Welcome to Alpha Alpha Alpha - Kappa Iota Chapter

Fresno State students, staff, faculty, alumni and community members may submit a Tri-Alpha membership application for themselves or on behalf of someone they would like to nominate. 

Fresno State students, staff, faculty, alumni and community members. 

Students qualify for induction into Tri-Alpha if they meet the following criteria:

• The student has earned at least 30 credits towards an bachelor's degree AND has achieved an overall undergraduate GPA of at least 3.2.
• Neither of the student's parents, nor step-parents, nor legal guardians, completed a bachelor's degree.
• Graduate students who are first-generation students can be admitted if they have completed the equivalent of at least one term of study (9 or more graduate credits) and have a GPA in their graduate program of at least 3.5. 

Faculty and staff may be inducted if they have met the definition of a first-generation student listed above at the time they completed their bachelor's degree. Faculty and staff must be willing to serve as mentors for first-generation students.

A small number of alumni and honorary inductees may be initiated each year. To qualify, these inductees must have been first-generation students (using the definition above) when they completed their bachelor's degree. They must remain connected in some way to Fresno State — a member of a board or alumni association; the sibling of a current student; a volunteer; a donor; etc.. They must have established themselves in their post-college lives in a manner that can be held up to first-generation students as something to aspire to, and must be willing to mentor first-generation students, if asked.  

Honorary members need not have been first-generation college students; rather honorary inductees may be first-generation students with some kind of connection to the institution (as indicated above) OR clearly be a first-generation student advocate, mentor, or supporter while maintaining a connection to the institution which is inducting them.

All membership inquiries will be reviewed by staff members in the Office of the Dean of Students. An electronic acceptance letter will be sent to the applicant/nominee, outlining next steps, and/or the applicant/nominee will be contacted the the Dean's staff if more information is required before the membership can be granted. 

When inducted, initiates receive a certificate of initiation and a pin.  Honor cords for graduating students and members of the faculty/staff/alumni are available for purchase at an additional charge.

Inductees may also participate in the induction ceremony hosted by the Office of the Dean of Students and the Office of the Vice President for the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. 

• An affordable, lifetime, national initiation fee of $15 (for students) and $25 for faculty, staff, and alumni. NOTE: this fee does not include honor cords.
• A certificate and pin signifying membership. Membership is for life.
• An outward recognition of personal accomplishment and an incentive for continued high scholarship.
• The opportunity to meet other first-generation scholars from all academic disciplines on your campus and to join them in promoting academic excellence and creating a supportive environment for first-generation college students.
• Identifies you to employers, professionals, and graduate schools as a person of superior academic ability and commitment.
• Ability to mentor younger first-generation students.
• Ability to receive mentoring from more senior first-generation students, as well as faculty, staff, and alumni who were first-generation students.
• Local chapter leadership opportunities.

There is a one-time fee of $15 (for students) and $25 for faculty, staff, and alumni. Inductees receive a certificate of membership and a pin. This fee does not include the cost of honor cords. 

Honor cords can be purchased at a cost of $20 per cord (plus shipping) for students earning a bachelor's degree (or higher), as well as for staff, faculty, alumni and honorary members. 

No. Once inducted, you are always a member, even if your GPA slips.

No. What matters is that the non-student inductees were first-generation students or (for honorary members) are advocates and mentors for first-generation students and that they have a connection to the institution.