There are lots of reasons to join a fraternity in college, beyond the benefits of a built-in group of friends and an active social scene. Going “Greek” can improve your interpersonal skills, give you the chance to participate in educational debates and discussions, and provide a camaraderie and sense of belonging that few other groups can offer.
Plus, joining a fraternity will also present excellent leadership, networking and volunteer opportunities that can boost your college resume.
But many students may not know that many fraternities also offer excellent scholarship opportunities. Greek organizations were founded on the idea of strong academic achievement and success, and most feel that students who work hard should also reap the benefit of scholarships.
[See a list of colleges that have the most students in fraternities.]
Scholarship is the foremost principle of Omega Psi Phi, the first international fraternity organized and founded on the campus of a historically black college at the turn of the 20th century. The organization’s Charles R. Drew Memorial Scholarship Commission offers 10 different types of scholarships, including international scholar awards; legal, medical and scientific awards; leadership awards; and undergraduate and graduate scholarship grants.
Though requirements and amounts vary for each type of scholarship, winners are typically announced by June 1 every year. You must be a member of an Omega Psi Phi Fraternity to apply. The organization has chapters all over America and in many countries around the world .
With 268 active chapters in the U.S. and Canada, Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity expects its members to strive for a stellar academic record and on-time graduation. The TKE Foundation offers a wide range of scholarships for members and distributes tens of thousands of dollars in awards each year. Deadlines and amounts vary, but you can find the full list of available scholarships and requirements on the organization’s website .
[Make time to apply for these generous scholarship awards.]
Chi Phi Fraternity’s mission is “to build better men through lifelong friendship, leadership opportunities and character development,” and part of this includes promoting scholastic achievement by offering scholarships to members. The Chi Phi Educational Trust awards more than $100,000 in scholarships every year in the form of undergraduate, graduate and leadership scholarships.
Nearly all of their scholarships use a single online application, so it’s easy to apply for several at once. The application isn’t open for next year, and the deadline typically falls in March.
Business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi was founded in 1904 on a belief in “providing resources for enhancing the educational experience of future business leaders.” This includes offering a wide variety of academic scholarships to members, both general scholarships and those specific to certain majors.
[Find easy scholarship applications that save time and money.]
The application for all of the scholarships is currently open, and you have until March 7 to apply. If you’re not a member but are interested in joining the fraternity, the organization has chapters across the U.S., in Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and the U.K., so you should be able to locate a chapter near you.
These are just a small number of scholarship opportunities offered by fraternities across the country. If none of these organizations have a chapter at your college or university, make sure you look into the fraternities on your campus. Most will offer scholarships to members, which you should be sure to take advantage of if you decide to pledge.
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Pledge to Apply for These Fraternity Scholarships originally appeared on usnews.com