Phi Beta Kappa Prizes

These endowed prizes are awarded to the top three graduating seniors in Phi Beta Kappa (by GPA), subject to the following stipulation: the student must have been matriculated in the College of Arts & Sciences for their entire college degree. (This eliminates students who transferred into the College from inside UC or from an external institution.)  The amount of each award depends on the total investment income available for that year, divided in accordance with the specifications of the benefactor’s will.  In the case of ties, we have (rarely) split the available funds among four students.

These prizes are restricted to students majoring in Biology, Chemistry, or Physics (but since the original gift specified the ­departments to be supported rather than majors per se, neuroscience students are considered eligible).  The number of awards and the amounts depend on the available investment income.  Students in these majors with senior standing but not in the spring graduating class (initiated as “juniors”) and having 4.0 GPAs are eligible for small awards.

Because of the extra stipulations attached to our endowed prizes, the Chapter may give one or two unnamed awards to students with top GPAs.

A Phi Beta Kappa alumna whose life has been marvelously enhanced by foreign study would like to encourage similar experiences for new initiates with a $1,500 grant. Phi Beta Kappa student members are invited to apply for this grant each spring, by submitting a short proposal outlining proposed travel, together with a brief description of how this travel is relevant to the language studied and impactful to the proposer’s life.  The winner is selected by a faculty committee, and is announced at the Spring initiation and will receive $750 at that event. Following the student’s return and submission of some verification of the travel by receipts, as well as a short account of the significance of the experience, the remaining $750 is awarded. 

The Chapter devotes a small amount of funds each year to providing full or partial support for the Phi Beta Kappa membership fee to financially needy students who would otherwise not be able to join.  Some departments may also offer membership support to their own majors.