Student Organization Awards

• Only student organizations that are in good standing with the Office of the Dean of Students may apply. Organizations must remain in good standing throughout the application and review process.
• If your organization is frozen in HornsLink, that means it is not in good standing. Organizations are frozen for a number of reasons, including but not limited to: having less than three officers, less than 10 members, outstanding financial bill, failure to complete Safety Education and failure to complete annual registration. Contact Student Organizations at 512-471-3065 with the full name of your organization to learn how to resolve any issues.

Update the five areas listed below are updated on the organizations HornsLink profile.

• About this Organization - Update all sections including Organization Details, Full Description, Contact Information, External Websites or Social Media, and the Organizations Purpose fields.
• Roster Update - Update student organizations HornsLink roster with all active members. It is recommended that active members request to "join" the student organization and an officer approve their request in the "pending" section of the student organizations HornsLink roster.
• Update Profile Photo – Add an updated profile photo to your organizations page.
• Add Group Photos – Add at least two photos of members and/or organization events to the organizations photo gallery.

• The 2026 Student Organization Awards Online Application opens on Friday, February 6, 2026.
• Designate one officer to complete the application.
• Application can be updated, saved and submitted until 11:59 p.m. CST on Sunday, February 22, 2026.

This award is given to an organization that works to have a positive impact on its members and the broader graduate student community. This organization uses their resources to promote the academic success and positive out-of-class experiences of graduate students. *Eligibility: To be eligible for the Best Graduate award, 51% of the organization's active members must be graduate students.

This award is given to an organization that has brought a new and important community to The University of Texas at Austin that did not previously exist. This organization overcame obstacles in its early stages of development and has a strong plan to ensure their organization is sustainable and continues to grow on campus.*Eligibility: To be eligible for the Best New Organization award, the organization must have been approved as a new registered student organization in any of the following terms: Spring 2024,Fall 2024,Spring 2025, Fall 2025. *Spring 2026 are not eligible*

This award is given to a student organization that has collaborated with another student organization, academic department/administrative unit or an off-campus entity that has elevated the student organization to new heights and created a larger impact than the student organization could have done alone.

Sponsored by the Longhorn Wellness Center, this award is given to an organization that works towards creating a healthy group culture and community among its members. This organization incorporates health promoting activities within their meetings, philanthropies, and events.

This award is for an organization that has shown tremendous improvement over the past year. It is given to an organization that recognized the areas where improvement was most needed and made changes to improve their organization as a whole.

This award is for an organization advisor who has gone above and beyond the call of their duties with the organization. It is given to an advisor who exhibits outstanding qualities and provides vital services for the organization. This advisor exceeds expectations on all fronts and is nominated by their student organization. *Eligibility: To be eligible for the Most Outstanding Advisor award, the advisor must meet the requirements listed in Sec. 6-101 (6 - 7) of the Institutional Rules AND be listed in the organization's HornsLink roster as a 'University Adviser.' Only one advisor may be nominated by their organization even if the organization has multiple advisors. Additionally, advisors may not win two consecutive years in a row (i.e. last year's winner is not eligible to be nominated).

This award is for a member who has gone above and beyond the call of their duties with the organization. It is given to a member who exhibits outstanding qualities. This member exceeds expectations on all fronts and is nominated by a member or officer of their student organization. *Eligibility: Member must be listed on the student organization's roster. Only one member may be nominated by their organization. Additionally, member may not win two consecutive years in a row (i.e. last year's winner is not eligible to be nominated).

This award is for an officer who has gone above and beyond the call of their duties with the organization. It is given to an officer who exhibits outstanding leadership qualities. This officer exceeds expectations on all fronts and is nominated by a member or officer of their student organization. *Eligibility: Officer and title must be listed on the student organization's roster in HornsLink. Only one officer may be nominated by their organization. Additionally, officer may not win two consecutive years in a row (i.e. last year's winner is not eligible to be nominated).

This award goes to an organization who has positively impacted the UT campus and has a strong connection to the University's core values. This organization shines as an exemplary group of students who strive to be the best they can be and give back to the UT community in their own way.

This award recognizes an organization that consistently fosters school spirit at UT Austin. Through its efforts, it inspires and energizes the student body, bringing enthusiasm to all corners of campus. This organization also works to cultivate a stronger sense of community and pride within the UT Austin culture.

This award recognizes an organization dedicated to service. It is given to an organization that coordinates service projects and programs that have a significant impact on its members, UT Austin, and the communities it serves.

This award is given to a registered student organization that has an exceptional program. This program can be an activity, event, or initiative that is aligned with the organization's mission and goals. Eligibility: Must be a registered student organization.

This award is given to a sponsored student organization that has an exceptional program. This program can be an activity, event, or initiative that is aligned with the organization's mission and goals. Eligibility: Must be a sponsored student organization.

To be eligible to apply and win a Student Organization Award, registered and sponsored student organizations must be in good standing and update their HornsLink to be HornsLink Official.

There are a total of 13 Student Organization Awards.

Yes, organizations can apply for more than one Student Organization Award.

Descriptions can be found here.

Organizations will be notified of their Student Organization Awards status via email in late March.

Winners will be announced at the Swing-Outs at the end of the spring semester.

For payment, winning organizations are required to complete required payment forms in order to collect their monetary prize. Once the forms have been completed and processed, monetary prizes will be awarded to organizations as soon as possible.

• Global Medical Training

• Nritya Sangam Indian Dance Troupe

• Nritya Sangam Indian Dance Troupe

• Longhorn International Justice Mission

• National Society of Black Engineers

• Beekeeping Society

• Seva Charities

• Graduates for Underrepresented Minorities

• Texas Spirits

• Bright Stars of Texas

• Pediatric Pharmacy Association

• United Black Collegiate Association

• American Medical Student Association - Pre-med

• Jessica Drummond (Campus Environmental Center)

• Nritya Sangam Indian Dance Troupe