SAG-AFTRA Foundation Grants

SAG-AFTRA Foundation Grants is sponsored by SAG-AFTRA Foundation. Provides assistance and educational programming to professionals, with programs reflecting the concerns and interests of members.

Scholarships - SAG-AFTRA Foundation The 2026-27 Scholarship Competition is now closed. Applicants will be notified of award decisions in July 2026. The 2027-28 Scholarship Competition will open in November 2026.

Please check this page for updates.

Members must be current with SAG-AFTRA dues through April 30th of the scholarship start year Terminated, Suspended Payment, Resigned, and Fi-Core members and their dependents are ineligible Dependent applicants must be younger than 27 years old upon scholarship disbursement Dependent applicants of Deceased or Honorable Withdrawal members are eligible if the parent previously met membership requirements Transitional scholarships are available to members aged 27 or older; dependents are not eligible SAG-AFTRA Foundation board members, employees, and their relatives are not eligible John L.

Dales Scholarship Membership Requirements: Member/Parent must be in good standing for 10 years with minimum SAG-AFTRA lifetime earnings of $225,000 Member-applicants under 27 years of age must be in good standing for 5 years with minimum SAG-AFTRA lifetime earnings of $40,000 George Heller Scholarship Membership Requirements: Member/Parent must be in good standing for at least 5 years with minimum SAG-AFTRA lifetime earnings of $50,000 Member-applicants under 27 years of age must be in good standing for 5 years with minimum SAG-AFTRA lifetime earnings of $10,000 Check Eligibility by March 15 Submit the Full Application by March 31st Winners Accept Awards by July 31st Submit End-of-Year Reports by May 31st • November 16, 2026: Eligibility questionnaire and scholarship application open for submissions.

• March 15, 2027 at 11:59 PM PT: Deadline to complete and submit the eligibility questionnaire. Within two weeks of submission, you will receive an email with the full application form or an email explaining your disqualification. • March 31, 2027 at 11:59 PM PT: Deadline to complete and submit the full scholarship application, including all required documents, in the Kaleidoscope platform.

No extensions or exceptions will be granted. • July 1, 2027: Scholarship recipients will be notified of their scholarship award via the personal email address provided. • July 31, 2027 at 11:59 PM PT: Recipients must sign a Scholarship Grant Agreement and show proof of enrollment.

• August 8, 2027: Scholarship awards will be sent out to applicants by this date. • May 31, 2028: Recipients must submit a Scholarship Fund Report including transcripts for the academic year and receipts illustrating how funds were spent. Failure to submit the Scholarship Fund Report will disqualify applicants from receiving funds in subsequent years.

; 2026-27 Timeline (Currently In Review) • November 17, 2025: Eligibility questionnaire and scholarship application open for submissions. • March 15, 2026 at 1:00PM PT: Deadline to complete and submit the eligibility questionnaire. Within two weeks of submission, you will receive an email with the full application form or an email explaining your disqualification.

• March 31, 2026 at 1:00PM PT: Deadline to complete and submit the full scholarship application, including all required documents, in the Kaleidoscope platform. No extensions or exceptions will be granted. • July 1, 2026: Scholarship recipients will be notified of their scholarship award via the personal email address provided.

• July 31, 2026 at 1:00PM PT: Recipients must sign a Scholarship Grant Agreement and show proof of enrollment. • August 8, 2026: Scholarship awards will be sent out to applicants by this date. • May 31, 2027: Recipients must submit a Scholarship Fund Report including transcripts for the academic year and receipts illustrating how funds were spent.

Failure to submit the Scholarship Fund Report will disqualify applicants from receiving funds in subsequent years. • November 15, 2024: Eligibility questionnaire and scholarship application open for submissions. • Saturday, March 15, 2025 at 1:00PM PT: Deadline to complete and submit the eligibility questionnaire.

Within two weeks of submission, you will receive an email with the full application form or an email explaining your disqualification. • Monday, March 31, 2025 at 1:00PM PT: Deadline to complete and submit the full scholarship application including all required documents. No extensions or exceptions will be granted.

• Friday, July 11, 2025: Scholarship recipients will be notified of their scholarship award via the personal email address provided. • Friday, July 25, 2025 at 1:00PM PT: Recipients must sign a Scholarship Grant Agreement and show proof of enrollment. • Friday, August 8, 2025: Scholarship awards will be sent out to applicants by this date.

• Sunday, May 31, 2026: Recipients must submit a Scholarship Fund Report including transcripts for the academic year and receipts illustrating how funds were spent. Failure to submit the Scholarship Fund Report will disqualify applicants from receiving funds in subsequent years. Once your eligibility has been confirmed, you will receive an email directing you to the full scholarship application in the Kaleidoscope platform.

Email notifications will be sent from both the SAG-AFTRA Foundation staff and the Kaleidoscope team, our collaborators in scholarship processing. To ensure receipt, please regularly monitor both your email inbox and junk mail folders within the timeline above. Frequently Asked Questions ; Are scholarships limited to certain types of schools or programs?

Scholarships are granted for study in pursuit of a college degree, professional certificate, or trade license. We do not limit recipients to specific courses of study, however, scholarship recipients must attend an accredited program. To check if your program is accredited, contact your school’s administrative office or check the U.S. Department of Education’s Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs here .

Accredited programs outside of the U.S. are eligible. We do not provide scholarships for pre-college or high school programs. ; How do I know if I have enough SAG-AFTRA earnings to qualify?

Where can I look them up? ; If an applicant is a SAG-AFTRA member and the parent(s) are SAG-AFTRA member(s), can an applicant combine both applicant and parent(s) earnings to make the earnings requirement? Yes.

Applicant member and parent(s) earnings can be combined to make the earnings requirement. Note: If one of the members is on Suspended Payment, Terminated, Resigned, or Fi-Core, or if the member is not dues current, then that person’s earnings would not be included in the combined earnings.

A deceased parent’s membership and earnings will be taken into account, providing that the parent’s membership was Active or Honorable Withdrawal at the time of death. ; Do scholarships renew, or do I need to apply each year I’d like to be considered for a scholarship? Scholarships do not renew and are only granted for a single year.

Recipients must submit a new application for each year that they’d like to be considered for an educational scholarship. Applicants are not allowed to reuse essays submitted in previous applications; we expect new personal essays and updated materials for each year’s application. ; What is the criteria for judging an application?

Academic standing, financial need, the essay, and letters of recommendation. ; Is there a limit to how many scholarships I could receive? Applicants can only apply to and receive one scholarship per year.

In their lifetimes, recipients may receive a maximum of: • Four (4) John L. Dales Standard Scholarships; • Two (2) John L. Dales Transitional Scholarships; • One (1) George Heller Memorial Standard Scholarship; and • One (1) George Heller Memorial Transitional Scholarship SAG-AFTRA Foundation staff will determine which programs you have exhausted and which program you are eligible for when you submit the eligibility questionnaire.

; Does everyone who applies receive a scholarship? No. The SAG-AFTRA Foundation Scholarship Program is competitive and each scholarship is awarded on the basis of criteria established by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. ; Can I apply for multiple programs (both Dales and Heller) in the same year?

No, applicants can only apply for one program per cycle. When you submit the eligibility questionnaire, SAG-AFTRA Foundation staff will determine which program you are eligible for and assign your application accordingly. ; If an applicant does not receive a scholarship, is there an appeals process?

No. The decisions are final. ; What is the deadline for submitting the scholarship application? The deadline for submitting the complete application is March 31st at 11:59PM PT.

There will be no exceptions or extensions. ; What academic year does the scholarship cover? From September of the scholarship start year to August of the following year.

; Once an applicant is granted a scholarship, what documentation is required before receiving the funds? The signed Grant Agreement Form; Proof of enrollment in an accredited program ; Does the SAG-AFTRA Foundation send tax documents to scholarship recipients?

Our scholarship grants are not considered taxable income as the funds provided are to cover qualified educational expenses, so we do not provide any tax documents to our recipients. ; If awarded, what can I use my scholarship funds for? Is there anything I can’t use them on?

Scholarship funds must be used towards IRS-qualified educational expenses, such as: • School supplies and equipment Scholarship funds may not be used for: • Room & board, including dormitory housing and meal plans • Rent or mortgage payments • Medical expenses (e.g., student health fees) • Transportation and parking • Personal items (e.g., clothing, snacks, dormitory decoration) ; Can you help me find other scholarships?

Do you offer financial aid counseling? Unfortunately, we cannot help you search for other scholarships or provide financial aid counseling. Please see the following resources, which may help you in this process: • The Entertainment Community Fund’s partnership with EDCAP provides free one-on-one counseling to entertainment industry professionals regarding student loan debt, pre-college financing, and FAFSA completion.

Learn more here • The Union Plus Scholarship Program • U.S. Department of Education’s Guide to Finding Scholarships • Scholarship Databases and Marketplaces: Kaleidoscope , CollegeBoard , Scholarship America , and Scholarships. com ; Is there a sample application that can be referenced? Click the following links to view the sample eligibility application and the sample full scholarship application .

Please note that only applications submitted through the online scholarship application system will be accepted. ; What grant management software does the Foundation use? The SAG-AFTRA Foundation partners with Kaleidoscope, a cloud-based awards management digital platform enabling organizations to fund, design, administer, and host branded scholarship programs.

The platform uses leading technologies to deliver an end-to-end solution for sponsors, organizations, and those they support. Kaleidoscope is building a future where financial aid and funding solutions are smart, cost-effective, and as unique as the applicants they serve. Please expect emails from Kaleidoscope and check all junk and spam boxes regularly.

; Who do I contact for more information or with questions? Director of Assistance Programs yyossefy@sagaftra. foundation For technical issues with the Kaleidoscope platform, please email help@mykaleidoscope.

com About the John L. Dales and George Heller Scholarship Funds The SAG-AFTRA Foundation John L. Dales Scholarship Fund was created in 1973 in honor of the legacy Screen Actors Guild (SAG) longtime Executive Secretary.

Since its creation, the John L. Dales Scholarship Fund has awarded more than $9. 2 million in scholarships to more than 2,400 SAG-AFTRA members and their dependents.

The SAG-AFTRA Foundation George Heller Memorial Scholarship Fund was created in 1967 in honor of George Heller, one of American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) founders. Since its creation, the George Heller Memorial Scholarship Fund has awarded hundreds of scholarships to members and their dependents.

Scholarships are granted for study at accredited and licensed universities, colleges, junior colleges in pursuit of securing a college degree. These scholarships are also available for adult specialty schools and trade/vocational schools in pursuit of securing a degree or professional trade license. The number and amount awarded are determined annually by a committee of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation.

The SAG-AFTRA Foundation Scholarships are available for eligible SAG-AFTRA members and their dependents and made possible through gifts, grants and sponsorships. John L. Dales attended Stanford University and worked as a lawyer in his native Los Angeles before joining the staff of the Screen Actors Guild as its resident counsel in 1937.

He served as the Screen Actors Guild’s Executive Secretary from 1943 to 1973, and helped to usher in a period of labor reforms that continue to benefit performers to this day. Initially, Dales was involved in enforcing the rules governing various Screen Actors Guild contracts; however, he became increasingly involved in negotiations for improved working conditions for background performers and the formulation of agency regulations.

With the emergence of the television industry as a new source of employment for performers, Dales was instrumental in expanding the Screen Actors Guild’s jurisdiction by helping to institute a new contract to cover the then nascent TV commercial industry.

His steadfast strategies, along with a principled belief that union members deserved greater respect, led to a series of concessions from the major movie studios that provided increased security and compensation for working actors. During his tenure at the union, John L. Dales served as chief negotiator throughout the presidencies of several high-profile members including Ronald Reagan and Charlton Heston.

After retiring from the Screen Actors Guild, Dales served as president of the Motion Picture and Television Fund from 1980 to 1988. George Heller was a founder of the legacy American Federation of Radio Artists (AFRA). He served as the New York Local Executive Director from its inception in 1937 until 1949, and became AFRA’s National Executive Director in 1946.

In 1952, the union added the “T” for “Television” to its name, and George Heller became AFTRA’s first National Executive Director, a post he held until 1955 when he unexpectedly passed at the age of 49. Among his many accomplishments in the field of labor, Heller’s final and perhaps greatest was negotiating the AFTRA Pension and Welfare Plan.

This plan was the first multi-employer plan established in the United States and the first in the entertainment industry to provide health coverage and retirement security to its members. The George Heller Memorial Scholarship Fund was established by the legacy American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) National Board to honor George Heller.

The Heller Scholarships have been given to hundreds of legacy AFTRA and now SAG-AFTRA members and their dependents since 1967.

From its early years until the merger of the Scholarship Funds in 2015, each Heller scholarship was dedicated to one of the following AFTRA members and a few executives who had given many years of memorable service to the union: Jackson Beck • Mortimer Becker • Bill Bransome • Mel Brandt • Stan Burns • Fran Carlon • Lillian Clark • Charles Collingwood • Bud Collyer • Michael Collyer • Reginald Dowell • John Henry Faulk • John Fitzgerald • Conrad Fowkes • Hetty Galen • Stanley Greene • Martha Greenhouse • Ken Groot • Mac Harris • Clara Heller • George Heller • John Henning • Burt Jacoby • Lou Jacobi • Travis Johnson • Mandel Kramer • Don LaFontaine • Dan Mallinger • Claude Mccue • Elizabeth Morgan • Kenneth & Rita Morley Harvey • Frank Nelson • Virginia Payne • Brad Phillips • Duncan Pirnie • Nat Polen • Kenneth Roberts • Donn Schrader • Jerry Walter • Rubin Weiss The Scholarship Program is free for SAG-AFTRA members, and made possible through gifts, grants and sponsorships.

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