The New Jersey Department of Education invites New Jersey school districts to nominate a graduating senior in an approved career and technical education program for recognition in the CTE component of the United States Presidential Scholars Program, a national program administered by the United States Department of Education, according to an advisory.

The United States Presidential Scholars Program has historically invited student nominees to apply based upon outstanding performance on the SAT/ACT or on demonstrated outstanding ability in the arts. Since 2015, the United States Presidential Scholars program has expanded to allow each state’s chief state school officer to nominate five additional students who demonstrate excellence in CTE.

Students chosen as U.S. Presidential CTE Scholars receive a presidential medallion in commemoration of their achievements.

Nominees for Excellence in Career and Technical Education

CTE nominees must be high school seniors graduating from a NJDOE approved CTE program of study between January and June of 2025 who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. The USDOE will consider the following when evaluating the nominees:

  • Academic rigor: The student has demonstrated high proficiency on their state’s academic standards, based in part on their high achievement reflected on their state’s academic assessments in the core academic subjects.
  • Technical competence: The student has demonstrated mastery of technical skills demanded by industry.
  • Employability skills: The student has demonstrated such professional skills as teamwork, decision- making and problem-solving.
  • Ingenuity and creativity: The student has solved a real-world problem through the application of technical skills they developed in their career area.
  • Application pool: The student represents one of the multiple sectors that are viewed as the pillars of our nation’s economic growth: health care, information technology, advanced manufacturing, science technology engineering and math, and transportation, as well as the socioeconomic characteristics of our nation’s high school graduates.
Nomination Process

Each high school operating an approved NJDOE CTE program of study may nominate one graduating senior for the CTE component. The nomination form will be emailed to schools operating an approved program beginning Sept. 1, 2024. Please complete the 2025 United States Presidential Scholars CTE Program Nomination Form no later than Oct. 21, 2024.

For more information, please visit the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program website. If you have any questions, please ask them via email.