The Daniels Scholarship Program helps make college possible for motivated and ambitious students.
We’re looking for students with great potential, strong character, big dreams, and values that align with the man behind it all, Bill Daniels. Daniels Scholars® are America’s next generation of leaders, persevering through life’s challenges and committed to making a difference in the world around them. They are independent and entrepreneurial thinkers who are proud of their country and their communities and work hard to improve them.
Sound like you? Then apply September 16–October 18 at the link below to join an incredible community of over 5,000 Daniels Scholars and alumni across the country.
Scholars may attend any nonprofit, accredited school in the country. If a scholar chooses to attend a school outside our four-state region, they can receive up to $25,000 a year for qualified educational expenses, including their student contribution. Scholars choosing to attend a school within four-state region outside of our partnership agreement will receive $7,500 annually.
Where can the Daniels Scholarship be used?
Daniels Scholars may attend any two-year or four-year, nonprofit, accredited college or university in the United States. Scholars must intend to complete a bachelor’s degree, and those starting at a two-year college must be on a path to earning a bachelor’s degree. Daniels Scholarships may not be used at technical or trade schools or for participation in certificate programs.
Partner Schools
The Daniels Fund has partnerships with excellent universities and colleges in our four-state region. If a scholar chooses to attend one of these institutions, the Daniels Fund partners with the university to cover the scholar’s full Cost of Attendance (COA), including the student or family contribution, fully packaging students. See below for a full list of partner schools.
Colorado Partner Schools
- Adams State University
- Colorado Christian University
- Colorado College
- Colorado Mesa University
- Colorado State University—Fort Collins
- Colorado State University, Pueblo
- Fort Lewis College
- Regis University
- University of Colorado Boulder
- University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
- University of Colorado, Denver
- University of Denver
- University of Northern Colorado
New Mexico Partner Schools
- New Mexico State University
- University of New Mexico
Utah Partner Schools
- Weber State University
- Southern Utah University
- University of Utah
- Wyoming Partner Schools
- University of Wyoming
Benefits
The Daniels Scholarship, along with generous contributions from partner schools, covers the full cost of attendance (COA) at partner schools within Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. A full list of partner schools is available here. Scholars that choose to attend a school outside our 4-state region receive up to $25,000 a year for qualified educational expenses.
Funds can be used towards:
- Tuition and fees
- Room and board
- Books and supplies
- Miscellaneous educational expenses
Daniels Scholars also receive a laptop computer and support before, during, and after college.
*$7,500 annually for schools within four-state region outside of partnership agreements.
Why apply?
If you attend a partner school within our four-state region (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming), the Daniels Scholarship and your university work together to cover your full cost of attendance!* You can also choose to attend an eligible school outside our four-state region and receive $25,000 per year. Additionally, as a Daniels Scholar, you’ll receive:
- A new laptop computer
- Support from our dedicated team
- Leadership development opportunities
- Community involvement opportunities
- Career advancement opportunities
*$7,500 annually for schools within 4-state region outside of partnership agreement.
Selection criteria
Bill Daniels was a cable television pioneer known for his compassion for those in need and his unwavering commitment to ethics and integrity. Bill loved America dearly. He fought in two wars to defend our country and the freedoms we enjoy today. Bill Daniels was also passionate about the free enterprise system, which he believed provided the best opportunity to help people improve their lives.
Daniels Scholars are selected because they embody the criteria Bill Daniels defined for the programme:
- Strength of character
- Leadership potential
- Commitment to serving their communities
- Academic performance or promise
- Well-rounded personality
- Emotional maturity and stability
Bill Daniels would also want his scholars to uphold the values that meant so much to him. Those values include ethics and integrity, honesty, respect for people, loyalty and reliability, entrepreneurial spirit, patriotism and dedication to the community, commitment to excellence, and etiquette.
There are a number of specific requirements to be eligible for the Daniels Scholarship Program. Please read the Eligibility section below for full details.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for the Daniels Scholarship Program, students must meet the following requirements at the time of application:
- Be a graduating high school senior
- Be a resident of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, or Wyoming
- Be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States
- Earn a minimum Grade Point Average of 3.0 in high school (on an unweighted 4.0 scale)
- Earn a minimum SAT Math score of 490 and a minimum Evidence-Based Reading & Writing score of 490, or a minimum ACT score of 18 in each category (writing score not required).
- Meet financial eligibility requirements as described below.
Financial Eligibility Details
In order to be eligible for the Daniels Scholarship Programme, applicants must demonstrate financial need through an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $100,000 or less on the 2023 federal tax return on which the applicant is claimed as a dependent and a review of other assets. If there are additional dependents, beyond the applicant, claimed on the 2023 tax return, we allow for $10,000 of additional income for each additional dependent.
On the 2023 Form 1040, the AGI is listed on Line 11, and dependents claimed can be found in the Dependents section, as indicated in the sample form below:
During the process, applicants will submit documents verifying eligibility, including their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) 2023 federal tax return, ACT/SAT scores, citizenship and residency documentation, proof of college enrollment for additional claimed dependents, and their FAFSA Submission Summary. We recommend that all students complete the FAFSA as soon as possible after it opens for the 2025–2026 school year.
What are Daniels Scholars required to do?
- Fulfil all scholarship requirements and submit required documents to renew the scholarship at the end of each academic term
- Remain on track to graduate with a bachelor’s degree within four academic years
- Maintain academic performance, including a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA
- Maintain regular communication with the Daniels Fund
- Adhere to the Daniels Scholar Code of Conduct
- Attend and participate in the Daniels Fund’s new scholar orientation conference held in June
Application process and selection timeline
Applications must be submitted online through the application website between September 16 and October 18, 2024.
Applicants invited to participate in the Semi-Finalist phase will be asked to submit essay question responses and letters of recommendation between October 28 and November 15, 2024.
During the process, applicants will be required to submit documents verifying eligibility, including their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) 2023 federal tax return, ACT/SAT scores, citizenship and residency documentation, proof of college enrollment for additional claimed dependents, and FAFSA Submission Summary. We recommend that all students complete the FAFSA as soon as possible after it opens.
All semi-finalists will be notified in January whether or not they have been selected as finalists, and finalists will be invited to participate in a personal interview. Interviews are conducted in February and March by local community leaders.
Daniels Scholars are announced in late March and must attend our scholarship orientation conference in June (for which all expenses are paid by the Daniels Fund).
Application period: September 16–October 18, 2024
Application period: September 16–October 18.