Programs / Scholarships

Scholarships & grants

Every award we give carries a recipient's name. That is deliberate. A student in Richmond who has never heard of Ruppert Sargent learns his story by winning something named for him, and a legacy stops being history and starts being useful.

Since 2024 we have awarded $15,000 to students across the Richmond area.

Open for applications

The James Mifflin Allied Trades and Continuing Education Scholarship

$5,000 from F.H. Furr

Who it is for. Someone in the greater Richmond area training for a skilled trade: welding, machining, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, diesel and automotive, carpentry, or a related craft. There is no age or residency requirement.

What it covers. Expenses at an accredited school of allied trades.

James Mifflin was an engineer's cook aboard the USS Brooklyn who held his station at Mobile Bay through fire that twice cleared it of men. No photograph of him survives. This award puts his name on a trade he never got the chance to learn. Read his story →

What to send.

  • A completed application form and resume
  • A personal statement of 750 to 1,500 words on what the Medal of Honor means, a challenge you overcame, and where the funds would go
  • Two letters of recommendation
Deadline
October 19, 2026
Presented
Legacy Lives Here, The Valentine, November 20, 2026
How to apply
Email info@monumentalhonor.org with the subject line “James Mifflin Allied Trades and Continuing Education Scholarship”. Send everything as a single PDF.
Notes
Finalists are interviewed by phone.

The Ernest H. Dervishian Memorial Scholarship

$5,000 from the Troutman Pepper Locke Veterans Group

Who it is for. A student at the University of Richmond School of Law.

Dervishian passed the Virginia bar in 1937 and took his law degree from Richmond the following year. He was a technical sergeant in Italy when he took fifty-four German prisoners in about twenty-five minutes. He came home and practiced law in this city for the rest of his life. Read his story →

Deadline
October 30, 2026
Presented
University of Richmond Military Appreciation Game, University of Richmond, November 14, 2026
How to apply
Email info@monumentalhonor.org with the subject line “Ernest H. Dervishian Memorial Scholarship”. Send everything as a single PDF.
Notes
Run with the University of Richmond School of Law Veterans and Military Law Association.
Recipients
Rachel Slaughter Thury, 2024 · Henry Dyke, 2025

Awarded each year

The next cycle opens in 2027. Dates are announced here and in the newsletter.

The Michael F. Folland Merit Award

$2,000 from Monumental Honor and the West Point Society of Richmond, $1,000 each

Who it is for. A junior or senior at Thomas Jefferson High School who has shown exceptional resilience in the face of adversity.

Michael Folland grew up in Oregon Hill and at Boys Home in Covington. He was twenty years old when he threw himself on a grenade in Long Khanh Province to save the men beside him. This award goes to a student at his high school who keeps going. Read his story →

Deadline
April 2027, date to be announced
Presented
May 2027, at the school awards assembly
Recipients
Kalyse Buster, 2025 · James Hatcher IV, 2026

The First Lieutenant Ruppert L. Sargent STEM Leadership Scholarship

$1,000 from Monumental Honor, with the Virginia State University chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers

Who it is for. A Virginia State University student in a STEM field.

Ruppert Sargent enlisted from Richmond, went to Officer Candidate School after six years in the ranks, and threw himself over two grenades in Hau Nghia Province so that two other men would live. His was the earliest act of valor by a Black commissioned officer to be recognized with the Medal. Read his story →

Deadline
to be announced
Presented
spring 2027
Notes
We are seeking partners to match our $1,000 and grow this award.
Recipients
Samantha A. Collins, 2026

In pilot

Monumental Honor Micro Grants

Sponsored by VFW Post 6364

Who it is for. People working toward something and carrying forward the values the Medal recognizes.

Status
quarterly
Notes
This program is in pilot. Details follow once the first round is complete.

In planning

Our aim is ten awards by 2029, each carrying a recipient's name. These are the next ones, and we are looking for the partners who will make them real.

The Powhatan Beaty Memorial Small Business Grant

Seeking a sponsor

Who it is for. A community-minded small business in Virginia, owned by a veteran or a military family.

Beaty was born into slavery in Richmond, learned the cabinetmaker's trade in Cincinnati, and took command of his company at New Market Heights when every officer had fallen. A grant for people building something of their own carries his name well. Read his story →

Status
planned for 2027

The Jimmie W. Monteith Scholarship

Seeking a sponsor

Monteith graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School, left Virginia Tech after two years, and was killed on Omaha Beach leading his men off the sand. Monumental Honor was founded to tell his story. Read his story →

Status
in planning

The six values

What every award is looking for

The Medal of Honor commemorates six values, and they are what our applications ask you to write about.

Courage · Commitment · Integrity · Sacrifice · Citizenship · Patriotism

Questions about any award: info@monumentalhonor.org

Sponsor an award

Ten awards by 2029.

One for each of the nine, and one that belongs to the city itself. Several are written and waiting on a partner. If your organization wants its name beside a Medal of Honor recipient's, we should talk.

Start a conversation

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