AELS Awards (ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, LEADERSHIP, AND SERVICE)
We are proud to announce the prestigious Graduate Student Association AELS awards, celebrating students who lead in Academic Excellence, Leadership, and Service. We welcome students from all fields to apply. Each award includes a scholarship which is applied directly to the student account. All applicants will be posted and recognized during the annual star-studded GSA Banquet in April.
The AELS Awards is divided into three categories:
- Academic Excellence (Students with significant contributions in academic advances including publications, performances, GPA, research, innovations in the arts, and similar forms of excellence)
- Leadership & Service (Students engaged in volunteering including but not limited to student organizations, serving on committees and task forces, involvement in on-campus and off-campus activities)
- All-around (Students who exemplify the best in Academic, Leadership, and/or Service)
Documents needed for the application
- Headshot
- Unofficial University of Miami Transcript
- Current Resume or CV
- (Optional) Letter of Recommendation attesting to your academic ability and contribution to the graduate student population/university community.
- (Optional) Letter of Recommendation attesting to your community involvement.
The AELS monetary prize will be disbursed in two equal installments, consistent with the structure of other University of Miami scholarships. This distribution process helps cover the student’s fees for the semester in the form of a refund. (All awards are applied directly to the student account).
Monetary prize will be disbursed based on the awardee’s expected graduation term. This disbursement structure applies to the 2026–2027 academic year and all succeeding years.
1. Students graduating in Fall 2026 will receive the full award amount in a single disbursement within the first 4 weeks of the Fall 2026 term.
2. Students graduating in Spring 2027 will receive the award in two equal disbursements: half of it during the Fall 2026 term and the remaining half during the Spring 2027 term.
Please be aware that you can only receive the award if you are still enrolled at UM through Spring 2026. You can not apply if you will graduate in Summer 2026.
The deadline to apply for AELS is on February 20 by 12 midnight.