06/17/2026
🎖️ First Sergeant's School Circle – The Cost of Waiting (Part 4)
Over the last few posts, we've talked about veterans who potentially missed out on $66,000 and even $213,000 in VA compensation simply because they waited to file a claim.
Today, let's talk about something even more important.
Your kids.
Imagine two veterans with the exact same service history, disabilities, and a 60% VA rating.
That 60% VA disability rating makes their dependents eligible for Ohio's War Orphans & Severely Disabled Veterans Children Scholarship Program.
This year, the scholarship is paying 83% of tuition and general fees at Ohio public colleges and universities. In some years, it has been funded at more than 90%.
To put that into perspective, four years of tuition at Ohio State University currently runs about $54,000.
At this year's funding level, that's nearly $45,000 in educational assistance for a qualifying child.
And here's the part many families don't realize:
That educational assistance is often on top of other scholarships, grants, and financial aid your child may earn through academics, athletics, community involvement, ROTC, FAFSA eligibility, and other programs.
Every dollar covered by this scholarship is a dollar your child doesn't have to borrow and a dollar your family doesn't have to pay out of pocket.
Veteran A files shortly after leaving the service.
When their child graduates high school, the scholarship is there waiting for them.
Veteran B waits 10 years to file.
By the time the claim is approved, their child has already graduated, entered the workforce, joined the military, or completed college without ever knowing the benefit existed.
The opportunity has passed.
Think about that for a moment.
In our previous example, we discussed a veteran who potentially missed out on $213,000 in VA compensation by waiting to file.
Add another $45,000 in potential educational assistance for just one child, and the family's lost opportunity now exceeds $257,000.
That's over a quarter of a million dollars.
But wait, there's more......
The Ohio War Orphans & Severely Disabled Veterans Children Scholarship doesn't stop after one child.
It is available to each eligible child.
So if you have four children who qualify and use the program, that potential educational benefit isn't $45,000.
It's closer to $180,000!
Add that to the $213,000 compensation example from our previous post, and the family's total lost opportunity could exceed $393,000.
That's not a typo.
Nearly $400,000 in benefits, educational opportunities, and financial security that will never be recovered simply because a veteran waited to learn what benefits were available to them and their family.
Many veterans think a disability claim is only about monthly compensation.
Sometimes it is.
But sometimes it's about opening doors for your children that otherwise remains closed.
That's why we encourage veterans to come in and talk with us.
Not because we're trying to convince anyone to file a claim.
But because you can't make an informed decision until you know what benefits may be available to you and your family.
📍 Clinton County Veterans Service Commission
🏢 43 S. Walnut Street, Wilmington, Ohio
📞 937-382-3233
First Sergeant's Final Thought:
"A benefit you don't need today may be the opportunity your child needs tomorrow."
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