ISFE Scholarship Program Overview (2025-2026)
Scholar / Fellow Designations
Undergraduate and master’s students who are accepted into and actively participate in the ISFE scholarship program will be considered Free Enterprise Scholars. PhD students and candidates who are accepted into and actively participate in the ISFE scholarship program will be considered ISFE Doctoral Scholars. Students who satisfy the requirements of the Core Principles tier will be considered Fellows.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible to apply, students must:
- Be enrolled full-time at Oklahoma State University.
- Be in good academic standing during the applicable semester.
- Not have previously violated any ISFE requirements.
Application Process
To be considered for the program, students must apply via an online survey form (whenever the application window is open, a link to the form will be available at https://fe.okstate.edu/fes/).
Students interested in a book study group must (also):
- Indicate interest and availability while completing the online application.
- Include a brief statement explaining their interest in each book.
- May indicate interest in more than one book (to maximize selection chances), but will be limited to one per semester.
Book Study Group Structure
Book study groups will generally meet for 8–10 sessions per semester, with each session typically focused on one book chapter that must be intently read beforehand.
Students who have already participated in a book study group for a given book may not re-enroll in a subsequent group for that same book, unless special permission is granted.
Students who are accepted into a book study group will receive a tiered scholarship (see below) awarded before the disbursement deadline (9/29 for Fall), assuming they have not missed any sessions prior to that date.
Each book study group will be capped at 10 students, but there may be multiple groups studying the same book. Students experiencing temporary conflicts may attend a different group studying the same book, with prior permission from the facilitator.
Tiering System
Overview
A tiering system will be used to determine scholarship eligibility and levels. Tiers are based on:
- (current or prior) Foundational understanding of free-enterprise principles (Core Principles tier)
- (prior) Event attendance and outreach (Presence tier)
- (prior) Depth of small-group & book-study discussion and engagement (Insight tier)
How Tiers Are Determined
Each student’s Core Principles, Presence, and Insight tiers will be evaluated at the end of each semester based on engagement. These tiers determine a student’s scholarship eligibility and limits for the next and subsequent semesters.
Tier | Description |
Core Principles | Completion of (or enrollment in) EEE 4103, 5103, or 6213 |
Presence | Attendance at ISFE events and outreach activity |
Insight | Depth and quality of engagement in small-group & book-study discussions |
🔹 Core Principles Tier
- Based solely on whether a student has completed (or is currently enrolled in) at least one of: EEE 4103, 5103, or 6213.
- Undergraduate students who satisfy this tier will receive a 2× multiplier applied to their current and future base and book-study scholarship awards.
- Graduate students who satisfy this tier (master's or PhD) will receive a 1.25× multiplier applied to their current and future base and book-study scholarship awards.
🔹 Presence Tier
- Based on event attendance and guest outreach (guidelines provided separately, subject to revision).
- Small-group discussions typically count as ½ an event.
🔹 Insight Tier
- Based on quality of contributions to small-group & book-study discussions.
- Tracked via audio recordings and AI-assisted summaries.
- AI will be used for supportive analytics — to identify themes, estimate speaker frequency, and assist facilitators.
- Final evaluation will be made by ISFE staff.
- Students should state their name (or pseudonym) periodically during discussions to ensure proper attribution.
- Recordings will not be disclosed without permission. Anonymized quotes may be used for donor communications.
- Students concerned about misattribution may request a transcript for review. All evaluations will include holistic human review.
Scholarship Amounts
Core Scholarship (Fall Semester – Choose Your Own Commitment Level)
Base Level: $150–$350 (see table below)
Top-Tier Potential (future semesters): up to $750 (graduate) and $1,200 (undergraduate) (per semester)
To qualify:
- Students must attend at least 2 guest-lecture events (or equivalent) prior to the disbursement deadline (9/29).
- Additional attendance unlocks higher scholarship tiers (see table below).
- Failure to meet your commitment level may affect eligibility for future semesters. Exceeding your commitment level will increase your Presence tier level (for future semesters).
📊 Commitment Levels
Events before | Events after | Base |
2 | +1 | $150 |
3 | +1 | $200 |
4 | +1 | $250 |
5 | +1 | $300 |
6 | +1 | $350 |
Students are encouraged to contact the program coordinator in advance if extenuating circumstances prevent fulfillment of their selected commitment level.
Book Study Scholarship
Base Level: $150–$250 (see table below) (in addition to the Core Scholarship)
Bonus (awarded beginning of next semester): up to $200 (see table below)
requires demonstrating intentional and complete engagement with each week’s assigned readings
Top-Tier Potential (future semesters): up to $750 (graduate) and $1,200 (undergraduate) (per semester)
To qualify:
- Completion of all Core Scholarship requirements
- Reliable attendance
- Timely, prepared participation
- Avoidance of repeated absences or tardiness
- Special accommodations will be made for documented unavoidable conflicts.
📊 Prior Successful Book-Study Completion
# of Prior | Book-Study | Potential |
0 | $150 | $100 |
1 | $200 | $150 |
2 | $250 | $200 |
Students are encouraged to contact the program coordinator in advance if extenuating circumstances prevent fulfillment of their book-study commitments.