WELCOME TO THE DAR ACADEMIC WORKS PORTAL

This portal is used to apply for DAR scholarships, grants, and the Outstanding Teacher of American History Contest.

Looking for Legacy Grants – Community Classroom, Historic Preservation Grants, or Outstanding Teacher of American History Contest?

• Select Opportunities at the top of this page, then select Grant from the dropdown menu to view available opportunities and begin an application.

Looking for DAR Scholarships?

• Scholarship applicants should review the important information and application instructions below before beginning an application.

Looking for other DAR supported external scholarships?

• Select Opportunities at the top of this page, then select External to view the opportunities currently available.

DAR SCHOLARSHIP APPLICANTS

Important Login Information

• All new and returning users must establish a Blackbaud ID (BBID) and use Multi-Factor Authentication before accessing DAR Academic Works. This additional login step helps protect applicants’ confidential information.

LOCKED OUT OF YOUR ACCOUNT?

• If you are locked out while attempting to log in, do not continue trying to log in. The system will automatically reset and unlock after 30 minutes. Please wait the full 30 minutes before attempting to log in again.

The scholarship application is open each year from November 1 through January 31 at 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Time.

After logging in, you will be presented with the general scholarship application. You may save your work by selecting “Save and Keep Editing” at the bottom of the application. When your application is complete, select “Finish and Continue.”

DAR SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

• Below is a list of scholarship opportunities offered by the DAR Scholarship and American Indians Committees. DAR offers scholarships for graduating high school students, college undergraduate students, graduate students, and students pursuing a variety of specialized fields.
• Scholarship opportunities include nursing, medicine, occupational or physical therapy, law, business administration, English, math, chemistry, music (voice or piano only), American history, history, government, American Studies, historic preservation, horticulture, and elementary and secondary education.
• DAR also offers scholarships specifically for American Indian students. Applicants for these scholarships must provide proof of membership in a federal or state-recognized tribe.
• Two scholarships are also available specifically for DAR members or DAR descendants/dependents. Applicants for these scholarships must provide the DAR member’s national membership number and their relationship to the DAR member.
• Each scholarship has its own eligibility requirements and may require additional information or documentation. Carefully review the criteria for each scholarship for which you are applying.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO APPLY

Before beginning your application, have the following documents and information ready:

• Personal Statement: A personal statement of 1,000 words or less describing your career objectives, including the degree you are currently pursuing.
• Transcripts: A recent high school, college, and/or graduate school transcript, as applicable. Unofficial transcripts may be submitted with your application. Scholarship recipients will be required to provide official transcripts.
• Scholarship-Specific Information: Depending on the scholarship, this may include financial need information, proof of enrollment or acceptance into a particular program, proof of tribal membership, or graduate-level test scores such as the MCAT or LSAT.
• Proof of U.S. Citizenship: A copy of a birth certificate, naturalization papers, or the information page of a U.S. passport. Cover all photographs and black out Social Security numbers, if shown.
• Activities and Achievements: A one-page document listing extracurricular activities, honors, and scholastic achievements. The document must include your name and must not exceed one side of an 8½" x 11" page.
• IMPORTANT: Do not upload any document that shows your photograph. Cover all photographs before uploading documents to your application. Including your photograph is an automatic disqualification of your application.

If you upload a document in error, instructions for removing it are available in the FAQ section located in the upper right corner of your application.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION – PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

Applicants must submit at least two, but no more than four, letters of recommendation. Letters may not be provided by relatives.

IMPORTANT: YOU, THE APPLICANT, MUST UPLOAD ALL LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION DIRECTLY INTO YOUR APPLICATION.

• The person writing your recommendation cannot submit the letter directly to DAR Academic Works. Letters also cannot be emailed or mailed to DAR on your behalf, including letters sent through a secure or confidential third-party platform.
• You should request your recommendation letters early enough to allow the individuals writing them time to return the completed letters to you before the application deadline.
• Recommendations may come from teachers, counselors, instructors, professors, coaches, mentors, spiritual leaders, administrators, co-workers, supervisors, or others who can speak to your abilities, work habits, integrity, character, potential, and volunteer activities.
• All letters must:
  – Have been written within the last year.
  – Include the date written.
  – Include the reference giver’s name, title, signature, and contact information.
  – Be provided to you so you can upload the letter directly into your application.

IMPORTANT DEADLINE INFORMATION

DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO COMPLETE YOUR APPLICATION.
Your complete application and all required materials, including letters of recommendation, must be submitted by January 31 at 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Time. No exceptions can be made.

IMPORTANT DAR POLICIES

NSDAR Statement on the Protection of Confidential and/or Personal Information

• All confidential information concerning a person’s educational records, transcripts, or other personal sensitive information that may be collected by NSDAR, state societies or state organizations, and/or chapters, will be maintained in a manner that reasonably protects it from misuse and loss and from unauthorized access, modification, or disclosure.

• The purpose of collecting certain confidential educational records or other sensitive information is to enable NSDAR, state societies or state organizations, and/or chapters to fulfill their obligations as organizers, sponsors, and supporters of scholarships, contests, or other activities involving an award of funds or prizes.

NSDAR Statement on Plagiarism and Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):

• Essays and written content submitted as part of a DAR scholarship application must be the original work of the applicant.

• The use of generative AI tools to compose any part of a DAR scholarship application is prohibited. Applications may be screened using software designed to detect plagiarism and/or the use of AI.

• If an application is found to contain plagiarism (whether intentional or inadvertent) or to have been created using AI, or to have been written by another person(s), it may be disqualified and/or will not be eligible to receive a scholarship award.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU APPLY?

• After the application window closes on January 31, your application status may change as it moves through the judging/review process.

• Each eligible scholarship application is independently reviewed by three judges using a standardized rubric specific to that scholarship. Each rubric criterion is scored from “0” to “10”. All scores within DAR Academic Works are converted to a 100-point scale and the judges’ scores are averaged by the system to determine the recipient.

• All applicants will receive an email notification from DAR Academic Works by the second week of May, whether or not they have been selected to receive a scholarship.

• The notification will be sent to the email address listed in your scholarship application profile. Please make sure your email address is current and continue to monitor that account for communications from DAR Academic Works.

IF YOU ARE SELECTED FOR A DAR SCHOLARSHIP

Scholarship recipients will receive additional instructions from DAR and will be required to complete the following steps before an award can be issued:

• Provide official transcripts. You will be asked to provide an official copy of your transcripts to the Office of the Reporter General by a specified deadline. Official transcripts may be submitted by secure email or mail and must be received before your scholarship award can be issued.
• Complete the Scholarship Acceptance Form. The form will be sent to the email address listed in your application. You will be asked to provide the physical mailing address of the academic institution that will receive your scholarship award.
• Scholarship funds are sent directly to your academic institution. Award checks are not mailed directly to scholarship recipients. Scholarship funds are restricted and may only be used for eligible educational expenses, including tuition and fees, room and board, books, and other expenses allowed by your college or university.
• Applicants may receive only one DAR scholarship per award cycle.
• Scholarship awards are issued in August for the Fall Semester. No exceptions can be made. Awards cannot be delayed for the Spring Semester or another time period. Recipients must be currently enrolled as students when the scholarship award is issued.
• Scholarship awards cannot be held for a gap year. A gap year is a period when an individual takes a break from their formal education for activities such as travel, volunteering, work, or non-accredited educational or personal development courses.

Failure to provide your official transcripts and completed Scholarship Acceptance Form by the specified deadline will result in the scholarship not being awarded.

QUESTIONS?

For questions about DAR scholarships, contact scholarships@nsdar.org or the National Vice Chairman responsible for each individual scholarship. Contact information for each scholarship is available on the DAR scholarship website at www.dar.org/national-society/scholarships