Scholarships

The ELS houses several scholarship opportunities for students. Information on the Bradley-Turner Leadership Scholarship, Bracewell Student Involvement Scholarship, and Dawn D. Bennett-Alexander Building Bridges Scholarship can be found below.

Scholarships & Grants

Group image.

Engagement, Leadership, and Service provides funding support to students who have made significant contributions through their leadership and involvement as well as those seeking opportunities that will impact and enhance their student experience. 

Student Engagement Grants

Engagement, Leadership, and Service at UGA provides funding support to students seeking opportunities and experiences across campus and beyond that will impact and enhance their student experience. By reducing a financial barrier to participation, the goal of this grant is to equip students to take advantage of the breadth of offerings at UGA for their growth, development, and engagement. Applicants should be prepared to provide a description of opportunities, including cost, and how they benefit the student’s experience on the application

Due to the overwhelming demand, we have exhausted the funds available for the 2023-24 year. The application for the 2024-25 awards will open in August.

Special thanks to the UGA Parents Leadership Council for their generosity in making Student Engagement Grants possible.

Bill and Camilla Bracewell Student Involvement Scholarship

The Bracewell Student Involvement Scholarship provides support for undergraduate students at the University of Georgia in their pursuit of student involvement, leadership, study abroad, experiential learning, and internship opportunities. Competitive applicants will be undergraduate students who have made and/or are making significant contributions to the areas where they are involved. 

Selected scholarship recipients will receive a one-time scholarship award of $750. Applicants must be enrolled in classes for the term in which they wish to receive scholarship funding.

Applications for the 2024-25 year will be available from February 1 through March 31, 2024. Selected recipients will be notified by April 29, 2024. 

Dawn D. Bennett-Alexander Building Bridges Scholarship

The Building Bridges Scholarship program awards scholarships to outstanding undergraduate students who demonstrate a commitment toward understanding difference among people by engaging in actions that cross traditional boundaries in a spirit of enlightenment, acceptance, and greater understanding. Scholarship recipients will be selected to receive a one-time scholarship award of $1,000 for the 2024-25 academic year. Applicants will be notified of their selection by May 1, 2024. 

To be eligible applicants should:

  • Be currently enrolled and in good academic standing at the University of Georgia. Students are eligible for the scholarship at any time during the equivalent of their freshman, sophomore, junior, or first semester of their senior year.
  • Demonstrate efforts of an established commitment to help move the University of Georgia, the Athens area, the state, or the world toward a better understanding of immutable differences among people, particularly those based on race, gender, sexual orientation, and ethnicity. Differences may also include religion, culture, and disabilities.
  • The demonstration of a commitment shall be evidenced by engaging in actions that cross the traditional boundaries of those groups and instead reach out to others in a spirit of enlightenment, acceptance and greater understanding. This can take the form of, but not be limited to:
    • putting on or helping to put on programs regarding diversity subject matter for various communities to attend;
    • helping to sponsor such programs, helping to raise funds, or awareness of such issues;
    • providing opportunities for cross-cultural understanding through public conversations, speak outs, letters to the editor, University or legislative proposals, or other writings;
    • providing opportunities for engaging other organizations, including predominantly homogenous organizations or those involving affinity groups different from those of the student; and/or advocacy regarding these issues.

In considering scholarship awardees, the selection committee shall look for actions that promote understanding of diversity issues, with an emphasis on the student engaging with others outside of his/her group in an effort to bring a greater understanding of diversity issues across traditional lines.

The applicant is required to submit a supporting letter of recommendation from someone who has worked with the nominee in his/her diversity efforts. The seconder’s letter should set forth why the nominee is a good candidate to receive the scholarship based on their diversity work within the confines of the scholarship’s criteria.

Applications will become available in February and are due by Monday, April 1, at 12:00 p.m. Recommendations are due by Wednesday, April 3, at 5:00 p.m.

William M. Crane Memorial Scholarship

The William Crane Scholars program is jointly administered by the Morehead Honors College and Engagement, Leadership, and Service. The scholarship offers a $1,500 annual award, renewable for one additional academic year. Candidates will be rising third-year students in the Honors program who have displayed outstanding leadership and involvement on campus and maintain at least a 3.7 cumulative UGA GPA. 

Questions may be directed to Elizabeth Hughes at ejhsears@uga.edu.

 

Bradley-Turner Leadership Scholarship

The Bradley-Turner Leadership Scholars Program provides scholarships for outstanding students who exhibit superior leadership capabilities while in high school and who aspire to be student leaders at the University of Georgia.

The scholarship offers a $10,000 annual award, and up to $1,000 per year for leadership development activities. The award may be renewed for three additional years (a total of four years or eight semesters) of full-time undergraduate study at The University of Georgia, or until the completion of a bachelor’s degree, whichever occurs first. Scholars must maintain a cumulative UGA grade point average of at least 3.2 to retain eligibility.

To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants should:

  • Have a record of academic excellence; 
  • Have a record of outstanding leadership in extracurricular school, community, and civic and/or religious activities; 
  • Have completed and submitted a UGA admissions application; and 
  • Have at least one recommendation from a school official evaluating the applicant’s qualifications for the scholarship. 

The selection process is highly competitive with only one scholarship awarded annually to an entering first-year student. Preference is given first to residents of the Columbus, Georgia area, second to residents of Georgia, and finally to out-of-state applicants.

Application materials are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 1, 2024. Recommendations are due by Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Finalists will be notified by March 29, 2024. Questions may be directed to Lori Crawford at lori.crawford@uga.edu.