Every year, the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation awards a number of scholarships to members within our organization. Tailored to undergraduate and graduate students, these scholarships have aided countless recipients in furthering their education. With two new endowed scholarships by alumni Jon Hays, Old Dominion ’07, and Mike Rosser, Colorado State ’61, there is the opportunity to top the twenty scholarships awarded in 2021. As the April 15th application deadline approaches, we sat down with two past scholarship recipients to discuss the application process and how these extra funds provided by the fraternity impacted their lives. Alec Ballman (AB), Kentucky ’18, and Sam Teolis (ST), Virginia Tech ’19, were both awarded the Paul A. Elfers Omega Scholarship in 2021.

Q: How did you find out about the Paul A. Elfers Omega Scholarship?

AB: My chapter success manager at the time, Hunter Pemberton, encouraged me to apply for all of the scholarships, as well as the Douglass Award. My Big Brother, who was chapter president before me, also mentioned them to me once when I was a freshman, but I never got around to applying.

ST: I found out about the scholarships from an email from nationals, and I found out about the Paul A Elfers Omega Scholarship through the scholarship application website.

Q: What inspired you to apply for this scholarship?

AB: Over the last 4 years, I tried my best to reflect our mission statement and embody the values of Phi Kappa Tau. I also dedicated a good portion of my free time to my chapter and saw a very impressive transformation from a chapter struggling in a few different areas to one breaking records in membership and recruitment numbers. If nothing else, I enjoyed the opportunity to tell the story of our chapter and how my experience as a Phi Tau changed me as a man.

ST: I guess just the thought of winning and getting part of my tuition paid for. I also really liked the prompt for the Elfers Omega Scholarship.

Q: What did you use this money for?

AB: I used the money for tuition and rent.

ST: I just used it for tuition.

Q: Did you find the application process easy? Would you recommend others apply?

AB: Yes, the application process was very straightforward and not too time-consuming. There’s no reason for others not to apply given the tremendous impact these scholarships can have.

ST: Yes, it was pretty easy. The hardest parts would probably be the essays. I would recommend everyone to apply as it is not much of a time commitment, and you could win up to $4500.

Q: Is there anything else you'd like to mention about the scholarship, the application process, or what these additional funds provided by our organization mean to you?

AB: I’m very proud to be part of an organization that goes out of its way to recognize the leaders and biggest contributors on the undergraduate level. For many taking on big roles in their chapters, it can take up much of their time and they may not get the recognition they deserve. Through the generosity of the Foundation and our donors, these hard-working undergraduate leaders get a sense of pride and accomplishment in being rewarded for all they’ve done.

ST: I would say that the Nationals scholarships are a great opportunity to win some scholarships, and they're only for brothers of Phi Tau, so take advantage of it. As for the application process, everything is easy and smooth to navigate.

If you’re interested in applying for a scholarship or finding out more information, please click here. There’s still plenty of time to submit an application prior to the April 15th deadline.