SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS AND FORM

There is a single application for the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Scholarship Program with two tiers of scholarships offered: the John L. Dales Scholarships and the George Heller Memorial Scholarships.

The SAG-AFTRA Foundation staff shall determine which scholarship criteria (Dales or Heller) the applicant meets. An applicant may qualify for only one scholarship per year (Dales or Heller).

Please read through this entire page carefully because there are vital instructions posted here and eligibility requirements may have changed.

Member applicant or parent of dependent applying must be paid current with their SAG-AFTRA dues to April 30, 2020.

Recipients may receive a total of four (4) John L. Dales Standard Scholarships in a lifetime. Recipients may receive a total of two (2) John L. Dales Transitional Scholarships in a lifetime.

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

If you are returning to work on this year’s application, use the link below to sign into your existing account. Then click “Resume Application” on your dashboard.

Start your application
or
Continue your application

PLEASE NOTE: The scholarship application requires a separate user account from the user account you may already have with our website to sign up for our events.

Only use the links directly to the left of this box to create an account or log into your scholarship application. Do not use the “Sign In” tab at the very top of the page. 

The website address where you sign into your scholarship application must have the word “scholarship” at the front like this https://scholarship.sagaftra.foundation in order for you to successfully sign into your account.

The scholarship application will be available on November 1, 2019.

The deadline to complete the application (including tax information) is:

12PM(PST) on April 30, 2020.

If you have any questions please contact us here.

Eligibility Information

JOHN L. DALES STANDARD SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY

Applicants for the John L. Dales Scholarship will be selected in accordance with the following criteria:

  • An applicant must be a SAG-AFTRA member or dependent of a member.
  • A SAG-AFTRA member under the age of twenty-two (22) must have been a member in good standing in SAG-AFTRA for five (5) years and have a lifetime earnings of $40,000 within SAG-AFTRA jurisdiction.
  • The member parent or guardian whose dependent is applying for the scholarship must have been a member in good standing in SAG-AFTRA for ten (10) years and have lifetime earnings of $225,000 within SAG-AFTRA jurisdiction OR ten (10) pension credits.
  • Dependents of members on Honorable Withdrawal or Deceased are eligible to apply, providing their member parent meets the basic eligibility requirements.
  • Dependents of SAG-AFTRA members who are twenty-six (26) years of age and older are not eligible to apply.
  • Terminated, Suspended Payment or Fee-Paying-Non-Members are not eligible to apply for the scholarship; nor are their dependents.

 

JOHN L. DALES TRANSITIONAL SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY

Applicants for the John L. Dales Transitional Scholarship will be selected in accordance with the following criteria:

  • An applicant applying for the John L. Dales Transitional Scholarship must have been a member in good standing in SAG-AFTRA for ten (10) years and have a lifetime earnings of $225,000 within SAG-AFTRA jurisdiction or ten (10) pension credits.
  • Applicants must be twenty-three (23) years of age and older.
  • Members on Honorable Withdrawal are eligible to apply, providing they meet the basic eligibility requirements.
  • Terminated, Suspended Payment or Fee-Paying-Non-Member are not eligible to apply for the scholarship.

GEORGE HELLER MEMORIAL STANDARD SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY

Applicants for the George Heller Memorial Standard Scholarship will be selected in accordance with the following criteria:

  • An applicant must be a SAG-AFTRA member or dependent of a member.
  • A SAG-AFTRA member under the age of twenty-two (22) must have been a member in good standing in SAG-AFTRA for five (5) years and have lifetime earnings of $10,000 within SAG-AFTRA jurisdiction.
  • The member parent or guardian whose dependent is applying for the scholarship must have been a member in good standing in SAG-AFTRA for five (5) years and have lifetime earnings of $50,000 within SAG-AFTRA jurisdiction.
  • Dependents of members on Honorable Withdrawal or Deceased are eligible to apply providing their member parent meets the basic eligibility requirements.
  • Dependents of SAG-AFTRA members who are twenty-six (26) years of age and older are not eligible to apply.
  • Terminated, Suspended Payment or Fee-Paying-Non-Members are not eligible to apply; nor are their dependents.

 

GEORGE HELLER MEMORIAL TRANSITIONAL SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY 

Applicants for the George Heller Memorial Transitional Scholarship will be selected in accordance with the following criteria:

  • An applicant applying for the George Heller Transitional Scholarship must have been a member in good standing in SAG-AFTRA for five (5) years and have a lifetime earnings of at least $50,000 but no more than $225,000 within SAG-AFTRA jurisdiction.
  • Applicants must be twenty-three (23) years of age and older.
  • Members on Honorable Withdrawal are eligible to apply, providing they meet the eligibility requirements.
  • Terminated, Suspended Payment or Fee-Paying-Non-Members are not eligible to apply; nor their dependents.

RECIPIENTS

  • Awards will be made by check payable directly to the selected recipients.
  • Recipients must be enrolled in an accredited institution of higher learning, i.e., a college, junior college, or university in the United States, and provide documentation of full-time enrollment before the scholarship can be awarded.
  • Scholarship recipients must provide the Grant Agreement Form and a copy of tuition paid to the college/university by September 30, 2019 to receive the scholarship check.

The SAG-AFTRA Foundation Scholarship Committee reviews all completed applicants and determines all awards.

SAG-AFTRA Foundation Scholarship Committee members, their families, their relatives, SAG-AFTRA Foundation board members and employees of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation are not eligible to apply for either the John L. Dales Scholarship or the George Heller Memorial Scholarship.

Please read the FAQ for additional information.

Application Requirements

John L. Dales and George Heller Memorial Scholarships:

  • A member applicant or dependent applicant shall submit a transcript of all high school, college and University courses and evaluations, SAT or ACT scores, and any other relevant information regarding prior academic history and achievements, including extracurricular activities.
    • Note: If a dependent applicant is a Junior and has previously received a Dales Standard scholarship, they don’t need to submit their high school transcripts and SAT or ACT scores. If a member applicant has received a Dales Transitional scholarship, they don’t need to submit their high school transcripts and SAT or ACT scores.
  • An applicant shall submit two (2) letters of recommendation. Letters should not come from family members or relatives. New letters of recommendation are required each time an applicant applies. (If possible, the Committee prefers letters than are on institutional or personal letterhead.)
    • Note: Letters supporting a Transitional application should come from persons in the new field to which the applicant is pursuing who can speak to the applicant’s aptitude in the area and ability to fulfill the academic requirements.
  • An applicant shall submit a personal essay of 350 to 750 words using the following prompt: Write an Essay, of Your Choice, to Help the Committee Know More About You. A new essay is required each time an applicant applies.
  • An applicant shall submit a copy of the 2019 Federal Income Tax Returns for applicant, parents, spouse, including Schedules A, B, & D. DO NOT submit State Tax Returns.
  • If an applicant or parent(s) or spouse are incorporated, the 2019 Federal Corporate Tax Return must be submitted, including “S” Corp IRS Form, and the 529 Education Savings Plan, if applicable. All submitted tax returns must be complete. DO NOT submit State Tax Returns.
  • An applicant and parent(s) or spouse must include a detailed disclosure of current assets, liabilities and expenses.