Sigma Theta Tau International, the scholastic honor society of nursing, was established in 1922. The University chapter, Beta Pi, was chartered in 1974. The society promotes health and illness prevention through the advancement of nursing leadership, scholarship, and administration. The society offers scholarships to graduate and undergraduate nursing students and lends partial support for alumni and faculty research and continuing education. Undergraduate nursing students are eligible for consideration once they have completed one-half of the nursing program and must rank in the upper thirty-five percent (35%) of their class, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Graduate students are eligible for consideration once they have completed one-fourth of the graduate nursing program, provided they have a GPA of 3.5 or better.