The Ben Franklin Society is an organization created in 2008 by President Sharon P. Smith to encourage exceptional Pitt-Greensburg students to continue their intellectual journeys of discovery both during college and in graduate school with the support of prestigious fellowships and scholarships. These awards include Fulbright grants to graduates for study abroad; Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships for undergraduates in the sciences; Morris K. Udall Scholarships for undergraduates studying environmental policy; Marshall Scholarships, which support graduate study in the United Kingdom in all fields; and Rhodes Scholarships, which support graduate study at Oxford.

Sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher are invited to apply. Once they have been admitted, students meet with the society's director, Dr. Kelli Maloy, to identify the awards most relevant to their course of study and future plans. They then begin the application process with the assistance of faculty mentors. Students become stronger candidates for these highly competitive awards with the support of this organization and its network of faculty mentors.