KENNESAW, Ga. | May 14, 2024

When members of a student organization at Kennesaw State University were looking for a way to give back to the institution, they struck upon a rather unique opportunity to make a difference for years to come.

The path laid out by the Interfraternity Council (IFC) was to create two endowed scholarships to benefit those in student organizations on campus. The scholarships are the first at KSU established by students for students.

“These scholarships are a huge indicator of us trying to give back to the community,” said Matt Brown, president of the IFC and a junior majoring in finance. “People can see this when coming into the school.”

The IFC contributed $33,000 that – with a match from the KSU Foundation – will result in two $25,000 endowed scholarships providing $1,000 per student annually beginning in Fall 2025.

The development of the scholarships came about when members of the Interfraternity Council discovered that an increase in membership provided a boost in revenues.

Lucas Cardona, vice president for finance for the Interfraternity Council, noticed that the council was bringing more money than it needed to operate. He talked to Stacey Hurt-Milner, the director of Fraternity and Sorority Life at KSU, about opportunities for spending the funds. As a nonprofit tax-exempt organization, the IFC has limits in how its income can be spent.

Cardona and Hurt-Milner started brainstorming about options for how best to spend the money. After several discussions with administrators of Student Affairs and University Advancement, the IFC members decided that scholarships for students would be the best opportunity.

“For the men to make such a declaration, they didn’t have to do it, but they had conversations with other members of the community,” Hurt-Milner said. “I dropped the seed, and they picked it up and ran with it. They wanted to give back to the community that gives to them. We believe in paying it forward.”

The Interfraternity Council is one of four councils dedicated to working with the more than 1,800 students in 34 fraternities and sororities at KSU. The IFC focuses its efforts on 14 fraternities on campus, building on a culture of community service by all its members.

“Our past couple vice presidents of finance were able to budget really well, so we ended up having a small sum left over,” Brown said. “We also had a bigger class two semesters ago than we anticipated, so economies of scale were more efficient, so we ended up having all this money, and instead of spending it all on a fraternity or giving out one scholarship, what we wanted to do was make a long-lasting impact.”

The Interfraternity Council Scholarship will be given to an initiated and active member of a chartered IFC member organization. Eligibility will also be based on students with a minimum 3.0 GPA and 50 service hours in the organization.

“I think this will be one of the biggest things for the IFC here on campus,” Cardona said. “I think of this as a blessing in disguise that none of us understand yet. We’re really excited about the scholarship, but I don’t think we know yet how big an impact it’s going to make.”

The second scholarship, the Fraternal Excellence Scholarship, will be given to members of other organizations on campus, including those organizations chartered by the College Panhellenic Council, the Multicultural Greek Council, and the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Criteria for this scholarship are a minimum 3.5 GPA and 100 service hours.

“We wanted to have better connections with other organizations,” Brown said. “We can let them know, ‘We’re thinking about you; we’d love to give back to the entire school, not just our community.’”

The students said they want the spirit of giving back to continue in the future.

“I want the scholarship to stay here as long as possible,” Brown said. “So, 20 years down the line, when I’m an alum, my kids, my wife will see that the scholarship still exists, something that will be here long after my career here. If it helps people way down the road that I don’t even know, that will warm my heart.”

– Story by Scott Wiltsee

Photos by Judith Pishnery

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 45,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.