Folds of Honor Offers Record $62 Million, but 8,300 Families Remain Unfunded

Published Aug 27, 2026, 3:00 AM EDT

Folds of Honor Offers Record $62 Million in Scholarships to 12,500, but 8,300 Qualified Families Remain Unfunded

In an exclusive Military.com interview, founder Dan Rooney reveals record scholarship offers and why 8,300 qualified families remain unfunded.

Folds of Honor is preparing to support the largest scholarship class in its history, with founder Dan Rooney telling Military.com exclusively that roughly 12,500 recipients are expected to receive $62 million in scholarship offers. It still will not be enough. About 8,300 additional families qualified for assistance but could not be funded, according to Folds of Honor founder Lt. Col. Dan Rooney, an Air Force fighter pilot who started the organization nearly two decades ago.

The finish line constantly moves, Rooney told Military.com. It was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is the greatest year ever. Thank you for everybody that has supported us,’ but guess what? We've got 8,000-plus families that we weren't able to help.