SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
The Achieving Standards of Excellence Foundation invites you to submit an application for the 2025 scholarship season. A total of three (3) scholarships will be awarded to female and male students. Please note that applicants must be currently enrolled in the college/university listed and meet the specific criteria to be eligible to apply.
SCHOLARSHIP HISTORY
The Achieving Standards of Excellence Foundation (ASOEF) was founded by the members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®- Alpha Sigma Omega Chapter in 2002. The primary motivation for starting the Achieving Standards of Excellence Foundation was that of having a charitable organization that through a variety of funding channels could offer more programming to encourage and assist individuals in achieving educational excellence.
The Achieving Standards of Excellence Foundation has a name that speaks to its main purpose, that of promoting, recognizing, and rewarding the achievement of excellence in academics. The Foundation promotes high levels of academic success at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
The Foundation has a second purpose, namely mentoring to young ladies. This effortMay is currently conducted under the auspices of our AKAdette program which serves 20-30 high school young ladies who remain in the group through graduation and receive a combination of knowledge, skill, and community service provider experiences during their participation.
A third purpose of the Achieving Standards of Excellence Foundation is that of serving the community. To this end, the Foundation assists several groups throughout the year with food give-away, Christmas toy sorting and bagging, and tutoring.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® is an international service organization that was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-lettered organization established by African-American college-educated women. The sorority was founded on the principle of “SERVICE TO ALL MANKIND” and has worked to improve social and economic conditions of all--locally, nationally, and internationally.
Alpha Kappa Alpha has a membership of more than 300,000 women in the United States, West Africa, South Africa, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Canada, Germany, Japan, and Korea. There are over 1005 chapters, many of them on college campuses throughout the United States.
Annually the sorority donates more than $1,500,000 in scholarships. Locally, scholarships will be awarded through our Columbus chapter, Alpha Sigma Omega, and our Achieving Standards of Excellence Foundation.
*PLEASE READ THIS INFORMATION CAREFULLY*
CONTINUING EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP
- The Aisha Q. Dunning- 85 Pearls of Life Scholarship ($1000)- African American student from a single parent home attending Central State University with a minimum 2.0 GPA. Students with an existing bachelor's degree are not eligible.
- Henry C. Bland Jr. Memorial Scholarship ($2000)- Student continuing their education at Wilberforce University with a minimum 2.0 GPA. Students with existing bachelor's degrees are not eligible. The maximum age is 25 years old.
- Stephanie A. Yancey Bland Scholarship ($1000)- African-American single mother attending Columbus State Community College with a minimum 2.0 GPA. The maximum age is 24 years old.
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ESSAY REQUIREMENT
The essay must be typed 10pt or 12pt, Arial or Times New Roman font, and double-spaced.
Must complete a one-page description of the program in which they are enrolled and their future aspirations/plans upon graduation.
LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION & TRANSCRIPT
An official transcript must be emailed to aso.scholarship@gmail.com from your college/university. Subject Line: Transcript & Your Name
DEADLINE
The application, transcript, and letter of recommendation must be submitted by Saturday, March 1, 2025, at 11:59 PM EST. Late applications will not be accepted.
ADDITIONAL DATES (for future planning) *please note that dates are subject to change. More details to come.
- Saturday, May 3rd (tentative) - Scholarship Interviews (via Zoom)
- Thursday, May 15th - ASOEF Scholarship Awards Program (In-person)
*If you have questions, please feel free to contact the Scholarship Committee at aso.scholarship@gmail.com