Veterans United Foundation Awards $200,000 in Scholarships to 25 Veterans and Military Families

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Jul 08, 2026, 10:03 ET

Annual scholarship program reaches historic milestone, honoring the sacrifice of Veterans, surviving spouses and children of the fallen with the largest award class in the program's 14-year history.

COLUMBIA, Mo., July 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Veterans United Foundation, the charitable arm of Veterans United Home Loans, today announced the 2026 recipients of its annual scholarship program. This year's class of 25 awardees will collectively receive a record $200,000 in scholarships - the largest total awarded in the program's history. The scholarships support Veterans with 100% service-connected disabilities, in addition to surviving spouses and children of service members who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the nation.

The 2026 recipients hail from 22 states and Washington, D.C. and are pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees at some of the nation's most prestigious institutions. Their fields of study span medicine, nursing, engineering, law, public health, social work, psychology, and emerging disciplines such as artificial intelligence management - ambition that reflects the remarkable caliber of this year's applicant pool.

"These 25 scholars represent the very best of our military community. Their resilience, dedication, and ambition inspire us every single day. It is our profound honor to invest in their futures and to stand behind the families who have sacrificed so much for all of us."

— Erik Morse, Board President, Veterans United Foundation

Since launching in 2012, the scholarship program has awarded more than $2.15 million in scholarships that have benefitted 235 military families. Veterans United Foundation is powered by the generosity of Veterans United Home Loans employees - nearly 90% of whom contribute a portion of their salary to the Foundation. Employee contributions are matched dollar-for-dollar by the company, amplifying the impact of every dollar given.

Recipients were selected through a rigorous, holistic review process evaluating a personal essay describing the impact of their service or loss, demonstrated financial need, and community involvement. Eligible applicants must hold a 100% service-connected disability rating or be a surviving spouse or child of a fallen service member whose death was service-related.

The Foundation makes payments directly to accredited institutions for eligible costs including tuition, textbooks, laboratory fees, and qualifying housing, ensuring scholarship dollars reach the classroom.

2026 Scholarship Recipients

Recipient	Branch	Degree	Hometown	Field of Study	Institution
Garret Biss	Marines	Graduate	New Bern, NC	Positive Psychology	Arizona State University
Ray Brooks	Marines	Graduate	Phoenix, AZ	Psychology	California Institute
Shaniece Cates	Army	Graduate	Stockbridge, GA	Nursing	Mercer University
Austin Cattaneo	—	Graduate	Buena Park, CA	Medicine	University of Pittsburgh
Carl Densford	Air Force	Graduate	Southaven, MS	Human Capital Management	Bellevue University
Grace Flynn	Army	Graduate	Concord, NH	Osteopathic Medicine	D'Youville University
Brendan Geraghty	Marines	Graduate	Randolph, MA	Social Work	Boston College
Soren Grandy-Richardson	—	Undergraduate	Knightdale, NC	Business Management	North Carolina A&T University
Serena Kisseloff	—	Undergraduate	St. Louis, MO	Occupational Therapy	Saint Charles Community College
Tristan LaBeau	Army	Graduate	Denton, TX	Real Estate / Construction Law	Texas A&M University
Milton "Alex" Mangual	Air Force	Graduate	Pennsauken, NJ	Social Work	University of Pennsylvania
Joshua Parish	Army	Graduate	Howell, MI	Public Administration	Harvard University
Paul Pelaez	Navy	Graduate	Johnson City, TN	Medicine	East Tennessee State University
Heather Piedrahita	—	Graduate	San Diego, CA	Philanthropic Leadership	Indiana University
Nia Rashad	Army	Graduate	East Stroudsburg, PA	Public Health	Columbia University
Taylor "TJ" Reisinger	Air Force	Undergraduate	Carlisle, PA	Nursing	Penn State University
Ramona Ross-Bacon	Navy	Graduate	Cedar Hill, TX	Liberal Studies – Public Policy	Southern Methodist University
Erika Shorter	Navy	Graduate	Dallas, TX	Liberal Studies – Org. Policy	Southern Methodist University
Kenneth "Kenny" Sparks	Army	Undergraduate	Eagle River, AK	Electrical Engineering	University of Alaska
Isabella Stores	—	Undergraduate	San Antonio, TX	Aviation Management	Schreiner University
Sheena Tavana	—	Graduate	Littleton, CO	Social Work	Arizona State University
Joshua Tulloch	Marines	Graduate	Potsdam, NY	Business Administration	Indiana University
Kimberly Warner	—	Graduate	Portville, NY	Social Work	Center for Clarity
Stephanie Williams	—	Undergraduate	San Francisco, CA	Civil Engineering	San Francisco State University
Ryan Winterburg	Army	Graduate	San Angelo, TX	Artificial Intelligence Management	Georgetown University

Veterans United Foundation congratulates each of this year's scholarship recipients and extends its deepest gratitude to them and their families for their extraordinary service and sacrifice. Applications for the 2027 scholarship program will open in the spring. For eligibility requirements and program details, visit enhancelives.com/scholarships.

About Veterans United Foundation

Veterans United Foundation is a non-profit organization funded by employees of Veterans United Home Loans and its affiliated companies. Driven by a shared mission of enhancing lives, the Foundation has raised over $157 million since its inception in 2011, with nearly 90% of company employees donating a portion of their paycheck to support its mission. Employees also take an active role in referring needs to the Foundation and showing the community support through volunteer work. For more information about Veterans United Foundation and its charitable initiatives, please visit www.enhancelives.com.

SOURCE Veterans United Foundation