Our Annual Scholarship Competition for 2024-2025 School Year is now open.

Deadline to apply for eligibility is March 15, 2024.

Eligibility

John L. Dales Scholarship Applicants must first meet the following eligibility requirements:

  • Members must be current with SAG-AFTRA dues 
  • Terminated, Suspended and FICORE Members and their dependents are ineligible 
  • Member/Parent must be in good standing for 10 years with minimum SAG-AFTRA lifetime earnings of $225,000
  • Member Applicants under 27 years of age must be SAG-AFTRA member for at least 5 years with minimum SAG-AFTRA lifetime earnings of $40,000
  • Dependent Applicants of Deceased or Honorable Withdrawal Members are eligible if parent was a member for at least 10 years with minimum SAG-AFTRA lifetime earnings of $225,000 
  • Dependent Applicants 27 and older are ineligible 
  • Scholarships are available to members over the age of 27 transitioning out of a performance career into another career

George Heller Scholarship Applicants must first meet the following eligibility requirements:

  • Members must be current with SAG-AFTRA dues 
  • Terminated, Suspended and FICORE Members and their dependents are ineligible
  • Member/Parent must be in good standing for at least 5 years with minimum SAG-AFTRA lifetime earnings of $50,000 
  • Member Applicants under 27 years of age must be in good standing for at least 5 years with minimum SAG-AFTRA lifetime earnings of $10,000 
  • Dependent Applicants of Deceased or Honorable Withdrawal Members are eligible if parent was a member for at least 5 years with minimum SAG-AFTRA lifetime earnings of $50,000  
  • Dependent Applicants 27 and older are ineligible 
  • Scholarships are available to members over the age of 27 transitioning out of a performance career into another career  

How Many Scholarships Can an Applicant Apply For?

Recipients may receive one grant per year and a total of four (4) John L. Dales Standard Scholarships in a lifetime.

Recipients may receive a total of one (1) George Heller Memorial Standard or Transitional Scholarships in a lifetime.

SAG-AFTRA Foundation board members, employees, families and relatives are not eligible to apply. 

How to Apply

Please note: Scholarship applications on this site require that you create a Foundation account in addition and separate from your SAG-AFTRA member account.  

The SAG-AFTRA Foundation utilizes the services of the scholarship and grant management software firm, Kaleidoscope, which will be assisting in processing all Foundation scholarship applications. Kaleidoscope is a trusted source for several Fortune 500 companies, who also use their services, and has the highest security systems in place. The Foundation’s Scholarship Committee and staff will be working closely with them throughout the annual grant cycle.

Over the course of the next six months, members who apply will periodically receive email notices from Kaleidoscope to include: eligibility acknowledgement, application links, requests for additional information, and any final grant determinations and award notices. Please expect emails from Kaleidoscope and check all junk and spam boxes regularly.

The Application Process - What to Do

  1. Apply using the “apply here” button at the bottom of this page.
  2. This will direct you to the Kaleidoscope landing page.  If you have not already registered with kaleidoscope you will be prompted to create a log in.
  3. Complete the eligibility questionnaire and submit by March 15, 1:00pm PT.
  4. Once your eligibility has been confirmed, you will receive an email with the full application form or an email explaining your disqualification.
  5. Application must be completed and all required documents must be submitted by 1:00PM PT on Sunday, March 31, 2024. No extensions or exceptions will be granted.

The Grant Process - What to Expect

  1. Scholarship recipients will be notified of their scholarship award by Friday, August 1, 2024 via the personal email address you provided.
  2. Once notified of a scholarship award, recipients must complete a Scholarship Grant Agreement, show proof of enrollment, and verify a mailing address for check delivery to that institution with any student identification provided by the school for payment credit. These steps must be completed by 1:00PM PT on Monday, August 5, 2024.
  3. Anticipate scholarship awards to arrive at your institution by Tuesday, September 10, 2024.

Email notifications will be sent from both the SAG-AFTRA Foundation staff and the Kaleidoscope team, our collaborators in scholarship processing. To ensure receipt, please regularly monitor both your email inbox and junk mail folders within the revised timeline above. Take prompt action upon receiving the emails to fulfill the required scholarship recipient response by August 5, 2024.

The Scholarships

About the John L. Dales and George Heller Scholarship Funds

The SAG-AFTRA Foundation John L. Dales Scholarship Fund was created in 1973 in honor of the legacy Screen Actors Guild (SAG) longtime Executive Secretary. Since its creation, the John L. Dales Scholarship Fund has awarded more than $9.2 million in scholarships to more than 2,400 SAG-AFTRA members and their dependents.

The SAG-AFTRA Foundation George Heller Memorial Scholarship Fund was created in 1967 in honor of George Heller, one of American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) founders. Since its creation, the George Heller Memorial Scholarship Fund has awarded hundreds of scholarships to members and their dependents.

Scholarships are granted for study at accredited and licensed universities, colleges, junior colleges in pursuit of securing a college degree. These scholarships are also available for adult specialty schools and trade/vocational schools in pursuit of securing a degree or professional trade license. The number and amount awarded are determined annually by a committee of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation.

The SAG-AFTRA Foundation Scholarships are available for eligible SAG-AFTRA members and their dependents and made possible through gifts, grants and sponsorships.

Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

Please read through our FAQs to get quick answers to common questions regarding our scholarships.

Contact

If you have further questions, please contact
Davidson Lloyd, Director of Assistance Programs

Support the Scholarships Fund