The GPSS Graduate College Emerging Leaders Academy (GC-ELA) Scholarship Award provides funding to cover the $600 participation fee for up to five students each academic year who lack departmental financial support.
This award reflects GPSS’s commitment to removing barriers to professional development and enabling graduate and professional students to pursue transformative leadership opportunities.
About the GC-ELA:
The Graduate College Emerging Leaders Academy (GC-ELA) is a competitive, year-long professional development program designed to cultivate leadership skills in ethics, collaboration, teamwork, communication, and leadership theory and practice.
Each cohort concludes with a semester-long mentorship with a campus leader from Iowa State University. For more information about program details and registration, visit here.
Eligibility Criteria:
To be considered for this award, applicants must:
- Be a current Iowa State University graduate or professional student in good academic standing
- Provide a confirmation email from their DOGE, department chair, or major professor verifying that departmental or program funds are not available to support participation in the GC-ELA program
Required Materials:
To complete the application, applicants must:
- Submit a completed application form by December 15, 2025
- Include the following materials in the application as an attachment
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- One letter of support addressing your leadership abilities. (The letter may be written by a faculty advisor, organization president, or direct mentor.)
- Confirmation email from your DOGE, department chair, or major professor verifying that departmental or program funds are not available to support GC-ELA participation.
Award Amount:
- Selected applicants will receive a one-time award of $600, applied directly toward the GC-ELA participation fee.
- Up to five awards will be granted each academic year.
Timeline:
Recipients will be notified of their selection by February 2026. Upon receiving confirmation of funding from GPSS, students must submit their GC-ELA application through the Graduate College Emerging Leaders Academy website. Funds will be disbursed only after confirmation of acceptance into the GC-ELA program
Any questions regarding this award can be directed to gpsspresident@iastate.edu.