The Daniels Scholarship Program offers a four-year college scholarship that provides financial and personal support focused on helping Daniels Scholars succeed in college, and in life. The Daniels Scholarship can be used at any accredited nonprofit college or university in the United States. Our goal is not only to help Daniels Scholars succeed in college, but to ensure that they thrive beyond their years in college.
Every year, Daniels Scholars are selected from our four-state region of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Daniels Scholars have attended more than 400 colleges and universities in 48 states.
Through March 2021, the Daniels Scholarship Program has provided more than $220 million in undergraduate scholarships to approximately 4,600 students.
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 program:
- 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 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.
What are the eligibility requirements for the Daniels Scholarship Program?
To be eligible for the Daniels Scholarship Program, students must meet the following requirements at the time of application:
- Be a high school senior graduating from a school in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, or Wyoming
- 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). Super scoring is not accepted.
- Meet financial eligibility requirements as described below.
Financial Eligibility Details
In order to be eligible for the Daniels Scholarship Program, the applicant's parent(s) or legal guardian(s) must have an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $85,000 or less on the 2020 tax return on which the applicant is claimed as a dependent.
If there are additional dependents, beyond the applicant, claimed on their 2020 tax return, we allow for additional income as follows:
- $5,000 for each additional dependent not in college
- $15,000 for each additional dependent in college full time during the 2021-2022 academic year
On the 2020 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.
Here are some examples to demonstrate how financial eligibility is determined:
- Carlos is applying for the Daniels Scholarship. He has one sister in college (full time during the 2021/22 academic year), who was also claimed as a dependent on his parents' tax return. Carlos' parents' 2020 AGI must have been $100,000 or less ($85,000 for Carlos and his parents + $15,000 for his sister) for him to be eligible for the Daniels Scholarship Program.
- Mary is applying for the Daniels Scholarship. Her parents are divorced and she has one brother who is five years old. Both Mary and her brother are claimed as dependents on her mother's tax return. Mary's mother must have had an AGI of $90,000 or less ($85,000 for Mary and her mother + $5,000 for her brother) for her to be eligible for the Daniels Scholarship Program.
- Angela is applying for the Daniels Scholarship. She doesn't have any siblings, but both of her grandparents are listed as dependents on her parents' tax return. Angela's parents' AGI must have been $95,000 or less ($85,000 for Angela and her parents + $5,000 for her grandmother + $5,000 for her grandfather) for her to be eligible for the Daniels Scholarship Program.
The Eligibility Questionnaire determines general and financial eligibility, and requires information from the 2020 tax return filed by the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) claiming the applicant as a dependent. The Daniels Fund will ask applicants to upload a copy of their Student Aid Report (SAR) with their application, if available, or as soon as possible before December 15. The SAR is generated by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). We recommend that all students complete the FAFSA as soon as possible after it opens on October 1.
The Daniels Scholarship is a college scholarship that pays toward the costs of:
- Tuition and fees
- Room and board
- Books and supplies
- Miscellaneous educational expenses
The Daniels Scholarship Program provides a four-year college scholarship that is unique to each student and varies depending on their Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and their choice of school and degree program. The scholarship pays up to $25,000 per year toward the student's unmet need, after applying their EFC, earnings assessment, other scholarships, grants, and financial aid. The Daniels Scholarship may be used to attend any accredited college or university in the United States.
Daniels Scholarships are renewable up to a maximum of four academic years (8 semesters or 12 quarters) if scholars meet all requirements of the Daniels Scholarship Program.
Click this link for a calculator that can help estimate what a Daniels Scholarship payment could be based on a student's individual financial situation.
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.
The Daniels Scholarship can cover most of the costs of earning a bachelor's degree, depending on factors such as the student's Expected Family Contribution (EFC), other scholarships, and financial aid, as well as their choice of school and degree program:
- Financial assistance toward a four-year undergraduate degree
- Dedicated help and support from Daniels Fund staff and designated on-campus contacts
- Recognition as a Daniels Scholar
- Campus communities with events, activities, and support exclusively for Daniels Scholars
- An alumni program offering ongoing support and a lifelong connection to a network of alumni and current scholars
- A new laptop computer
- Fulfill 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
Getting into the Daniels Scholarship Program is highly competitive. Each year, thousands of applicants go through a rigorous application process and finalists go on to an in-person interview.
Applications and recommendations must be submitted online through the application website between October 1 and November 20, 2021. As part of the application, students are required to submit documents that will be used to verify their eligibility including their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) 2020 tax return, an official high school transcript, official ACT/SAT scores, citizenship and residency documentation, and proof of college enrollment for additional claimed dependent(s). The Daniels Fund will ask applicants to upload a copy of their Student Aid Report (SAR) with their application, if available, or as soon as possible before December 15. The SAR is generated by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). We recommend that all students complete the FAFSA as soon as possible after it opens on October 1.
All applicants will be notified in January whether or not they have been selected as a finalist, and finalists will be invited to participate in a personal interview. Interviews are conducted in February and early March by local community leaders.
Daniels Scholars are announced in March, and must attend our scholarship orientation conference in June (for which all expenses are paid by the Daniels Fund).
The application period is now closed.
The application period is now closed.
Board of Directors
