Scholarships FAQ

SmarterSelect is a third-party online application and recommendation system. All applications and recommendations must be completed and submitted via SmarterSelect. Applicants who have already opened an application and created a SmarterSelect account can access their applications by clicking on the application link on the Apply for Scholarships & Grants page and signing in to SmarterSelect.

You can see the scholarships and their expected 2026 award amounts in our A-Z Scholarship Listing. The amounts awarded vary, but the range is a minimum of $1,000 and a maximum of $12,000. Depending on an applicant’s qualifications, they may receive more than one scholarship and can receive more than one type of scholarship (merit- and need-based) in a given year.

Due to limited funding, we are unfortunately not able to award a scholarship to each deserving candidate. We often have more applicants than we have funding available, so it is a rather competitive process. However, each year brings different candidates with different strengths, so we certainly encourage previous applicants to apply again if they will pursue a degree during the upcoming academic year.

No. Theta Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and our scholarships cannot be applied toward Theta- or fraternity/sorority-specific expenses, including membership dues.

Theta Foundation scholarships can be applied toward academic expenses, including tuition, course-related fees, and textbooks and supplies required for course enrollment.

The basic difference between merit-based and need-based scholarships is that need-based scholarships are awarded on the basis of financial need, while financial need is not considered at all for merit-based scholarships. Candidates for need-based scholarships must complete the NEED-BASED INFORMATION page of the scholarship application.

While candidates self-select their Application Category, not all applicants are eligible to apply for need-based scholarships. Only college members who will pursue an undergraduate degree during the upcoming academic year are eligible to apply for need-based scholarships [Application Category: Undergraduate, Application Type: Need-based].

One great aspect of applying for Theta Foundation scholarships is that you do not have to select the individual scholarships for which you would like to apply. You will automatically be considered for any scholarships for which you qualify after you submit Theta Foundation’s posted application.

Applicants who select the “Need-based” option and who have complete applications will be considered for both merit-based and need-based scholarships.

Recipients of 2026 Theta Foundation scholarships must be enrolled (part-time or full-time) in a degree-granting program during the 2026-2027 academic year. Theta Foundation’s scholarships are only available for enrollment during the upcoming academic year and are not meant to reimburse for previous expenses. For more information about eligibility, please refer to the Scholarship Application Guide.

Yes! As long as you meet the current general eligibility guidelines, the only restriction is that each recipient is limited to a maximum of $40,000 in Theta Foundation scholarships and grants during their lifetime.

Each scholarship application cycle is held separately from previous cycles, so the opportunity for an applicant to receive a scholarship is renewed each year.

You can apply for Theta Foundation scholarships even if your degree-granting program acceptance status is still pending for the 2026-2027 academic year. If, however, you apply for a scholarship and find out after the deadline that you have not been accepted into your degree-granting program, please contact Theta Foundation as soon as possible to withdraw your scholarship application.

The primary eligibility consideration for Theta Foundation scholarships is that recipients must enroll in a degree-granting program during the academic year for which scholarships are awarded. Scholarships awarded during the 2026 cycle are only applicable toward expenses incurred during the 2026-2027 academic year.

As noted in the Scholarship Application Guide, we ask that you carefully consider your ability to use a Theta Foundation scholarship throughout the application and acceptance process. If you apply this year, accept a Theta Foundation scholarship, and then do not enroll in a degree-granting program during the 2026-2027 academic year, we cannot re-award that funding to another applicant.

No, there is not a minimum GPA requirement for scholarship applicants. The process is competitive, so you should take great care to clearly articulate your accomplishments in your application submission.

As long as you remain a member of Kappa Alpha Theta in good standing and are enrolled in a degree-granting program, you are eligible to receive a scholarship from Theta Foundation, even if you are not officially on campus each term during the academic year. In general, Theta Foundation scholarships can be applied toward academic expenses (as outlined in the 2026 Scholarship Application Guide) incurred for study abroad programs but cannot support room and board or other living costs.

Theta Foundation supports academic expenses: tuition, course-related fees, and required textbooks and supplies. We call this your Qualified Cost of Attendance (QCOA). When we calculate your financial need, we will consider your QCOA, the Student Aid Index (SAI) noted on your FAFSA Submission Summary, the scholarships and grants you anticipate receiving for the upcoming academic year, and any extenuating circumstances communicated in your application. However, your college/university will calculate your institutional financial need using the entire cost of attendance, including room and board and other expenses; this may mean Theta Foundation’s calculation of your financial need is lower than what your school may calculate.

Upholding the fairness and authenticity of the scholarship application process is important to us. Therefore, no, Theta Foundation does not permit the use of AI assistance or tools when crafting responses for your application. We expect the content of your application to reflect your own thoughts, ideas, and writing. You must certify in the application that your responses are free from any AI-generated content.

No, you do not have to complete the application in one session. You may save any information you have entered into the application form, log out of SmarterSelect, and return at a later time. As long as you have saved the application, all information you previously entered should be retained.

No, you should not submit a transcript with your application. As indicated in the Scholarship Application Guide, scholarship recipients will be required to submit transcripts, but scholarship applicants are not required to do so.

College members who will pursue an undergraduate degree during the 2026-2027 academic year and who have submitted the 2026-2027 FAFSA are eligible to apply for need-based scholarships. After you submit your FAFSA, you will receive a Submission Summary outlining your eligibility for financial aid; you must upload your FAFSA Submission Summary in PDF format to your Theta Foundation scholarship application.

If you are a Canadian citizen who would like to apply for need-based scholarships, please contact Theta Foundation for further instructions.

If you will not be able to obtain your FAFSA Submission Summary before the application deadline, please contact Theta Foundation for further instructions.

You can verify your Member ID by logging in to Theta Portal. After signing in, hover over your name in the top right-hand corner of the screen and select "My Profile" from the drop-down menu that appears. Your Member ID should be listed at the top of the My Profile page.

If you have trouble locating your Member ID, please contact Theta Foundation.

New members are welcome to submit an application before being initiated and/or receiving a Member ID. If you have been initiated but have not yet received a Member ID, please follow-up with your chapter’s VP Education (VPE) to ensure your initiation information has been submitted to Kappa Alpha Theta Headquarters. This will facilitate the timely assignment of your Member ID. Enter 1111111 in the application for this item if you will not have a Member ID before the deadline.

If you will not be initiated until after March 4, 2026, please contact Theta Foundation to verify your eligibility for scholarships.

Review the information included in the Scholarship Application Guide for verifying submission of all application materials, including recommendations from references.

Changes to a submitted application may be made up until the application deadline by logging in to your application, completing changes, and resubmitting. The updated application will replace the original submission.

SmarterSelect recommends that applicants complete their applications using either a desktop or laptop computer, not an iPad, tablet, or smart phone. It is also recommended that applicants use Google Chrome as their browser while working on their applications. This has typically helped minimize technical difficulties experienced by applicants and references but does not guarantee you won’t experience technical issues. If you continue to have trouble, please contact Theta Foundation as soon as possible.

Please see the Scholarship Application Guide for information about monitoring the status of recommendation forms and resending or canceling requests as necessary. If you have tried resending the request and your reference still has not received an email from SmarterSelect, please contact Theta Foundation for troubleshooting.

After your reference submits a complete recommendation form, you should receive an email from SmarterSelect confirming submission. You can also view the status of your reference's recommendation form on the REFERENCE page of the application.

They may have completed much of the information required for a recommendation form, but not officially submitted it. If your reference is confident they completed the recommendation form, but you have not received a confirmation email and the recommendation is still showing as “Pending” within your application, you should suggest that your reference return to the recommendation form and click “Submit” to submit it. If they do not receive an on-screen confirmation after clicking “Submit,” they should scroll through the recommendation form to find any areas highlighted red and address those errors before selecting “Submit” again. After they have successfully submitted a recommendation form, they will receive an on-screen confirmation message and you, as the applicant, will receive an automated email from SmarterSelect confirming receipt.

The deadline for the 2026 Scholarship Application (for scholarships to be awarded for the 2026-2027 academic year) was Wednesday, March 6, 2026, at 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

No. In order for your application to be considered, it must include a complete recommendation form. As the applicant, you are responsible for submitting your complete application and verifying that your reference has submitted a complete recommendation form.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Theta Foundation will not accept late application or acceptance materials for any reason.

Theta Foundation will not accept late materials for any reason. These include, but are not limited to, applications, recommendations, and award acceptance documents.

To protect your application information from being lost, we recommend saving all of your responses in a separate document. Also, as you work on your application, periodically save your changes. Application information is only saved when the applicant saves the content, so, unfortunately, it is not possible to retrieve information that was not saved by the user.

Please keep in mind that Theta Foundation will not accept late submissions, even in the event of a technology glitch.

On the first award status notification date of May 6, 2026, Theta Foundation will notify each applicant via email whether or not they were selected as a scholarship recipient. Notifications will be sent to the preferred email address listed on your Theta Portal profile. This information can be updated at any time by logging in to Theta Portal.

Applicants who do not receive email notification on May 6, 2026, should contact Theta Foundation within 24 hours regarding their selection for a scholarship.

In the event any initially selected scholarship recipient can no longer accept an award or fails to submit award acceptance documents by the deadline, an alternate recipient may be selected. Alternate recipients will be notified via email on the alternate recipient notification date.