Promising Scholars Fund, Inc.
In association with Beta Tau Boule of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity
About the Scholarship
Promising Scholars provides scholarship support to African-American students who demonstrate high academic achievement, leadership, and community service. Students must be from Connecticut, and preference is given to students from the New Haven area. Awards are given annually for full-time study at an accredited two-year or four-year college or university of the student’s choice. Past recipients can reapply to the program each year they meet eligibility requirements. Awardees receive up to $6,000 per year and attend an awards ceremony with Beta Tau members and other Promising Scholar recipients.
A Few Honorees
History of The Scholarship
In 1986, Beta Tau Boulé established the Edward A. Bouchet Outstanding Achievement Award, in honor of Edward Bouchet. Born in 1852 on the colored end of New Haven’s Bradley Street, Bouchet graduated valedictorian in 1870 from Hopkins Grammar School (now Hopkins School).
He entered Yale College that same year, at the same time working as a sexton at Temple Street Congregational Church (now Dixwell Avenue United Church of Christ). Bouchet was eventually contacted by Alfred Cope, a member of the board of managers for the Society of Friends Institute for Colored Youth. Cope offered Bouchet a faculty position at the Institute, but recommended that Bouchet first pursue a Ph.D. in physics. Cope provided financial support for Bouchet, who completed his studies, doctoral thesis, and dissertation in two years.
In 1876, Bouchet graduated from Yale with a Ph.D. in physics. He was the first self-identified African-American to graduate from Yale College or to earn a Ph.D. from an American university. He was also the sixth person in the Western Hemisphere to ever earn a Ph.D. in physics.
Still, Boucher lived at a time of great struggle for Black people; despite his exceptional academic achievements, he was never able to obtain a faculty position with colleges such as Yale or Tuskegee. Bouchet died in 1918 and is buried in New Haven’s Evergreen Cemetery.
Empowering Future Leaders
At Beta Tau Boule, we are dedicated to providing opportunities for deserving students to pursue their academic dreams. Through our scholarship programs, we aim to empower future leaders by supporting their educational journey. We believe that every individual has the potential to make a positive impact on society, and we are committed to helping them achieve their goals.
The Promising Scholar scholarship program is administered by Scholarship America. Applications open in January of each year. Visit the Scholarship America website for more information: https://learnmore.scholarsapply.org/promisingscholars/
An applicant to the Promising Scholars award must:
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Be an African American high school senior or graduate from a Connecticut high school planning to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two-year or four-year college or university for the entire upcoming academic year
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Be a United States citizen
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Have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent).
