Volunteer for Vets Scholarship

Pontius Tax Law, PLLC is a proud supporter of U.S. Veterans. The firm’s founder, John Pontius, is a Veteran himself and is committed to honoring the military personnel who have served our country. Attorney Pontius started practicing law in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps with the 1st Armored Division in Germany and was later deployed to Iraq. Attorney Pontius also has experience supervising the IRS-sponsored military Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program in Germany. There he managed eight employees and ensured quality control of over 2,000 federal and 700 state tax returns for members of the military service.

Due to Attorney Pontius’ close ties to the military, he has decided to create a scholarship specifically for Veterans or a U.S. veteran’s child. Pontius Tax Law believes Veterans are owed a huge debt for the service they do for our country. We are looking to hear from Veterans, or the children of Veterans on ways that we as a community could better support Veterans. We are also looking to hear how being a Veteran or child of a Veteran has impacted your life and changed your views. The deadline for this $1,000 scholarship is November 30, 2023. If you are a Veteran or a child of a Veteran, please be sure to apply! Thank you to all those who have served and continue to serve our country. 

Eligibility

• Employees of Pontius Tax Law, PLLC, their immediate families (parent, child, sibling, and spouse), and persons living in the same households of such individuals (whether related or not), are not eligible to participate in the competition. 
• Applicant has served in the United States Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, or Reserves OR is the child or stepchild of someone who has.
• The scholarship is open to any current college student or graduate student who is a legal resident of the United States living in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia and who is enrolled in a two to five year post-secondary institution for the Spring 2023 semester. There is a preference for students in Virginia, Washington D.C., and Maryland but you can still apply even if you do not live there. 
• Candidates for this scholarship should have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher and be in good overall academic standing.

Application Requirements

• The candidate must submit a 750-1,000 word essay response to the prompt: How can we better support Veterans in our community? Please provide specific examples.
• The candidate must submit a professional resumé that lists their experience, both professional and academic.
• The candidate must submit a transcript from their current school. First-year college students, graduate students, or individuals who have recently transferred schools may submit an unofficial transcript from their current school, as well as the most recent official transcript from their prior school. High school students must also submit proof of acceptance to their college or university.

The recipient of the Volunteer for Vets Scholarship will be chosen during the month following the scholarship deadline.

Application Deadline and Instructions:

To be eligible for this scholarship, candidates must email their full application (including the essay, resumé, and transcript) to DC.Office@pontiustaxlaw.com by November 30, 2023. Any applications sent after this date will not be considered.

Scholarship applications should be sent with the subject line “Pontius Tax Law, PLLC – 2023 Volunteer for Vets Scholarship Application.”

Read About Our 2022 Scholarship Winner Here