• Entering freshman who are in the top 15% of the College of Education admitted applicant pool are invited to participate in the James Scholar Program.
• Transfer and continuing students who have earned at least 3.5 Institutional and/or Overall grade point averages will be invited to participate in the James Scholar Program in the fall term for the current academic year.
• The College of Education does not have a self-nomination process.

• Students must complete a James Scholars Project in the fall and spring semesters in order to receive transcript notation for the year.
• Students must successfully complete their fall project and earn an Institutional, Term and Overall GPA of 3.5 in order to continue in the James Scholars Program for the spring semester. Note: First semester freshmen who earn an Institutional and Overall GPA of 3.25 during their fall semester are eligible to continue in the spring. This applies only to freshmen for their first semester.
• Students must complete an eHCLA each semester of participation in the program. Fall eHCLA's must be submitted by Oct 1, Spring eHCLA's must be submitted by March 1.

Students who have met the James Scholar requirements for fall and spring semesters will be certified as a James Scholar for that academic year. This certification will be entered on their transcript during the summer following their completion of the academic year. Scholars can receive one transcript notation for each academic year completed.

The College of Education recognizes the intellectual achievements of James Scholar students. Special James Scholar honor cord recognition is available at the College of Education May commencement ceremony. Eligibility to wear a special James Scholar honor cord at the College of Education commencement is based on the number of academic certifications received. Academic certification is awarded on an annual basis; a student must be a James Scholar both fall and spring to receive academic certification for the year. To receive honor cord recognition, students must:

• Have been awarded at least three annual James Scholar academic certifications if student began studies at the University of Illinois campus-UIUC.
  • Two semester research projects must have been completed.
• Have been awarded at least two annual James Scholar academic certifications for students who were admitted to the University of Illinois campus as a transfer student.
  • There is no research requirement for transfer students.
• Participate your senior year (both transfer and UIUC students); it is highly recommended that you participate in the Professional Development Opportunity your final semester during student teaching.