Zeta Alpha Theta Chi Alumni Association
“Helping Hand Scholarship Fund”
The Slippery Rock Theta Chi Alumni “Helping Hand Scholarship Fund” can help assist active undergraduate/graduate students who are Zeta Alpha Theta Chi initiated brothers who are experiencing genuine and unavoidable financial difficulties and are struggling with their living costs at SRU. The “Helping Hand Scholarship Fund” is a discretionary financial donation to the student, offering support in an academic year and does not need to be paid back. Funds are provided thanks to donations by Slippery Rock University Zeta Alpha Theta Chi Alumni and friends with the intention of assisting with general living and/or course-related costs may include partial tuition fees or unexpected expenses. It is eligible only to SRU Zeta Alpha Theta Chi members in good standing.
During 2022 the Zeta Alpha Theta Chi Helping Hand Scholarship Fund reached endowment status of $25,000.00 which means the funds can gather interest each year to add to the fund for awards. Fund has been divided into two accounts. A principal and interest account. The principal account holds the $25,000.00 which will not be touched and help earn interest each year. The second account is referred to as the interest account which will contain any interest earned each year from the principal account and any future donations. These funds are available for awards each year.
As of November 1, 2023 the fund has a total of $32,202.56 which means there is $7,202.56 currently available for awards. Because the chapter has shown restraint and appreciation for the funds available, they have been careful in the awarding of needs scholarships each year. Based on the usage and rollover rules set by the Alumni Board, for the 2023 academic year the chapter has $3,500.00 available for awards.
Annual Reports from the SRU Foundation
Beginning with 2022 when the fund became an endowment SRU shares an annual report on the fund. The annual report is normally distributed in November and reports on funds as of June 30 the same year.
Eligibility:
Eligible Zeta Alpha Theta Chi students must be currently enrolled at Slippery Rock University or, if during a break, enrolled for the following semester. Funding is limited to once per academic year per student and applications must be reviewed with the Financial Aid Office to be sure there is no long-term impact to Federal Financial Aid.
Examples of expenses that can be paid with this funding but not limited to: food/gas, essential utilities, safety (changing locks due to criminal concern), medication/medical issues/uncovered medical expenses, loss of housing (temporarily due to disaster or unexpected lack of income), essential belongings (when lost due to a disaster or crime), travel cost (for emergency purposes), tuition. Other expenses will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Items not eligible for support funding include but are not limited to: bail, fines or tickets. Items not eligible for funding include but are not limited items such as alcohol or any illegal substances.
Award amounts:
- An individual scholarship shall not exceed $500 but can be any amount between $5 and $500.
- Up to $1,000 may be available in any one calendar year and if the full amount is not used in a year it may be rolled over and available in subsequent years.
- In the event that an extraordinary incident may arise that an individual scholarship would exceed the $500 limit, the Scholarship Committee may make a request to the President of the Alumni Corporation of the Zeta Alpha Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity to present to the Board to consider authorizing funding the extraordinary request.
- The objective of the program is to generate a $25,000 endowment fund and then the combination of donations and interest above the $25,000 endowment level will fund the $1,000 funds available each year.
Process:
Any Theta Chi brother who may be in need of support shall contact the Chapter Scholarship Chair and the Chapter Scholarship chair shall put that member in contact with the Slippery Rock University Director of Student Support to gain necessary assistance. In the absence of a Scholarship Chair the brother should contact another member of the chapter scholarship committee.
In the event that the assistance provided by the University Director of Student Support does not provide sufficient resources the member should:
- Complete a “Theta Chi Helping Hand Scholarship Application” The application must be submitted by the eligible student.
- All applications and information contained in each application should be held in the strictest of confidence. Shared with only those that need to know. In reporting to either CAB or Alumni Association it is recommended that a numeric system be used – case #1, #2 and so on. Situation/s, not brother identity, should/may/can be shared within our Theta Chi and SRU organizations with only those that need to know.
- The application shall be submitted to the Zeta Alpha Chapter Scholarship Chair.
- The Zeta Alpha Scholarship Chair shall schedule a meeting between the student and the chapter Scholarship Committee composed of the Scholarship Chair, The Chapter President and The Health and Safety Vice President. In the event and applicant is one of the three listed, the Chapter Vice President shall replace that member on the committee.
- The student shall attend the meeting of the Scholarship Committee to share details of his circumstance.
- The Scholarship Committee shall then make a decision, by majority vote, on the request. If the application is approved by the Chapter Scholarship Committee, the Scholarship Chair then contacts the SRU Financial Aid Office financial[dot]aid[at]sru[dot]edu, 724.738.2044, to determine that an award will not adversely affect the applicant’s financial aid package.
- If cleared by Financial Aid, the Scholarship Chair then contacts Alumni Board Treasurer John Farrar at jsfarrar1956[at]gmail[dot]com 804-878-7458 with the applicant’s name; address; SRU student ID, email address, and award amount (not to exceed $500.00 in any one academic year) and general reason for release of funds. Requests will be reviewed and award decisions will be made as quickly as possible.
- If submitted to the University Foundation by Friday at 3:00 p.m., the University Foundation will disburse funds before Thursday of the following week.
Click here for a copy of the Helping Hand Scholarship Application.