Originally published on 12/18/25

At a recent address to the nation, President Donald Trump announced that every soldier will receive a $1,776 Warrior Dividend check before Christmas. The news comes after a recently approved pay raise for service members and is expected to impact nearly 1.5 million Americans. Below we share everything we know about the money, including how to qualify for it. 

What to know about the Warrior Dividend

On Wednesday, December 17, President Trump addressed the nation to discuss his time in office. One of the biggest takeaways from the speech was the announcement of his $1,776 Warrior Dividend checks. The president said they are meant to help active duty military and reserve service members with pay grades of O to 6 (which is the rank of most field grade officers) and below. Service members on active-duty orders for at least 31 days as of November 30, 2025, will also receive the dividend.  

During his televised address, Trump said, “1,450,000 military service members will receive a special, we call, ‘warrior’ dividend before Christmas. A warrior dividend. In honor of our nation’s founding in 1776, we are sending every soldier $1,776.” 

The money  is coming from his highly controversial tariffs and his One Big Beautiful Bill Act, both of which were also discussed in the address. 

“We made a lot more money than anybody thought because of tariffs, and the bill helped us along. Nobody deserves it more than our military, and I say congratulations to everybody,” Trump said. 

Following the announcement, a senior administration official told CNN that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told the Pentagon to pay out $2.6 billion as a “one-time basic allowance for housing supplement to all eligible service members in pay grades O-6 and below.” 

The official also told the outlet,“This one-time payment exemplifies the Department’s [of War] ongoing commitment to improving the housing and quality of life for our military members and their families.”

As of publication, it’s believed only active duty military members will qualify for the Warrior Dividend and that they don’t have to apply since, according to Trump, “the checks are already in the mail.” 

A look at additional military funds expected to impact Americans 

Prior to the Warrior Dividend announcement, the Department of War (formerly known as the Department of Defense) announced that they would be increasing basic allowance for housing rates by an average of 4.2 percent. They also shared that they would be sending an estimated $29.9 billion to 1 million service members. The new rates will take effect on January 1, 2026, and are a part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). 

The funding was just approved by the Senate earlier this week and is expected to head to President Trump’s desk soon, where according to reports, he will sign it. Details on who gets that extra money still remain unclear.

“This year’s NDAA builds on the historic investments that Republicans delivered in the One Big Beautiful Bill to support our service members and ensure our country has the fighting force necessary to deter our adversaries and promote peace and stability,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune posted on X (formerly known as Twitter). “I’m pleased the Senate gave this important legislation the time and attention it deserves this year, and I’m glad we were able to get it across the finish line.”

Link to original: https://www.womansworld.com/life/money/heres-how-to-get-trumps-1776-warrior-dividend-check