Scholarships
$6,379,300
AWARDED SINCE 1940
Statute VII of the Phi Eta Sigma Constitution provides that all income from the Founders Scholarship Fund shall be used to grant scholarships and awards to Phi Eta Sigma members. The Founder’s Fund currently provides the following scholarships and awards:
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The Thomas Arkle Clark Graduate Scholar-Leader of the Year Endowed Scholarship, named in honor of the founder and first National President of Phi Eta Sigma, was awarded for the first time in the 2006-07 academic year. This scholarship, valued at $10,000, is presented each year to the member who, in the judgment of the Scholarship Committee, best exemplifies the ideals of Phi Eta Sigma. The Clark Scholar-Leader is selected each year from among the entire pool of graduate scholarship applicants.
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The James E. Foy-John W. Sagabiel Undergraduate Leader Scholarship Award was awarded for the first time in 2020 at the amount of $10,000. This new award was created to honor the legacy of two of Phi Eta Sigma's most dedicated and revered leaders, Dean James Foy and Dr. Jack Sagabiel. Both men served the society in a variety of roles during their tenures that spanned four decades.
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The Centennial Scholarship will be awarded for the first time in 2023 in the amount of $10,000 to either an undergraduate or graduate student. This scholarship was created in honor of Sydney Helgeson, Lindsay Jackson, and Preston McGee, who served on the National Board of Directors from 2020-22. It also commemorates the Society's 100th anniversary and honors all students who have served in national leadership roles during our first 100 years.
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Six Graduate Student Scholarships of $7,000 each for full-time study.
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Thirty-seven Undergraduate Student Scholarships of $5,000 each for full-time study.
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Additional scholarships will be awarded to Phi Eta Sigma undergraduate or graduate members each year.
Phi Eta Sigma will award up to $300,000 in Founders Fund scholarships each year.
Many local chapters also award scholarships. Check with your chapter adviser for details on how to apply for local scholarships.
How to Apply for
Phi Eta Sigma Scholarships
The application for the 2023 Founders Fund scholarship awards is now closed! Thank you to everyone who applied. Recipients will be notified later this summer.
All applicants for Phi Eta Sigma scholarships and awards must be members of the honor society. Members applying for undergraduate scholarships may obtain application details from the chapter adviser. Members applying for graduate scholarships may also contact the chapter advisor, or they may proceed with completing the application form once the link is available on the website.
The application form is the same for all Phi Eta Sigma scholarships and awards. The application asks for:
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General background information (name, address, school, etc.)
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Major and minor fields of study
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Current GPA
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Involvement in Phi Eta Sigma
The student is also asked to respond in essay form to six additional items, including:
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Participation in other service and leadership organizations and projects
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Examples of Resourcefulness, Innovativeness, and/or Impact
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Plans for continued academic studies
Members of the National Executive Committee serve on the Scholarship Selection Committee. Current members of the committee are:
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Ms. Jennifer Miller (McKendree University), Chairperson
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Ms. Mary Jo Custer (Syracuse University)
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Mr. Tony Kemp (Mercer University)
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Ms. Molly Lawrence (University of Alabama)
The criteria for selecting scholarship recipients include a high scholastic record with a recommended minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA. Other selection criteria are listed in the Constitution and Laws, Statute VII, Section 5.
Video Recording of 3/28 Q&A Webinar:
Current Recipients
Scroll through the slideshow below by using the arrows to see the 2022 Founders Fund Scholarship Recipients. There were 101 scholarships awarded totaled at $300,000. The recipients represented 61 schools in 28 different states.