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Phi Kappa Phi Facts

  • Phi Kappa Phi provides $1 million in grants and awards each biennium to outstanding students and members.
  • Membership is by invitation to the top 7.5% of juniors with at least 72 credit hours and the top 10% of seniors and graduate students at member-campuses. Faculty, professional staff, and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction also may be eligible for membership.
  • Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi was created to honor excellence in all academic disciplines.
  • The Society's motto is "Let the love of learning rule humanity."
  • Notable alumni include former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, best-selling novelist David Baldacci, Grammy Award-winning soprano Renée Fleming, YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley, and NASA astronaut Wendy Lawrence.
  • Phi Kappa Phi hosts chapters at more than 300 colleges and universities across the U.S. plus a few abroad.