Brave of Heart Fund

Brave of Heart Fund was founded in May 2020 by the Foundations of Cigna and New York Life and administered by E4E Relief to aid families of frontline healthcare workers, volunteers, and support staff whose lives were lost in the fight against COVID-19. Its mission combines direct charitable assistance with emotional support services for bereaved families, and its continuing work honors the sacrifice of healthcare workers through education funding for surviving spouses, domestic partners, and children. The fund’s education effort is centered on the Brave of Heart Scholarship, a national program for U.S. citizens or legal residents enrolling full-time or part-time in undergraduate or graduate study at accredited two- or four-year colleges, universities, or vocational-technical schools. The scholarship serves children age 26 and under, as well as spouses and domestic partners of frontline healthcare workers who died from COVID-19-related causes. Eligible children may continue receiving support beyond age 26 if they first received an award by that age and maintain uninterrupted application and enrollment, apart from summer vacation. Brave of Heart Fund’s scholarship model emphasizes broad access rather than competition: all eligible applicants receive funding. Awards reach up to $50,000, and the program welcomes non-traditional students, students in study-abroad programs, and individuals returning to college after time away, including applicants who may not have a recent GPA. The fund’s reach is national, and its focus remains tightly defined around families affected by frontline COVID-19 loss. The scholarship page identifies this as the final year the Brave of Heart Scholarship will be offered, with no future funding planned under that program.