAT Question of the Day.

Get financial aid. Most schools use the FAFSA to determine what financial aid you will be offered. Fill out the FAFSA online or using the booklet to apply for federal student loans and grants. The deadline for Alaska is April 15. Check with individual schools for their deadlines.

In addition to federal aid, there are tons of scholarships out there. Many are available only to military dependents. Information about additional scholarships is available in the YESS office, 4391 Neely, and online.

Scholarship Search Sites

Fastweb

Peterson’s Undergraduate Scholarship Search

College Board Scholarship Search

CollegeNet Mach25 Scholarship Database

Federal and State Programs

Student Aid on the Web

Student Guide to Financial Aid

AlaskaAdvantage Loan and Grant Programs

Student aid information from other Federal Agencies

EScholar apprenticeships, cooperative, fellowships, grants, internships, and scholarships

ROTC