Emerging Leaders Frequently Asked Questions
For in-state and border county students, the scholarship is $5,500 per year and is split between fall and spring semester installments. Non-resident students can also receive an amount to pay the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition. This amount can vary because of the 250R vs. fully out-of-state charges.
NOTE: The Emerging Leaders scholarship cannot be combined with any of the following: Cecil C. Humphreys Presidential Scholarship, Provost Scholarship, Dean's Scholarship, Academic Excellence Award, Academic Achievement Award, Trustee Awards, Memphis Advantage, Rising Leaders, or First Scholars. If you have questions about the requirements, please email studentinvolvement@memphis.edu
The program can accept up to 35 students with each incoming freshman class. A portion of those spaces are available to out-of-state students.
Yes. Students apply online through Tiger Scholarship Manager. Applications open mid-November each year and are due February 1. By that date, a high school senior must have submitted the application to be considered for the program. A review of all applications begins after that deadline.
Students interested in the Emerging Leaders Program must have a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale and a minimum of a 21 on the ACT or a 1060 on the SAT. Students should also exhibit ongoing involvement and leadership throughout their high school years, including, but not limited to, clubs and organizations, community service, athletic involvement, and/or local and community organization membership.
No. The Emerging Leaders program is a four-year, cohort-style program. It is only offered to high school seniors admitted to and who have not yet matriculated as full-time students at the University of Memphis.
All completed applications are reviewed. Due to the volume of applications, we cannot commit to communicating when an application has been received. The review process looks at all application components and utilizes a rubric to assign scores to all candidates' essays, high school involvement, and academics. At the end of that review, about 100 candidates are invited to interview with program staff and students.
All candidates undergo an individual, virtual interview process. The interviews last about 30 minutes and help greatly with the final selections. Once all interviews have been completed, all application materials are reviewed. Applicants are informed of selections soon thereafter.
From the February 1 application deadline to the initial round of selections, the process takes between 6 and 8 weeks. All applicants should anticipate some response by the end of March.
When a student is selected, that student will receive a letter that outlines the next steps. All Emerging Leaders must live on campus as freshmen in a residence hall community. While living among other Emerging Leaders is a requirement, the cost of the residence hall is paid for by the student and is not covered by the program. Incoming Emerging Leaders must attend New Student Orientation and Frosh Camp before their first semester. Finally, a kickoff meeting is mandatory for all incoming and current Emerging Leaders; however, that does not occur until students move on campus in August.
Once a student arrives on campus, the obligations vary each year in the program. Students must take ACAD 1100 during their first semester, and in the spring semester of their third year, they must take UNIV 4380. Additionally, students must stay involved in at least one campus-affiliated entity throughout their time in the program, complete at least 10 hours of community service per semester, and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0. These requirements include professional development, community service, and attendance at leadership speaker events. A thorough review for each year is available on the Current EL Information webpage. Staff members and upperclassmen are available to guide students through their program experiences.
