Eligibility varies by award but generally includes UConn students, student organizations, faculty, and staff. Some awards are open to all campuses, while others are limited to the Storrs campus. Each award has specific criteria, such as minimum GPA, enrollment status, and conduct history.

Nominations are submitted through the online nomination form on the SLA website. You’ll need to select an award, provide the nominee’s information, and submit a thoughtful rationale. Self-nominations are accepted for most awards but must be accompanied by two letters of support from faculty, staff, or peers who can speak to your qualifications.

Nominations for the Student Life Awards typically open in the fall and close in January. For 2025, nominations closed in January, and interview notifications were sent by February 21. The timeline may shift slightly year to year, but nominations usually reopen in October for the following cycle.

Awards span multiple categories, including those for leadership, scholarship, innovation, service, inclusion, campus pride, programmatic excellence, and student employment. Some awards, like the Edward Victor Gant Scholarship or the Andrea Dennis LaVigne Award, include monetary prizes. Others recognize distinction through a certificate, plaque, or public recognition at the ceremony.

After nominations close, selection committees composed of faculty, staff, students, and alumni review the applications. Many awards involve an interview stage, especially those with a monetary component. Final selections are made based on how well the nominee meets the specific award criteria.

Nominees who move forward in the selection process will be contacted by the committee. For the 2025 cycle, notifications were sent on February 21, and interviews were held from February 24 to March 7.

The awards ceremony is typically held in the spring semester, often in April or May. All finalists and recipients are recognized during this formal celebration. Details, including location and time, are announced in advance on the SLA website and via email to nominees.

You can browse award recipients and finalists from previous years on the “Recipients and Finalists” page of the SLA website. Digital programs from each year are archived there, and the names of recipients are also displayed in Student Union Room 303.

Awards are sponsored by a combination of UConn departments, donors, alumni, and university leadership. Each award’s background includes a note on its sponsor and founding purpose.