By the Numbers
The proof, in plain numbers.
No Greater Sacrifice leads with evidence. Here is the record — what we have committed, who our Scholars are becoming, the scale of the need, and the community that has shown up since 2008. Every figure on this page is earned, and every one of them is a person.
Every number, earned. Since February 2008, No Greater Sacrifice has turned the gratitude of a nation into degrees for the children of the fallen and severely wounded. This is the record — verified on our own books and rated Platinum by Candid, the nonprofit-transparency rater formerly known as GuideStar.
The mission is growing.
In May 2025, our board selected 75 new Scholars — a $4.5 million investment in their education. This fall, No Greater Sacrifice stands alongside 196 college-aged Scholars pursuing degrees at 350+ colleges and universities nationwide, from large state universities to small private colleges far from home.
And the milestones keep coming: 41 Scholars graduated during the 2024–2025 academic year, ready to lead and free of education debt. Momentum is building beyond our own books, too — in April 2024, the Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund granted $1.3 million to No Greater Sacrifice, a vote of confidence from one veteran-serving organization in another. Every new class is a measure of how far the community behind NGS can reach.
This year at a glance — the newest figures behind the growth.
What our Scholars are becoming.
About 40% of NGS Scholars are in college today; another 14% are younger "Future Use" Scholars whose benefit is held until they enroll. More than one-third of all Scholars are siblings, because No Greater Sacrifice embraces the whole family.
Behind every Scholar is a Service member. Forty-one percent of NGS Scholars have lost a parent since 9/11; 59% have a parent who was wounded, ill, or injured in service. Whatever they carry, they are doing the work — and graduating ready for what comes next. The remainder of our Scholars are alumni who finished debt-free and are now leading in their communities.
Not a check. A relationship.
The figures on this page are the output of a relationship-driven model. No Greater Sacrifice serves the children of both the fallen and the severely wounded, and the support reaches well beyond tuition — built to help each Scholar graduate debt-free from the right school for them.
A tailored Roadmap
Every Scholar starts with a personalized academic and financial Roadmap. NGS layers its scholarship on top of federal and state benefits, financial aid, and other nonprofit support — calculating exactly what is left and funding the gap so the goal stays in reach: graduate debt-free.
One-on-one mentorship and coaching
Individualized mentorship and coaching build confidence, independence, and resiliency. Structured one-on-one sessions help Scholars discover academic and career insights and develop self-advocacy and financial-management skills they carry for life.
Integrated resources, as needed
Scholars and families receive education and benefits counseling, university coordination, and integrated resources — tutoring, networking, and referrals — drawn from NGS's relationships with other veteran service organizations. Support is offered as needed, not one-size-fits-all.
The whole family, when possible
NGS embraces the whole family, not just one student — which is why more than half of all Scholars are siblings. The aim is to help break the cycle of generational trauma caused by war by removing the burden of paying for education after loss or while caring for a severely wounded Veteran.
A need that is still growing.
More than 130,000 children of fallen or severely wounded Service members since 9/11 carry the cost of that sacrifice. The average four-year public, in-state degree — tuition, fees, room, and board — now runs $101,700, a barrier that climbs every year.
The total cost of educating the children owed this support is an estimated $2.31 billion across 2001–2047, with $1.37 billion of it still ahead, between 2025 and 2047. Broader eligibility has nearly tripled the population in need — to more than 130,000 children from 9/11 through 2047. The need is not shrinking, and neither is the resolve to meet it.
Built by a community.
None of these numbers belong to NGS alone. Since 2008, the work has been carried by 8,300+ donors and 600+ volunteers — alumni, families, and friends who show up year after year.
Together they have powered 18 galas, receptions, and breakfasts; 24 golf tournaments; 6 family days; 5 benefit concerts; and 3 BootCamps, and have presented 23 Freedom & Liberty Awards. That community now supports Scholars at 350+ colleges and trade schools nationwide — and it grows every time someone decides this is a record worth adding to.
Questions & answers
Frequently asked questions
Help write the next chapter.
Every Scholar, every degree, every number you've seen began with someone who chose to give. Your gift writes the next one — debt-free education for the children of our nation's fallen and severely wounded Service members.