Elaine M. Diggs Scholarship - Saint Louis Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

The Elaine M. Diggs scholarship award of up to $1,000 is given by the Saint Louis Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. to support the scholastic efforts of African-American female high school seniors planning to attend an accredited college or university. Scholarships are awarded for tuition, books, or living expenses.

Elaine M. Diggs was a Charter member of the Saint Louis Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Soror Diggs was a lifelong Educator in the St. Louis Public Schools District and was passionate about teaching both in the classroom and later on as an Instructional Coordinator. After retirement, she continued to tutor children as well as coached and mentored beginning teachers. Soror Diggs served many years as the Queen Mother of SLMAC’s signature program: Rites of Passage/Jabberwock. In this role, she mentored high school seniors and provided overall guidance to the young women on their journey.

There are not enough words to express how valuable Soror Diggs was to our Chapter and to the community in Education, Arts, and Political Involvement. After Soror Diggs passed, the Saint Louis Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter honored her memory by awarding this scholarship.

Eligibility Criteria

• Female high school senior
• African-American
• Acceptance to 4-year college/university or 2-year community college
• 2.75 GPA or higher
• Current official high school transcript (through Fall/Winter 2024)
• Minimum 500-word personal essay discussing your academic goals, career goals, community service involvement, and why you should receive this scholarship
• 1 letter of recommendation from a teacher
• Completed at least 40 hours of community service in the last 24 months (verification letter must be on official letterhead with a supervisor’s signature)
• Mentor/tutor experience (preferred)
• Resident of the St. Louis Metropolitan area – St. Louis city, the Missouri counties of St. Louis, Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, St. Charles, or Warren, and the Illinois counties of Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe, or St. Clair.

Letter of Recommendation/Service Verification Guidance

Letter of Recommendation: Needs to speak to: the length of time the recommender has known you; your personal characteristics and leadership skills/abilities; your achievements; and the public service activities in which you are/have been involved.
Service Verification: This should be an actual letter and not just a service log. Please ask the person supplying your verification letter to speak to the length of time you’ve been involved with the organization (noting exact # of volunteer hours) and the details of your involvement, including but not limited to: your roles/responsibilities, leadership skills, and impact.

Click here for a video explaining application do’s and don’ts

Each applicant is eligible for one scholarship from SLMAC during this current scholarship year. For information about applying for a scholarship, email the Scholarship Committee at scholarship@dstslmac.com.