The Foundation for Fraternal Excellence and the North American Interfraternity Conference are excited to announce the recipients of the 2024 Men’s College Scholarship which is designed to identify and reward outstanding high school seniors who have demonstrated an ability to excel in the fields of academics, extra-curricular school activities and community involvement.
Men are going to college with less frequency than in the past, and not persisting to graduation at the same rates as women. According to The Wall Street Journal, at the close of the 2020-21 academic year, women made up 59.5% of college students, an all-time high, and men 40.5%, according to enrollment data from the National Student Clearinghouse, a nonprofit research group. Recent data points show that there are now 2.4 million more female than male undergraduates on U.S. campuses (8.9 million women compared to 6.5 million men).
To inspire college attendance and academic success by young men, in 2022 a diverse group of fraternity alumni founded the Men’s College Scholarship. A college education is important and opens numerous opportunities to students including the many potential benefits of fraternity membership, including a sense of belonging on campus which furthers students’ wellbeing and chances of graduating. Research actually shows that fraternities foster positive mental health, serve as a success accelerator for students, and engender tremendous loyalty and connections among alumni to support their alma mater.
We believe in the fraternity experience and know the value it provides to undergraduates and alumni. Fraternity members can tap built-in alumni networks, finding jobs more quickly than their peers. Research shows almost half of members had a brother who helped them find an internship or job and provided them with career advice. And fraternity alumni report being more fulfilled in their careers and lives in every aspect of wellbeing measured, from career to community and financial to physical, because of the relationships and resources they can leverage.
After reviewing more than 4,050 completed applications from young men across the United States, the Foundation for Fraternal Excellence is thrilled to award 72 scholarships totaling $41,000.
Recipients represent various backgrounds and hail from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., with 46% identifying as first-generation college students. We look forward to seeing this program continue to grow in future years and thank all Fraternities Matter Campaign donors for making this scholarship a reality.
2024 Scholarship Recipients:
If you would like to donate to the Fraternities Matter Campaign: download a pledge form, make a gift online or contact NIC President & CEO Judson Horras.
