The ACA’s Ledford Scholars Program offers financial assistance for intensive research projects to undergraduate students enrolled at ACA member institutions. Undergraduate students from Appalachian or contiguous counties, from any disciplines, are eligible, and a variety of fields of study, research approaches, and methodologies are supported each year. Student applicants may select their project for either summer or fall term.
The ORGSP will hold an ACA Ledford information session and workshop for interested students on Thursday, January 15, 2026, 2pm via Zoom. Learn what is needed for an application, how to identify a faculty mentor, how to make your proposal stand out, and how to apply.
The Appalachian College Association seeks proposals from undergraduate students at its member institutions for its inaugural Student Entrepreneurship for Appalachia pitch competition. This program furnishes undergraduate students from ACA member institutions with the opportunity to develop and present their innovative commercial or social entrepreneurial plans, receive valuable feedback from academic, business, and community experts, and compete for cash awards.
This program occurs in two stages. The preliminary stage provides students with the opportunity to submit their written and video pitch proposals before the end of fall semester. The final stage, in which the top proposals come together for a live competition, takes place on Friday and Saturday, March 27-28, 2026, at the Lake Junaluska Conference Center, west of Asheville, NC. Students who reach the final competition are required to attend the event. Most (if not all) expenses of the students and mentors associated with travel and lodging to Lake Junaluska are covered by the ACA.
To learn more and/or submit an application, please visit the special application webpage.
