Phi Kappa Phi, a national honor society, is offering fellowships for outstanding students who intend to continue their academic careers.

The honor society offers a total of 50 fellowships worth up to $7,000 and 30 honorable mention awards of $500.

Tom Eakin, secretary and treasurer of the Penn State chapter, said the fellowships must be used for the first year of graduate study in order "to encourage outstanding scholars to continue their education."

Any senior may apply but they must be eligible for membership in Phi Kappa Phi, said Linda Higginson, director for the Health and Human Development Advising Center. The recipient must become an active member of the honor society, established in 1897, to receive the award, she added.

Senior and junior students in the top 5 percent of their academic college are eligible for membership in the honor society. Graduate students, faculty members and alumni may also be elected to membership in limited numbers.

The local chapter, one of 251 chapters nationwide, will take as many applications as it receives, Higginson said, but "we are only allowed to submit one application to the national office."

Higginson said the Penn State nominee was one of the 50 finalists last year.

"We had a wonderful crop of candidates and she looked good nationally," she said.

Higginson said decisions are based on a student's academic record, standardized test scores, University and community activities and accomplishments, a personal statement of career and study plans and references.

If an awardee decides to leave graduate school, Eakin said, he does not know of anything that says that person has to give the award back. But, "The nature of most of these students is such that . . . they are goal-oriented, devoted to that goal."

Applications for each chapter must be received by Feb. 12. Awards will be announced by the national office at the beginning of April.