Financial Support Opportunities for the HERS Leadership Institute
Explore your options for financial support through HERS and advance your leadership journey
Each of our three options is tailored to help you advance your career and achieve your professional goals. Learn more about eligibility criteria and applications below.
Click the buttons below to jump to the financial opportunity that interests you.
HERS Scholarships
To make the HERS Leadership Institute (HLI) accessible to leaders of all practice areas, fields, and institution types, Higher Education Resource Services (HERS) has established its own Scholarship Fund. This fund is supported and sustained by generous contributions from individuals, many of whom are HLI alums. Contributors to the HERS Scholarship Fund recognize the transformative impact of the HLI on leadership development and are committed to ensuring that institutional financial constraints do not hinder an applicant’s opportunity for growth.
About HERS Scholarship Awards
HERS Scholarship Awards of up to the equivalent of 50% of the program fee are available. Awards may be applied to the program fee or to a combination of the program fee and the housing and partial board fee. HERS scholarships cannot be applied to an individual’s travel expenses or to meals not included in the HLI program. It is expected that a participant’s institution will fund the remaining HLI fees and related expenses.
We encourage all of our participants to seek institutional support and funding from several sources at their institution, including individual professional development funds; department or unit-level funding; support from the office of inclusion, diversity and equity; and support from senior-level officers such as the office of a Dean, Vice President, Provost, or President/Chancellor.
Preference will be given to:
- Leaders from institution types underrepresented at the HERS Leadership Institute, including leaders from community colleges, Historically Black Colleges & Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, tribal colleges, and theological seminaries
- Leaders from units and divisions historically underrepresented at the HERS Leadership Institute, including leaders from Finance and Administration, Athletics, Facilities, Information Technology, Enrollment Management, Advancement, Alumni Affairs, Human Resources, Office of General Counsel, and similar areas
Applicant Requirements for the HERS Scholarship
- Applicant must be accepted into a HERS Leadership Institute (Summer or Weekend format)
- Submit a budget clearly delineating:
- All anticipated expenses (program fee, partial board and housing fee, travel expenses, meal expenses, etc.),
- The total amount of financial support requested via the HERS Scholarship Fund (up to a maximum of 50% of the program fee), and
- Sources of institutional support secured for all expenses above and beyond the amount requested from the HERS Scholarship Fund (e.g. $500 from the Office of Inclusive Excellence; $1,000 from the Office of the President, etc.).
How to Apply for a HERS Scholarship
Upon acceptance into a HERS Leadership Institute,* you will be asked if your participation depends on financial support. If so, select the option indicating you need support, and you will receive a financial support application.
If you are not eligible for a HERS-Mellon Leader Fellowship per the criteria described below, please follow the instructions provided for the HERS Scholarship. After submitting the completed form and required documents, the HERS team will notify you by the scholarship notification date whether you were awarded a HERS Scholarship and the amount of the award. Preview the application for financial support here.
*For best consideration, submit your HLI application by the early-decision deadline.
HERS-Mellon Leader Fellowships
To make the HERS Leadership Institute (HLI) more accessible to leaders from humanities disciplines who are employed at institutions without adequate professional development funds, HERS has partnered with the Mellon Foundation to offer financial support of up to $10,000 to competitive applicants who have been accepted to any one of the HERS Leadership Institutes for 2025, 2026, and 2027 and hold terminal degrees in any of the humanities disciplines listed below:
Supported Disciplines (click here to view)
|
|
About HERS-Mellon Leader Fellowship Awards
Fellowship Awards of up to $10,000 will be offered to each HERS-Mellon Leader Fellow. Funds from the fellowship can be applied to the program fee, room and partial board fee, and/or to travel expenses. Mellon Fellowship funds cannot be applied to an individual’s meals not covered by the partial board fee.
Awards will be offered for participants to attend the 2026 Summer HLI, for a total of 24 HERS-Mellon Fellows in the 2025-2026 fiscal year.
Preference will be given to:
- Leaders from institution types underrepresented at the HERS Leadership Institute, including leaders from community colleges, Historically Black Colleges & Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, tribal colleges, and theological seminaries.
- Leaders who have demonstrated experience and interest in creating a more diverse and inclusive workforce for higher education.
Please Note: HERS-Mellon Fellowship awards are not eligible for transfer to another HERS Leadership Institute cohort, nor are they eligible for deferral. Any HERS-Mellon Fellowship funds allocated to travel will be disbursed only after the Fellow has completed the HLI and submitted required receipts and documentation.
Applicant Requirements for the HERS-Mellon Leader Fellowship
- Must be accepted into a HERS Leadership Institute (Summer or Weekend format).
- Hold a terminal degree in one of the humanities disciplines noted above.
- Submit a budget indicating the total amount of institutional support secured for all expenses above and beyond the allotted $10,000 fellowship and the sources of funding (e.g. $500 from the Office of Inclusive Excellence; $1,000 from the Office of the President, etc.).
How to Apply for a HERS-Mellon Leader Fellowship
Upon acceptance into a HERS Leadership Institute,* you’ll be asked if your participation depends on financial support. If so, select the option indicating you need support, and you will receive a financial support application. If eligible for the HERS-Mellon Leader Fellowship, follow the specific instructions provided. After submitting the completed form and required documents, the HERS team will notify you by the scholarship notification date whether you were awarded a HERS-Mellon Leader Fellowship and the amount of the award. Preview the application for financial support here.
If you apply for and are not awarded the HERS-Mellon Leader Fellowship, you will automatically be considered for a HERS Scholarship – there will be no need to fill out an additional financial support application.
*We strongly encourage those eligible for a HERS-Mellon Leader Fellowship to submit a complete HERS Leadership Institute application by the EARLY-DECISION deadline for best consideration. While fellowship awards may be distributed after this deadline, priority will be given to those who have been accepted into the HERS Leadership Institute during the early-decision application review process. Please note that HERS-Mellon Leader Fellowship awards may not be available for prospective HLI participants who submitted their HLI application materials after the early decision deadline.
Are you ready to apply?
Do you have more questions about an upcoming HERS Leadership Institute?
Please check out our program-specific questions below or our Frequently Asked Questions page (which includes common HLI questions, application questions, logistical questions) before reaching out, or click here to Request More Info.