Folds of Honor, a foundation that provides academic scholarships to the families of fallen or disabled military service members and first responders, announced today that it had distributed nearly 11,000 educational scholarships valued at over $53 million for the 2025-26 academic year.
Since its founding in 2007, Folds has provided nearly 73,000 scholarships for over $340 million.
And while the awards set an all-time single-year record topping last year’s totals, the need remains great. Approximately 7,700 qualified applicants did not receive full funding due to limited resources.
“I want to thank patriots nationwide for helping us provide about 11,000 academic scholarships to families who have sacrificed so much for our communities and country,” said Lt Col Dan Rooney, founder and CEO of Folds of Honor. “Along with the financial awards, this shows children and spouses that their loved ones have not been forgotten,” Rooney added. “Our goal each year is to provide scholarships to every qualified individual. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished, but our work is far from done.”
The foundation also experienced a record-breaking year for applications with a 20 percent increase from 2024-25.
Among the students served this academic year, 43 percent are minorities and 57 percent are female. Several of the leading states where students accepted scholarships are Texas, North Carolina, Florida, Virginia and Georgia.
The milestones were reached through a combination of individual donors, corporate partners, numerous golf initiatives, including the second-year Folds of Honor Friday at select PGA TOUR-wide tournaments, other fundraising events, and the unwavering support of the 38 local Folds of Honor chapters across the country. Among corporate participation, Anheuser-Busch, Folds’ longest standing partner, continued its 15-year commitment and upped it philanthropic total of $33 million.
“The steadfastness from individuals and corporate partners has never wavered and has only grown stronger,” Rooney said. “They see what we accomplish, how our recipients flourish and how their inclusion makes a life-changing difference.
“Every day our nationwide chapters advance the Folds’ mission, hold events, and energize their local communities. They are an integral part of our success. We have a dedicated team that is committed to assisting those that need and deserve our help.”
For more information, to join the mission, or to donate, visit www.foldsofhonor.org.