National Beta Scholarship Program Frequently Asked Questions

Table of contents

Who is eligible to apply?
What is the program timeline?
When is the application period?
How are semifinalists selected?
If I am selected as one of the top 100 semifinalists, what is required?
When is the recommendation deadline?
Should I submit all of my information before I request a recommendation?
What are the selection criteria?
What are the details of the award?
Is this scholarship renewable?
Which school should I list on the application if I have not made a final decision?
How do I know if my application is complete?
How will I know if a document was uploaded properly?
How do I upload more than one file at a time?
How do I create a .zip file?
What is the difference between Official and Unofficial Transcripts?
What are the Dos and DON’Ts of uploading documents to my application?
1. DO:
2. DON’T:
Where and when should I send my supporting documents?
How and when will I receive notification?
What are my responsibilities if I am chosen as a recipient?
How and when are checks issued?
Are scholarships taxable?
Program Administration
Questions

Who is eligible to apply?

All Senior Beta Members, registered with National Beta Headquarters by January 16, 2025, are eligible to apply.

What is the program timeline?

Application Opens: November 1, 2024
Application Deadline: January 16, 2025
Semifinalists Notified: February 13, 2025
Semifinalist Deadline: March 16, 2025
Scholarship Recipients Notified: May 1, 2025

When is the application period?

Applications will be accepted beginning November 1, 2024 through January 16, 2025. Deadline extensions will not be granted.

How are semifinalists selected?

Semifinalists receiving at least $1,000 will be selected based on the following criteria:

National Beta participation and leadership
Academic achievement
Participation in non-Beta extracurricular and service activities
Decisions regarding selection of semifinalists are final and not subject to appeal. No application feedback will be given.

If I am selected as one of the top 100 semifinalists, what is required?

If selected as one of the top 100 applicants who will potentially receive one of our top 5 awards, you will be asked to additional information for review by the Selection Committee, including essay responses and letters of recommendation. The semifinalist form must be completed by March 16, 2025.

When is the recommendation deadline?

March 16, 2025

Should I submit all of my information before I request a recommendation?

No. If you are selected as a semifinalist, you should request a recommendation as early as possible to ensure there is sufficient time for the recommendation to be submitted by the deadline.

What are the selection criteria?

An independent selection committee will evaluate the applications and select the recipients considering:

National Beta participation and leadership
Supporting statements, including the National Beta Sponsor Recommendation
Academic achievement
Participation in non-Beta extracurricular and service activities
Decisions of the selection committees are final and are not subject to appeal. No application feedback will be given.

What are the details of the award?

The top 5 scholarship applicants as determined by the selection committee will receive National Awards ranging from $6,000 to $20,000 (payable in one, full installment)
5, $2,500 awards will also be granted; these awards are non-renewable scholarships.
250, $1,000 awards will also be granted; these awards are non-renewable scholarships.
The scholarships may be applied to tuition, fees, books, supplies and equipment required for course load at accredited, nonprofit two or four-year colleges/universities or technical/trade schools in the United States.

Is this scholarship renewable?

Neither National Awards nor State Awards are renewable. All are made payable in one, full installment.

Which school should I list on the application if I have not made a final decision?

You should list your first choice on the application.

How do I know if my application is complete?

The following icons will show on the bars separating each section of the application and will denote the incompletion/completion of each section.

Information Missing: Supplemental information has not been provided.

Information Incomplete : Required information has not been submitted.

Complete : all required forms and attachments (if applicable) have been submitted and you can move onto the next step

How will I know if a document was uploaded properly?

Previously uploaded documents that are no longer displayed with a status on the home page have been rejected. The most common reasons for a rejected document are as follows:

The document uploaded is not one of the accepted file types: .pdf, .tif, .png, .gif, .jpeg, .jpg, .bmp and .xps.
The document uploaded was not the document requested.
Not all pages of the document were contained in the file.
We cannot open the file. The file may be corrupted or password protected.

Refer to the upload section of your application for the details of the required documents and upload a new file that meets the criteria stated.

How do I upload more than one file at a time?

You may create a .zip file containing more than one file as long as everything included is in an acceptable format

(i.e.. pdf, .tif, .png, .gif, .jpeg, .jpg, .bmp and .xps. )

How do I create a .zip file?

To use this format, follow the steps outlined below:

Create a new folder on your Desktop, name it the document type you will be uploading. For example, Test Scores, Transcript, or Financial Documentation.
Move all the pages you wish to upload into the new folder.
Right click on the document from your Desktop:
PC Users: select “Sent to,” followed by “Compressed (zipped) folder.”
Mac Users: select “Compress ‘[folder name]’.”
Your new .zip file will be located on your Desktop, ready to upload.

What is the difference between Official and Unofficial Transcripts?

Official transcripts must be obtained through your high school administration office, or your college registrar office. These transcripts are normally printed on official letterhead and/or state that they are official. These may contain a signature.

Note: Your official transcript may come to you in a sealed envelope, stating it will become unofficial if opened. When scanning or copying your official transcripts, a watermark may appear noting they are now unofficial.

Despite any watermarks or sealed envelopes, you may open the envelope if needed to upload the document. These documents will still be considered official for our purposes.

When scanning or copying, you do not need to include a copy of the sealed envelope.

Unofficial transcripts may be accessed through your school’s online student portal. These pages must still be converted to one of the acceptable file formats. There are free tools available that will allow you to save various documents (including web pages) as a PDF. Unofficial transcripts must contain your name and the school name and contact information.

What are the Dos and DON’Ts of uploading documents to my application?

DO:

Upload in the correct file format.
Only upload the requested documents.
Black out any Social Security numbers on the documents you are uploading. This is not required, but advised.

DON’T:

Upload a Microsoft Word™ document (.doc, .docx).
Upload more than the requested documentation.
Assume your documents are correct and accepted once you have uploaded them.
Assume the required document does not pertain to you. If the application states the document is required, your application will remain incomplete if you do not provide that document.
Password protect your uploaded documents. Password protected documents will be rejected.

Where and when should I send my supporting documents?

The required supporting documents must be uploaded to your online application by the application deadline. If you do not follow the upload instructions exactly, your application may not be considered. Documents that meet the criteria required for the scholarship application, and are uploaded by the deadline, will be processed and considered on time.

How and when will I receive notification?

Notifications are sent to semifinalists and applicants not selected as semifinalists via email on February 15, 2024. A complete list of semifinalists will also be made available at http://www.betaclub.org.
Notifications are sent to recipients and applicants not selected to receive an award via email the week of May 6 , 2024. A complete list of finalists will also be made available at http://www.betaclub.org
Add scholarship@betaclub.org to your email address book or “safe senders list” to ensure these important emails are not sent to your junk mail folder.
Do not ‘opt out’ of any email sent from scholarship@betaclub.org or You may not receive vital information regarding your scholarship applications.

Note: Your email address will only be used to communicate with you about your scholarship applications. We will not provide your email address to any third parties.

What are my responsibilities if I am chosen as a recipient?

You must enroll as a full-time undergraduate student in the fall of the year in which the scholarships are awarded, continue the entire academic year without interruption unless approved by scholarship sponsor, and notify National Beta should your check not arrive within 30 days of the issue date.

How and when are checks issued?

Checks for recipients of National Awards will be issued by National Beta office following the announcement of winners to each recipient’s mailing address and made payable directly to the recipient in the full amount. Checks for recipients of State Awards will be issued by National Beta office no later than June 1. The recipients of the top 5 awards will be invited to receive their scholarship checks during National Convention.

Are scholarships taxable?

Tax laws vary by country. In the United States, scholarship funds used exclusively for the payment of tuition or textbooks are normally not taxable. The scholarship recipient is responsible for taxes, if any, that may be assessed against his or her scholarship award. We recommend consulting your tax advisor for more guidance. You may also click here to consult IRS Publication 970 for further information.

Program Administration

To ensure complete impartiality in selection of recipients and to maintain a high level of professionalism, semifinalists and finalists are chosen by a team of education professionals outside of National Beta’s sphere of influence.

Questions

For additional information regarding the scholarship program click here or call 800-845-8281. Our offices are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4 :00 PM Eastern.