Thanks to the vision and generosity of its donors, the Phi Delta Theta Foundation awarded 442 scholarships to both its undergraduate members and alumni who are continuing their graduate studies for the 2022–23 academic year. The Foundation disbursed a record total of $593,448.46 in scholarships and fellowships for the year.
The First-Generation Student Scholarship was introduced during the 2021-22 academic year to support first-generation college students while complementing and strengthening the Fraternity’s diversity and inclusion efforts. The Phi Delta Theta Foundation awarded $250,000 in academic scholarships for first-generation new members. We know that, statistically, first-generation college students are more likely to face financial hardships during college. The goal of these scholarships is to lower that economic burden, creating access to membership in Phi Delta Theta for those students and assisting Phi Delta Theta chapters in becoming more representative on its campuses.
There was a significant increase in the number of Whole Man Scholarship applications, with a renewed emphasis on attendance at the Shaffer Honors College of Leadership, held in Oxford, Ohio, in conjunction with the Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute. For the first time, attendees received their scholarship award and their Certificate of Completion at the graduation ceremony.
Now that in-person conferences have resumed, great attention was paid to increasing attendance at the McKenzie Family Presidents Leadership Conference and Shaffer Honors College of Leadership, increasing the Harrison President Scholarship and Whole Man Scholarship recipients in 2022. $111,568 was awarded to the Harrison Presidential Scholars and Whole Man Scholars.
Each year, the Foundation receives an extraordinary number of applications from deserving and well-qualified members making the selection process challenging for the local and national judging committees. The exemplification of the Cardinal Principles is especially considered when awarding named scholarships and fellowships. Undergraduate Phis received an additional $196,200 in support from scholarships named by generous donors. Phi Delta Theta alumni seeking to continue their studies in graduate school were awarded $39,000 in fellowships.
Scholarship applications are now accessible through myPhiDelt and will remain open year-round.
For the 2022–23 academic year, the Phi Delta Theta Foundation Board of Trustees has again approved $250,000 in scholarships for first-generation new members. A portion of these dollars has been earmarked to give special consideration to new members who are also active members of an official collegiate sports team and have not received an athletic scholarship from their college or university.
Harrison Presidents Scholarships and Whole Man Scholarships are available to be awarded to attendees at the 2023 McKenzie Family Presidents Leadership Conference and the Shaffer Honors College of Leadership. In-person attendance at these events is a requirement for the award; other requirements can be found in the scholarship section of myPhiDelt.
Every Phi Delta Theta member is eligible to apply for at least one scholarship annually through their myPhiDelt account. We encourage each student to review application deadlines to ensure they submit their application in a timely manner. Many applications require an essay which is a heavy part of the judging criteria. Applicants are encouraged to review their essays for correctness and clarity prior to submitting their applications.
If you are having trouble accessing the scholarships section of myPhiDelt or have questions about available scholarships, please contact the Phi Delta Theta Foundation’s Scholarship Coordinator Bonnie Schiller at bschiller@phideltatheta.org.
Congratulations to this year’s awardees, and good luck to next year’s applicants!
