Douglas J.J. Peters Veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts Scholarship
Scholarship Sponsored by Maryland Higher Education Commission
Douglas J.J. Peters Veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts Scholarship (VAIC) — Summary and Application Guide
Overview
The VAIC scholarship provides financial support to U.S. uniformed service members who served in the Afghanistan or Iraq conflicts and to certain family members (son, daughter, stepson, stepdaughter, or spouse) who are pursuing postsecondary education at an eligible Maryland institution.
Important dates
- Application opens for the 2025–2026 academic year: April 15, 2025.
- Application closes for the 2025–2026 academic year: April 1, 2026.
- Notification: Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. No fixed notification date is published; applicants should submit all required materials promptly to help ensure timely processing.
Who is eligible
To qualify, the applicant must fall into one of these categories and meet the service-date requirements described below:
Service-date requirements (federal definitions apply)
- Afghanistan (including contiguous airspace): service on or after October 24, 2001.
- Iraq (including contiguous waters or airspace): service on or after March 19, 2003.
Eligible applicants
- Veterans who served in the Afghanistan or Iraq conflicts as defined above.
- Active duty service members who served in those conflicts.
- Members of reserve components or the Maryland National Guard who were activated because of the Afghanistan or Iraq conflicts and served as defined above.
- The spouse, son, daughter, stepson, or stepdaughter of any of the above service members or veterans.
Maryland residency and enrollment requirements
- Applicants must be Maryland residents and must be accepted to or enrolled in:
- A regular undergraduate program at an eligible Maryland institution; or
- A 2‑year terminal certificate program whose coursework transfers toward an accredited baccalaureate program at an eligible Maryland institution.
- Maryland residency includes active U.S. armed forces members (and their spouse/children/stepchildren) stationed in Maryland or whose legal home of residency is Maryland.
- Enrollment status may be full-time (12+ credits per semester) or part-time (6–11 credits per semester).
- If you choose to file the FAFSA or the MHEC One‑App for Undocumented Students, that application must be completed by March 1 each year or you will be ineligible.
How to apply
- Submit the online VAIC application through the MHEC One‑App via the Maryland College Aid Processing System (MDCAPS): https://mdcaps.mhec.state.md.us.
- The online application plus all required supporting documents must be uploaded to your MDCAPS account and received by the Office of Student Financial Assistance by the application closing date.
Required documentation (upload to MDCAPS)
- Spouse of veteran: marriage certificate; military orders showing service in Afghanistan or Iraq.
- Child/stepchild of veteran: birth certificate and documentation of veteran’s military orders showing service in Afghanistan or Iraq.
- Active duty service member: copy of current official military orders documenting service in Afghanistan or Iraq.
- Veteran, reserve component, Maryland National Guard: copy of the Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD‑214) documenting service in Afghanistan or Iraq.
Note: The DD‑214 or military orders must clearly indicate service in Afghanistan or Iraq (or contiguous waters/airspace) as defined above. All documents are submitted online through your MDCAPS account.
Award details and limits
- Scholarships are awarded annually. Renewal applicants receive priority consideration. Veterans receive priority over dependents/spouses within eligible applicant groups. Within each priority level, applicants are ranked by the date their application was completed.
- The award cannot exceed 50% of the annual cost (tuition, mandatory fees, and room & board) for a resident undergraduate at the four‑year University System of Maryland institution (excluding University of Maryland Global Campus and University of Maryland, Baltimore) that has the highest annual costs for a full‑time resident undergraduate.
- Example maximum award amounts (subject to change based on the formula above):
- On campus: up to $8,699
- Living with parents: up to $5,067
- Off campus: up to $5,637
- VAIC funds are intended to supplement — not replace — federal education benefits to which a recipient is entitled because of military service or dependent status. Funds may be used at any eligible Maryland institution for tuition, mandatory fees, and room & board.
- Funding is limited; not all eligible applicants may receive an award. The total of your state aid plus Veterans Education Benefits cannot exceed your institution’s determined cost of attendance.
Renewal rules
- Recipients do not need to reapply to request renewal.
- A recipient may receive renewal awards for up to:
- Four years of full‑time enrollment, or
- Eight years of part‑time enrollment, provided the recipient:
- Remains enrolled in an eligible Maryland postsecondary program;
- Continues to be a Maryland resident; and
- Maintains satisfactory academic progress and institutional standards.
- As noted above, if you file the FAFSA or MHEC One‑App for Undocumented Students, it must be completed by March 1 each year to preserve eligibility.
Additional notes
- All documentation is collected and submitted via the MDCAPS portal.
- Because applications are reviewed as they are received, submit your application and supporting documents as soon as possible after the opening date.