Calling All Outstanding Students - Students Of The Year Application Process Opens
The Louisiana Department of Education recognizes that many outstanding students are enrolled in public, nonpublic or charter schools throughout the state of Louisiana. To acknowledge these accomplishments, the Department, in conjunction with the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), annually honors one incredible fifth, eighth and twelfth grade student based on their leadership, academic performance, achievements, citizenship and service to the school and community.
Students are first selected at the school level and then advance to the school system level. School systems submit honorees for consideration at the Zone level, based on the BESE region in which the school is located. From there:
- Charter and nonpublic school Zone Selection Committees each submit
two nominees per grade level to the Regional Selection Committees.
- Public school Zone Selection Committees submit four nominees per grade level to the Regional Selection Committees.
Each Regional Selection Committee then selects one regional honoree per grade level to advance to the state-level competition.
The application process for the 2025-2026 school year is now open. All applications, materials, and the timeline are posted in the resource library.
All public, charter and nonpublic school systems are encouraged to participate. By September 30, 2025, school systems must add their contact information and indicate their participation level in the School System Information and Participation Level Survey.
The zone-level applications are due by November 14, 2025, and will be submitted via an online application portal, which will open later this year.
Students of the Year Resources
U.S. Presidential Scholars Program
The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established to recognize and honor some of our nation's most distinguished graduating high school students selected on the basis of outstanding scholarship. All high school seniors graduating between January and August 2025, who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents and who attend public, parochial, or independent schools, as well as those who are home-schooled, are eligible. School systems can submit, for LDOE consideration, up to two students in the General Component and up to two students in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Component. The Department can nominate up to 10 males and 10 females AND up to five additional students for the CTE recognition component.
This is a recognition program, not a scholarship program. The 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholars will be selected by the Commission on Presidential Scholars and receive the Presidential Scholars Medallion.
In order to recommend students for nomination to the program, school systems are required to submit to the LDOE a parental release form for each nominated student and complete a JotForm application for each student by 4 p.m. November 8, 2024. It is recommended that school systems review the LDOE evaluation rubric prior to nominating students.
U.S. Presidential Scholars Program Resources
United States Senate Youth Program
Applications for the 2025 United States Senate Youth Program are now open. The 64th Annual Washington Week will take place from March 7 to 14, 2026. For more information about the program, please visit the USSYP website.
The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) will select two student delegates to represent Louisiana in the 64th Annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) sponsored by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. Each delegate will receive a $10,000 scholarship. Juniors and seniors may qualify to apply for the USSY Scholarship based on leadership positions they hold during the 2025-2026 school year, per the USSYP official criteria for the current academic school year. All student leadership qualifying positions are subject to the judgment of the state selection administrator and will be verified and confirmed. Students nominated by their principals must submit an application and a portfolio of the required USSYP official criteria to the Louisiana Department of Education. All applications must be submitted and timestamped through the application portal by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, October 3.
Please read the National Brochure and the Louisiana Logistics Memo for more information, including eligibility requirements and the application process. State finalists will be notified by Monday, October 20, and delegates and alternates will be informed in mid-December of final selection.
