Phi Beta Kappa offers opportunities for funds to further undergraduate and graduate education through its awards and scholarships. Some are administered through the chapter office, and most are awarded in a highly-competitive environment from the National Office of Phi Beta Kappa.
Alpha of Michigan Chapter
George Herbert Meyer Prize
George Herbert Meyer, UM graduate and PBK member, was a distinguished Bloomfield Hills, MI, attorney, an avid art collector and expert, and he served on many boards in Detroit and elsewhere. He has left a generous endowment to fund an award to a UM Phi Beta Kappa student member who best represents the society and its mission to support scholarship in the liberal arts and sciences. Mr. Meyer wanted this award to celebrate the Phi Beta Kappa motto—Love of Learning is the Guide to Life.
The Alpha of Michigan chapter began offering the George Herbert Meyer Prize in 2024. Open to members of the Alpha of Michigan Chapter, who were inducted as juniors, the award is given in the amount of $1,000 and is administered each spring.
Chapter Dues Award
A limited number of funds are available each year from the Alpha of Michigan chapter to fund new potential inductees for whom the lifetime PBK membership fee poses a financial burden. Interested invited members should follow the instructions provided in their invitation letters in order to apply.
National Office
The Phi Beta Kappa Society offers a variety of awards that support our mission to champion education in the liberal arts and sciences, to foster freedom of thought, and to recognize academic excellence. While many opportunities are for established academics, others like the Key into Public Service award and Love of Learning Professional Development Grants are available to undergraduates and recent bachelor’s degree recipients.