“Let the generations know that women in uniform also guaranteed their freedom”

- Dr. Mary Edwards Walker (1832-1919)

What We Do

The Mary Edwards Walker Foundation supports outstanding young women pursuing careers in the U.S. military by helping provide mentorship, career advice, and professional growth opportunities to women studying at the U.S. military academies or enrolled in ROTC programs at their college or university.

We also raise funds to help support these women in graduate school through The Mary Edwards Walker Graduate Studies Fellowship. This new program is inspired by Dr. Walker’s personal journey and aims to help young women who, like her, went to an all-girls secondary school, then attended college and graduate school before serving on active duty as an officer in the U.S. military.

The Mary Edwards Walker Graduate Studies Fellowship

  • The Foundation established the Mary Edwards Walker Graduate Studies Fellowship to help young women dedicated to serving in the U.S. military fund a formal graduate degree (e.g., MS, MPhil, PhD, or similar) by offsetting tuition fees at accredited graduate programs. It prioritizes supporting women who follow a similar path as Dr. Walker by going to an all-girls secondary school before college and serving on active duty in the U.S. military after graduate school, and who are committed to breaking barriers in the field of national security.

    Fellowship award amounts vary year to year at the discretion of the Mary Edwards Walker Graduate Studies Fellowship Selection Committee.

  • All awardees must meet all of the following requirements:

    • Be a woman currently enrolled in a U.S. military service academy or participating in ROTC at an accredited college or university.

    • Have graduated from an all-girls secondary school.

    • Have confirmed plans to attend graduate school the next academic year.

    • Be committed to pursuing a career in the U.S. military.

    • Have financial need.

    • Be a U.S. citizen.

  • Applicants must provide the following information, via email:

    • Copies of college or graduate school transcripts.

    • Proof of graduation from all-girls secondary school.

    • Proof of acceptance at accredited graduate school program for coming academic year.

    • Two letters of recommendation.

    • Resume.

    • A 500-word essay addressing one of the following: "How will your all-girls education influence your leadership in the military?" or "What lessons can we learn from Dr. Mary Edwards Walker and apply today?"

    To apply for the Mary Edwards Walker Graduate Studies Fellowship, please send all application materials to: maryedwardswalkerfoundation@gmail.com (Please note that applications for Fellowship funds to support the 2024-25 academic year are no longer being accepted.)

  • Fellowships will be based on the essay along with the applicant's demonstrated academic achievement, work and other experience, recommendations, and financial need. The amount of the funds awarded will depend on a number of factors, including the applicant's demonstrated need and the funds available to The Mary Edwards Walker Foundation.

    Awardees are selected by the Mary Edwards Walker Graduate Studies Fellowship Selection Committee without regard to race, creed, color, or religion. The Mary Edwards Walker Foundation reserves the right to revise, suspend or discontinue this program without notice.