The Patriots Pen is a scholarship program that is held annually across the country and is sponsored by the VFW.

It is an essay competition that is open to students in grades 6-8. The winner of the first prize will receive 5,000 in scholarship money. Every year, approximately 68,800 students in grades 6-8 participate in the VFW's Patriot's Pen youth essay contest, hoping to win a portion of the more than $1.4 million in prizes.