Apply to Be an ACE Fellow

​Step into the Future of Higher Education Leadership

The ACE Fellows Program is your launchpad to executive-level leadership. Since 1965, over 2,500 Fellows have transformed their careers here—many now serving as presidents, provosts, and senior leaders.

Why Apply?

  • Lead transformational change on campus and across the sector
  • Discover your leadership edge through executive mentorship and reflection
  • Expand your influence with a national network of peers and mentors
  • Experience higher ed from the top: cabinet meetings, boardrooms, and mission-critical projects

What You’ll Do

  • Immersive retreats: Three gatherings with experts, thought leaders, and peers
  • Executive shadowing: Learn directly from presidents and C-suite leaders
  • Hands-on projects: Drive strategic initiatives at your host institution
  • National connections: Build a lasting network of colleagues and mentors
What You Need to Apply

​A completed application includes the materials that you will submit in addition to forms submitted by your nominator and your sponsor. Your nominator is your current or previous supervisor. Your sponsor is the president, chancellor, or chief executive officer of your current institution, which must be a member in good standing of ACE.

Application Components

For your application, you will respond to the following questions in 500 or fewer words. We recommend that you use a word processing program (Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Pages, etc.) to draft with an accurate word count and then paste your responses into the online form for submission.


Fellowship Goals

​Please discuss your long-term career goals in postsecondary education and how you hope this fellowship experience will help you achieve them. Include specific experiences, outcomes, and learning objectives you aim to accomplish during the fellowship year.

Areas of Interest
  1. ​Please discuss the topic, issue, or challenge in postsecondary education policy and practice that you wish to explore and address through your Fellows project and fellowship experience. Explain why this topic is important to you and share your vision for a brighter future in this area.
  2. What specific subject matter expertise or knowledge would you like to develop through your project?

Leadership Strengths
  1. ​Please discuss your top three strengths as a leader and provide specific contexts where these strengths have helped you navigate challenging situations and emerge as a leader.
  2. How would your peers describe your leadership efforts? 

CV Requirements

​Finally, the application will ask you to submit a five-page (maximum) biographical sketch CV in a pdf format, including the following information:

  1. Education: all degrees earned, including granting institutions, discipline, and year; any important education that did not lead to a degree
  2. Professional and institutional leadership positions: title held (please provide in full), institution, years of service, tenure date (where applicable), professional status. For your current position, note the range of responsibilities and leadership accomplishments
  3. Leadership development: name and dates of participation for any programs 
  4. Summaries of contributions to the field and profession:
  • International visibility and service
  • Honors and awards received
  • Special projects

Nominator and Sponsor Responsibilities

Your nominator and sponsor will be prompted via email to complete and submit their online forms once you submit your application. You may want to notify them after you submit in case the prompting emails go to their other or junk inboxes. If your nominator or sponsor does not receive an email after you have submitted your application, please contact fellows@acenet.edu. 

Your application will be considered complete once these forms are submitted.

Download This Information as a PDF

Fellows Application Information
Program Fees and Placement

​Once you are selected as a Fellow, your sponsoring (or home) institution is responsible for paying half of the program fee ($8,250) prior to the public announcement of the 2026–2027 ACE Fellows cohort in April 2026.

The total ACE Fellows Program fee is $16,500, and distribution of expenses may vary depending on the type of placement secured by the Fellow. Fellows are placed at a host campus where they complete their fellowship for a term varying in length from a full academic year to a semester or in periodic visits. 

  • If a Fellow engages in a full academic year placement, the host institution pays the full program fee and helps cover related expenses. 
  • If a Fellow engages in a semester-long placement, the host institution pays half of the program fee and half of related expenses.  
  • If a Fellow participates in periodic visits for their placement, the sponsoring institution pays the full program fee and related expenses.
FAQs

When do applications open and close?
​Applications for the 2026-2027 cohort open October 1, 2025 and close December 1, 2025.

How many Fellows are selected each year?
​It varies by year—each cohort is competitively selected from a national pool.

What does the fellowship year include?
​You'll attend three in-person retreats (in August, January, and June), participate in a host campus placement (year-long, semester-long, or periodic), shadow senior leaders, and lead or contribute to strategic projects.

Who covers my salary and benefits?
​Your home (sponsoring) institution continues your salary and benefits during the fellowship year.

Who covers my housing and living expenses?
​Fellows typically cover their own housing and relocation costs, although some host campuses offer housing at no or reduced cost.

How do professional development funds work?
​We recommend $10,000 for travel (retreats, site visits), conference fees, and other leadership development opportunities. These funds are designated and managed by your sponsoring and/or host institution, depending on your type of placement.

Can I stay at my host institution after my fellowship year?
​No. Fellows must return to their home (sponsoring) institution for at least one year after their fellowship ends.

​Still unsure?

Contact us with any additional questions at fellows@acenet.edu.

​Ready to Lead?

Applications for the 2026–27 Fellows cohort are open from October 1 to December 1, 2025.

Start Your Application