BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – College students across the state are invited to apply for a Fellows Program that Gov. John Bel Edwards calls “a unique opportunity for students to have a front-row seat to the inner workings of government and public policy.”

The Governor’s Fellows Program has been helping Louisiana students for the past five years. It was created for college and university student leaders who have a strong desire to learn more about the inner workings of state government.

What should participants expect to do?

The program assigns each participant to a cabinet-level agency in Baton Rouge and then has them participate in a variety of activities that include weekly speaker series, regular academic courses scheduled by LSU and trips through Louisiana designed to increase their knowledge of how various aspects of state government work.

After successfully completing the program, each participant will have earned three hours of academic credit through LSU’s Department of Public Administration.

Who can apply?

All students currently attending a Louisiana higher education institution as well as Louisiana residents enrolled in out-of-state colleges and universities are invited to apply beginning Tuesday, March 7.

If you’re interested, check out this list of requirements to make sure you’re eligible.

The governor’s office said participants will be selected based on their commitment to leadership, public service and good government.

Why apply?

According to Edwards, this opportunity is for “the next generation of Louisiana’s leaders.”

After highlighting this, Edwards added, “I strongly encourage any student who is interested in better understanding how government works and has a desire to move our great state forward to apply.”

Applications for the program will be accepted through March 13.

Click here for more information on the application process.