Naca Zagunis Student Leader Scholarship 2027 | Study in United States — National Association for Campus Activities (NACA)
Not every scholarship on this list needs to be worth tens of thousands of dollars to be worth applying for. The NACA Zagunis Student Leader Scholarship is small by comparison, but it rewards something many bigger awards overlook entirely: genuine campus leadership.
The relatively low GPA bar also sets it apart from many merit scholarships. This one is about leadership first.
About the Scholarship
The NACA Zagunis Student Leader Scholarship was established by the former NACA Great Lakes Region to support undergraduate or graduate student leaders enrolled in colleges and universities within the Mid-America and Mid-Atlantic regions. It is administered through the National Association for Campus Activities.
Unlike most scholarships on this list, this one is explicitly regional rather than open to applicants from anywhere. Only students at institutions within the Mid-America and Mid-Atlantic NACA regions are eligible.
The scholarship’s defining criterion is leadership, not academic ranking. A cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better is required, a notably lower bar than most merit scholarships, because the program prioritizes campus involvement and volunteer contribution instead.
This focus makes the Zagunis Scholarship a genuinely different kind of opportunity from most awards on this list. It specifically recognizes students whose primary strength is campus leadership and service, not necessarily top grades.
Applicants are expected to hold a significant leadership position on campus, not just general club membership. Student government officers, major event organizers, and similar roles are the kind of positions the scholarship is built around.
Campus activities professionals have long argued that leadership experience gained through student organizations builds skills that classroom learning alone does not, from budget management to conflict resolution to public communication.
This scholarship is one of the more direct ways that argument gets translated into actual funding. It rewards the kind of practical, often unpaid labor that keeps campus life running, work that rarely shows up on a transcript.
Because NACA itself is built around campus activities and student programming specifically, the Zagunis Scholarship reflects the organization’s broader mission rather than existing as an isolated side program.
Students sometimes underestimate how competitive small regional scholarships like this one can be, since the applicant pool, while narrower than national scholarships, is still drawn from every eligible institution across two full NACA regions.
NACA itself connects student activities professionals and campus leaders across hundreds of institutions nationally, giving the Zagunis Scholarship a built-in community of reviewers who understand firsthand what substantial campus leadership actually looks like in practice.
That familiarity can work in an applicant’s favor, since reviewers are generally able to distinguish between a genuinely significant leadership role and a title held in name only.
Past recipients have often gone on to careers in student affairs, event management, and nonprofit leadership, suggesting the scholarship recognizes exactly the kind of early leadership experience that translates into those fields later on.
For students unsure whether their campus involvement “counts” as significant enough leadership, it’s worth remembering that the scholarship’s bar is about real impact and responsibility, not necessarily a prestigious title alone.
A resident assistant who manages real conflicts and community building, for instance, may have just as strong a case as a student government president, depending on how clearly the impact of that role is described in the application.
Campus activities roles such as organizing major events, managing budgets for student organizations, or leading orientation programs for incoming students all demonstrate the kind of practical responsibility the scholarship committee tends to value highly.
Volunteer coordination work, whether through a formal campus office or an informal student-led initiative, can also count meaningfully toward the leadership and service criteria, as long as the applicant can clearly describe the scope of what they organized and the impact it had on their fellow students or the broader campus community.
Scholarship Benefits
- A $500 scholarship award
- Recognition specifically tied to campus leadership and volunteer contribution
- Association with NACA’s broader network of student activities professionals and leaders
- A credential that can strengthen applications for future leadership-focused opportunities
Eligibility Criteria
- You must be a full-time, matriculated undergraduate or graduate student
- You must be enrolled at an institution within the NACA Mid-America or Mid-Atlantic regions
- You must hold a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better at the time of application and during the award semester
- You must hold a significant leadership position on campus
- You must show significant contributions through volunteer involvement, on or off campus
- High school students are not eligible
Fields of Study Covered
The scholarship does not restrict applicants by academic major or field of study. It is open to undergraduate and graduate students across disciplines, provided they meet the regional, GPA, and leadership requirements.
This openness reflects the scholarship’s focus on leadership and campus involvement rather than academic specialization, making it accessible to students regardless of what they are studying.
Required Documents
- A completed NACA Zagunis Student Leader Scholarship application
- Proof of full-time, matriculated enrollment at an eligible Mid-America or Mid-Atlantic institution
- Documentation or description of your campus leadership position
- A record of your volunteer involvement, on or off campus
- Confirmation of your current cumulative GPA
How to Apply (Step-by-Step)
- Confirm your institution falls within the NACA Mid-America or Mid-Atlantic regions
- Confirm your cumulative GPA meets the 2.0 minimum requirement
- Document your significant campus leadership position and volunteer contributions
- Complete the scholarship application with these details
- Submit your application before the November 30 deadline
Selection Process
The scholarship committee reviews applications for the significance of the applicant’s leadership role and the depth of their volunteer involvement, both on and off campus. Because the GPA bar is comparatively low, leadership and service details carry most of the weight in this review.
Applicants who can clearly describe the scope and impact of their leadership role, rather than simply listing a title, tend to stand out more in this process.
Tips to Improve Your Chances
- Describe your leadership role in terms of specific impact, not just the title you hold
- Include both on-campus and off-campus volunteer involvement if you have both, since the scholarship explicitly considers either
- Confirm your institution’s regional eligibility before investing time in the application
- Keep your GPA documentation current and accurate
- Apply even if your GPA is modest, since the scholarship’s bar is intentionally lower than typical merit awards
- Ask a campus advisor or supervisor familiar with your leadership work to help you describe its impact clearly
- Students interested in broader leadership-focused funding may also want to review the Byron Hanke Fellowship if their leadership interests extend into governance research
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this scholarship open to students outside the Mid-America and Mid-Atlantic regions?
No, it is specifically limited to students enrolled at institutions within these two NACA regions.
Is a high GPA required to qualify?
No, only a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better is required, which is lower than most merit-based scholarships.
Can graduate students apply, or is it undergraduate-only?
Both full-time undergraduate and graduate students are eligible, provided they meet the other requirements.
What counts as a “significant” leadership position?
The program does not define a strict list, but it generally refers to meaningful, visible leadership roles such as student government positions or major event organizing responsibilities.
Can high school students apply if they’re taking college courses?
No, high school students are explicitly not eligible, regardless of any college coursework they may be taking.
Is the $500 award renewable in future years?
This is generally a one-time award per application cycle; check NACA’s current terms if you plan to apply again in a future year.
Does volunteer work need to be campus-related to count?
No, both on-campus and off-campus volunteer involvement are explicitly considered.
How many scholarships are awarded each cycle?
The number of awards can vary by cycle; check NACA’s current scholarship materials for recent figures.
Is there an interview as part of the selection process?
Check NACA’s current application guidance, since interview requirements can vary by cycle.
Can international students studying in the eligible regions apply?
Check NACA’s current eligibility guidance directly, since the scholarship’s stated criteria focus on enrollment and region rather than explicitly addressing nationality.
Does holding multiple leadership positions improve my chances?
It can help demonstrate sustained involvement, but a clear, well-described impact in one role is generally more persuasive than a long list of titles with little detail.
Is there a word limit for describing my leadership and volunteer work?
Check the current application form for specific length guidance, and keep your descriptions concise and specific regardless of the exact limit.
Can I apply if my leadership role is in a club unrelated to campus activities or programming?
Yes, the scholarship considers significant leadership broadly, not only roles specifically tied to campus activities programming.
Does NACA notify all applicants of their decision, or only winners?
Notification practices can vary by cycle; check NACA’s current guidance on whether all applicants receive a decision update.
Can I submit letters of recommendation to support my leadership claims?
Check the current application form for whether recommendation letters are accepted or required, since this can strengthen the credibility of your described leadership impact.
Is this scholarship affiliated with any specific university, or is it independent of individual campuses?
It is administered through NACA at the regional level, independent of any single university, and open to eligible students across all qualifying institutions in the two regions.