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Tau Beta Pi Fellowships FAQ
1. I am not a member of Tau Beta Pi. May I still apply for a Tau Beta Pi Fellowship?
Tau Beta Pi Constitution & Bylaws specifically restrict these fellowships to initiated members of the Tau Beta Pi Association on the date the fellowship is awarded. Any inaccuracies on the application will result in the immediate and automatic revocation of the fellowship offer, even if the applicant believes the information is true. Tau Beta Pi membership records at the national office provide the single source of proof of an applicant’s membership status. (Back to Top)
2. I am a junior/senior/graduate student/alumnus/foreign national. Am I eligible to apply?
The program is designed for alumnus members of Tau Beta Pi who pursue full time graduate study the following academic year in a field that contributes to the profession of engineering. You may be an undergraduate when you apply but the fellowship is for graduate study only. U.S. citizenship is not required. Legal residency is required. (Back to Top)
3. How do I know if my study plan contributes to the profession of engineering?
You must make the case in Question 8 that your plan of study contributes to the engineering profession. (Back to Top)
4. May I postpone the cash award a year if I already have funding for the academic year in which I won the fellowship?
The fellowship may only be postponed for one year for hardship cases at the discretion of the Director of Fellowships. Such cases would include illness, or personal or family emergencies in which the winner would not be attending school for the entire academic year in which the fellowship was won. Funding issues are not considered hardship cases. (Back to Top)
5. How do I acquire an application?
Members of Tau Beta Pi may only apply by following the instructions found at http://www.tbp.org/tbpapps. You will be asked to set up a username and password so your membership status can be confirmed. Be sure to update your mailing address on our web site. The address on file should match the address you indicate as the preferred address in your application. This link is not active until November 1 of the application year. (Back to Top)
6. Where do I mail the completed application?
Send the application via regular mail to:
Steve Pierre
Alabama Power Co
P O Box 2247
Mobile , AL 36652
The deadline is a postmark deadline, so sending the application via FEDEX, Priority Mail, or other expedited method of delivery is not necessary. Please do not send ‘Return Receipt Requested' since I do not have an office at the post office and will not be there to sign for your package. Also do not send a stamped self-addressed envelope to me for verification that I received your application.
If exigent circumstances require delivery via a method other than the US Postal Service send the package to:
Steve Pierre
Alabama Power Co
150 St. Joseph St.
Mobile , AL 36602
Sending mail to the street address via the post office will delay delivery, sometimes for more than a week. (Back to Top)
7. How will I know if you received my application and reference letters? (Back to Top)
Save the username and password you set up to acquire your application. The status can be checked by logging back into your account at http://www.tbp.org/tbpapps. (Back to Top)
8 .When is the application deadline? (Back to Top)
The application must be postmarked by January 31. The Board meets in early April to make the selections. We do not accept applications between January 31 and November 1. (Back to Top)
9. Can I get an extension on the deadline if circumstances beyond my control prevent me from filing on time?
Generally no, because the applications have to be processed and distributed before our meeting in early April. However, if I receive an application in time to be considered the Board usually considers it. There are no guarantees however if your application is submitted after the deadline. (Back to Top)
10. Is it OK for me to FAX or email the application and reference letters?
Absolutely not. The Board is not set up to receive and consider applications and references that are FAXed or in an electronic format. (Back to Top)
11. I have questions about the application. What is the best procedure for me to obtain answers?
Understanding the information in the Fellowship FAQ and the information in the application instructions should provide you with all the information you need to complete the application. I will not give you specific advice how to answer individual questions in the application. First, I can't fill out the application for all 450+ applicants in both programs and it would be an unfair advantage to assist some applicants and not others. Second, part of the test is giving you an opportunity to creatively advocate your abilities and accomplishments to the Fellowship Board. The completed application should be your own creative work. If your question is not addressed in the document or instructions then you are free to decide for yourself how to proceed. On the other hand, if you do have a point of confusion or process question email me at
. If my reply is "see the FAQ and instructions" then the information you seek is already contained in these documents or the question is one you should decide for yourself. Otherwise your question probably will become another Q/A in this document. (Back to Top)
12. What is the Board looking for in a Tau Beta Pi Fellow?
The Board looks for those qualities in an applicant that fulfill our two “great requirements”, outstanding scholarship and exemplary character. The questions are designed to give us an insight into these qualities, so answer them to the best of your ability. “The Eligibility Code of the Tau Beta Pi Association” is a good resource to refresh an applicant’s memory regarding exemplary character. (Back to Top)
13. How does the Board measure “outstanding scholarship”?
The primary measure is undergraduate class rank, within the college and department. However we do consider undergraduate GPA and information provided from references and from Question 8. The undergraduate GPA and class rank information should be the most current available from the college. If you have already graduated this information should reflect your final GPA and class standing in the senior class. Since more than 98% of the applicants will be graduating seniors the Board will not accept graduate school GPA and/or class rank in Question 5. You are free however to elaborate on your graduate school academic performance in Question 8. Do NOT send a transcript. It will not be considered. (Back to Top)
14. What do I do if my institution does not rank students?
First, your college must rank students in order to maintain a chapter of Tau Beta Pi. There is no other way to acquire the top 1/8 of the junior class and top 1/5 of the senior class without ranking the eligible students. Your college may have a policy against providing this data to you for this purpose, however. My advice is to discuss this with the chapter’s chief advisor, your department chair, and the dean of the college. Make sure that they all understand that not having this information puts you at a disadvantage in the competition for these fellowships. Your best bet is to acquire this data within the engineering college, not the university registrar. The vast majority of institutions provide this. Be sure your GPA is listed on the application. The Board can deduce that if you have a 4.0/4.0 GPA, you are at least tied for #1. I will be happy to discuss this issue with officials at your institution if they are willing to talk to me. (Back to Top)
15. My references want to send the reference letters to you directly. Is this acceptable?
Yes, however it causes me more paperwork. The instructions detailing how to submit a reference letter are a part of the application packet. (Back to Top)
16. I did not win a Fellowship. Can you give me feedback and advice so I can do better next time?
The Fellowship Board receives nearly 500 applications from members every year. We have 35 Fellowships and 70 Scholarships to award. Usually the Board runs out of cash to award before we run out of members who are worthy to be recognized. We do not keep a detailed critique of every application we receive. Seek this sort of feedback and counseling from your academic advisor. (Back to Top)
17. The links in the email you sent do not work and I cannot get the application. What should I do?
Most likely the links do not work because your email software wrapped the URL onto the next line and the browser does not recognize all the text as part of the URL. Try cutting and pasting the entire URL into the address window on the browser. If this does not work type the URL from the email into the address window. As a last resort email
and explain the problem. (Back to Top)
18. The application instructions ask for two reference letters. However, there are a number of people who really love me. Can I send additional letters so you can get a better picture of what a terrific person I am?
You can send as many as you want. However, I will only include two of them with the application. If you send more than two letters I decide which two get included. If you send two then you decide. (Back to Top)
19. I was selected as a Tau Beta Pi fellow. May I apply and win another Tau Beta Pi fellowship in a later program year?
No. Bylaw 10.03(b) "A fellowship shall not be awarded to a member who has previously had a Tau Beta Pi fellowship." Tau Beta Pi scholars however are eligible and are encouraged to apply for fellowships when they meet the requirements of the fellowship program. (Back to Top)
20. May I apply for both a fellowship and a scholarship in the same academic year to enhance my chances of receiving a cash award?
No. It is impossible to be eligible for both the scholarship program and the fellowship program in the same academic year. Please do not apply for both because this has the potential to cause both the applicant and the Fellowship Board confusion when the awards are made. If your institution will classify you as an undergraduate for the entire academic year of study for which the award is given, then you are eligible for a scholarship. If at any time during that year you are classified as a graduate student then you should apply for the fellowship. (Back to Top)
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