The VanNahmen Student Excellence Award will be granted to five students for the 2025-2026 academic year. This $1,000 award may be used for educational expenses such as tuition and books, or towards other costs of attendance like childcare or educational technology.
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"It is an honor to receive the VanNahmen Student Excellence Award (formerly the IDEA Student Excellence Award). Financial support will tremendously affect my educational career and my personal and family well-being. The award will enable me to increase the number of courses I can take in a semester and expedite my degree completion without incurring debt. By decreasing the financial burdens of my education, I will have more valuable time to focus on my family and pursue my academic and career goals. I am very grateful for the opportunities this award provides and the support I have received through this program to continue my education." Hannah Adame, Family & Consumer Sciences Education, Oklahoma State University |
2025-2026 Applicant Qualifications and Requirements
Students can apply annually, however, preference will be given to students who have not received previous financial support from IDEA. Five $1,000 awards will be granted for the 2025-2026 academic year.
Applications for the 2025-2026 award will open on February 3, 2025. Award winners will be notified by July 1, 2025 and posted here by August 1, 2025.
Applicant Qualifications
Students must:
- Have been admitted to an IDEA member university
- Have been admitted to an IDEA degree-granting program (bachelor, master, or certificate)
- Have completed a minimum of two (2) IDEA courses
- Have an academic plan for degree completion
- Be enrolled during the 2025-2026 academic year (starting Fall 2025)
Application Requirements
The application process will include submission of the following:
- Application form submitted online
- Unofficial transcript
- Academic plan for degree completion
- One (1) page resume or curriculum vitae
- 500-word essay describing the student's professional and academic goals and achievements, plan for degree completion, and a description of expected uses/benefits of scholarship funds
- Endorsement from an IDEA faculty member, student's faculty academic advisor, or IDEA campus coordinator. Endorsers will be provided an online form to complete once the student has submitted their application. This form includes six statements to rank and a brief (500-word max.) statement of support.
Award Guidelines and Information
Application Deadline
Applications for the 2025-2026 award will open on February 3, 2025. Student applications are due March 9, 2025, by 11:59 p.m. Endorsements are due March 16, 2025, by 11:59 p.m.
Application Evaluation
Each program will select two finalists whose applications will be evaluated by three (3) IDEA Cabinet members. A rubric will be used to evaluate applications and determine award recipients. The rubric focuses on how well the personal statement highlights the student's professional and academic goals, including how these goals align with the student’s program, as well as a clearly outlined plan for degree completion. Evaluation also includes how the applicant articulates the direct contribution of the financial support to their academic success. The strength of the endorsement is also a factor in the overall scoring of applications.
Use of Awards Funds
Funds may be used for educational expenses, such as tuition and books, or towards other costs of attendance like childcare, educational technology, or cost of living.
About the Award
The VanNahmen Student Excellence Award is named in honor of former IDEA Executive Director, Carol (Gould) VanNahmen. Over her 15-year tenure at IDEA, VanNahmen was instrumental in the growth of the alliance and in fostering collaboration across institutions. Under her leadership, IDEA added a new human sciences master's degree and bachelor's degree program, as well as seven agriculture programs. Human sciences program enrollment increased by 51 percent, and agriculture program enrollment increased by 863 percent. In March 2015, VanNahmen was recognized by the IDEA Cabinet with the Distinguished Service Award, the first and only time this honor has been given by the alliance. VanNahmen made a tremendous impact on the alliance and students, which will continue through this award.
Questions
Contact Amanda Burris at IDEA.
