The Daniels Scholarship Program offers a comprehensive, 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 currently attend more than 200 colleges and universities in 45 states.
Through March 2020, the Daniels Scholarship Program has provided more than $204 million in undergraduate scholarships to over 4,350 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
Daniels Scholars also uphold the values that meant so much to Bill Daniels. 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), AND 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.
- For students who were unable to take the SAT or ACT due to COVID-19 cancellations, they are eligible to apply with a minimum Grade Point Average of 3.3 in high school (on an unweighted 4.0 scale), and do not need to provide standardized test scores.
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 2019 Form 1040 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return on which the applicant appears as a dependent.
If there are additional dependents, beyond the applicant, claimed on their 2019 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 2020/2021 academic year
On the 2019 Form 1040, the AGI is listed on Line 8b, 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:
- John is applying for the Daniels Scholarship. He has one sister in college (full time during the 2020/21 academic year), who was also claimed as a dependent on his parents’ tax return. John’s parents’ 2019 AGI must have been $100,000 or less ($85,000 for John 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.
- Carlos is applying for the Daniels Scholarship. He doesn’t have any siblings, but both of his grandparents are listed as dependents on his parents’ tax return. Carlos’ parents’ AGI must have been $95,000 or less ($85,000 for Carlos and his parents + $5,000 for his grandmother + $5,000 for his grandfather) for him to be eligible for the Daniels Scholarship Program.
The Eligibility Questionnaire determines financial and general eligibility. The questionnaire requires the 2019 Form 1040 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return of the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) that claimed the applicant as a dependent.
If an applicant is selected as a finalist to be interviewed for the Daniels Scholarship Program, they will be required to upload a copy of their Student Aid Report (SAR) after the finalists are announced in January. 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. However, we will only require the SAR of our finalists in the month of January.
The Daniels Scholarship is a comprehensive 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. The scholarship pays up to $25,000 per year toward the student’s unmet need, after applying their EFC, other scholarships, and financial aid. Daniels Scholars may attend any accredited college or university in the United States.
Daniels Scholarships are annually renewable up to a maximum of four academic years (8 semesters or 12 quarters) if all requirements of the Daniels Scholarship Program are met.
Please note that we will no longer have a Partner School option for new applicants.
Daniels Scholars may attend any two 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 transitioning to a four-year institution and 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 Program is much more than a check for college. The Daniels Scholarship Program eliminates all or most of the financial burden of a college education, but this comprehensive program goes much further with many outstanding benefits:
- 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
- Assistance in planning for a rewarding career after college
- Alumni Program offering ongoing support and a lifelong connection to a network of Daniels Scholars
- A laptop computer
- Meet all academic requirements while in college (including a minimum 2.0 GPA), and remain on track to graduate with a
bachelor's degree within four academic years
- Live on campus during freshman year
- Work in a paid position during the academic year (5 hours/week first year and 10 hours/week every year after)
- Complete the Daniels Scholarship Enrichment Program, a series of online workshops led by topical experts on subjects such as ethics, character, patriotism, civics, free enterprise, entrepreneurship, leadership, critical thinking, etiquette, and financial literacy
- Follow the Daniels Scholar Code of Conduct at all times
- Communicate regularly with their Scholar Relations Officer
- Fulfill all scholarship requirements and submit required documents by their deadlines
- Come to Denver for SHIFTCollege, the Daniels Fund's college orientation conference, held in June (all expenses are paid by the Daniels Fund)
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 15, 2020. 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) 2019 tax return, an official high school transcript, official ACT/SAT scores (if taken), citizenship and residency documentation, and proof of college enrollment for additional claimed dependent(s).
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 virtual interview. Interviews are conducted online in February and early March by local community leaders. Finalists will be required to upload a copy of their Student Aid Report (SAR) in January, which 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. However, we will only require the SAR of our finalists in the month of January.
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).
Applications and recommendations must be submitted online through the Daniels Fund's application website between
October 1 and November 15, 2020 at 4:00 PM MST.
Applications and recommendations must be submitted online through the Daniels Fund's application website between
October 1 and November 15, 2020 at 4:00 PM MST.
Board of Directors
