KU is home to more than 2,200 current and former service members and their families who are now pursuing their dreams of higher education. The military-affiliated student enrollment for the 2024-25 academic year is the largest ever recorded at KU and is now even bigger than that of KU’s international student population.

College affordability continues to be a top concern for military-affiliated students. Oftentimes just a little help in a key area will make a big impact in their financial health.

Below are our priorities this year:

Support our Spencer C. Duncan Make It Count Book Scholarships for veterans, Guard/Reserve members, active duty undergraduates and ROTC students

KU books, course materials and supplies cost an average of $1,224 per semester. We offer book scholarships of up to $250 a semester for veterans, military and ROTC students who don’t receive book stipends from their VA/military education benefits or if book costs exceed a student’s VA book stipend. Last academic year, we awarded 38 book scholarships totaling $7,033. In Fall 2024, we awarded nearly $4,000 in book scholarships to 17 students.

Support our Military-Affiliated Student Emergency Fund

This fund helps students experiencing unexpected financial or personal hardships. Established in 2018 and part of KU’s Emergency Aid network, our fund has supported military-affiliated students with situations like: fuel costs driving to/from the hospital when a student’s child was admitted for an extended period, emergency car repairs, an ambulance bill, food insecurity due to unexpected decrease in work hours, etc. Average awards range from $250-500.


Every gift helps make college more accessible and affordable for our military-affiliated students. Thank you!