Become a Leadership Ohio Fellow

Nominations for the Class of 2027 (Open October 19th, 2026)

HOW TO APPLY

To become a Leadership Ohio Fellow an individual must be a resident of Ohio or the tri-state area and working in Ohio, and must be at least 30 years of age to be nominated/apply. The individual must first be nominated. Once nominated, an individual must be invited to apply. Only 35 applicants are accepted into each class of Leadership Ohio each year.

Nominations may be submitted by:

Leadership Ohio Board of Trustees
Leadership Ohio Executive Director
Leadership Ohio alumni
Leadership Ohio sponsors/partners
Ohio Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Member of Ohio House or Senate
Senior Executives of Ohio Chamber of Commerce and/or member-organizations
Executive Directors of local leadership development programs
Other: See below

If you are not connected to any of the individuals or organizations above, you may seek a nomination by sending a request and the URL of your LinkedIn profile to info@leadershipohio.org.

please click below to submit a nomination

Nominate an Individual

APPLY NOW

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If you receive a nomination letter and are invited to submit an application, please note the following information:

application REVIEW, selection, and feedback

Applicants are selected and admitted in the spirit of forming a diverse and dynamic class where a diversity of viewpoints are encouraged and seating is limited. Selection is at the discretion of staff and/or Trustees. Leadership Ohio does not provide feedback on applications or candidacies and all application materials are held in confidence.

Application Fee

The application fee is $100 (non-refundable and non-applicable to tuition).

Tuition to Participate in Leadership Ohio 2027

Check back in October 2026

Leadership Ohio Scholarship Program

The Leadership Ohio Scholarship Program affords individuals the opportunity to benefit from the LO experience by awarding partial tuition scholarships. LO may offer limited, partial scholarships based on financial need and merit to nonprofit and for-profit-based individuals. To apply for a scholarship, complete the scholarship request portion of the application.

Awards
LO expects to award one to three scholarships for Program Year 2027 in amounts ranging between $1,000 and $3,250. Tuition for 2027 will be announced in October 2026. LO will make any award offers only after an individual has been accepted into the Class of 2027.

Income Verification
Household income documentation is required at the time an offer of award is made. For all working adults within a household you must provide the following:

Most recent two months of pay stubs
Most current Tax Return

Eligibility
In addition to demonstrated financial need and merit, eligible individuals are those that meet the following conditions:

You will be required to make a $500 tuition down payment upon accepting an offer of scholarship.
You must arrange to pay the balance of tuition monthly, and in full in 6 months.
You must certify that all information is true and complete to the best of your knowledge, and that you understand that false or incomplete information could jeopardize your scholarship with the full amount of the funds awarded recalled by Leadership Ohio.

All applicants are required to pay the $100 application fee at the time of application. Applications submitted without the application fee will not be considered for Leadership Ohio, nor the Leadership Ohio Scholarship Program.

payment plans

No fee, 0% interest payment plans are available on a limited basis. Early application is encouraged.

Deadlines

EARLY ADMISSION: Applications received on or before November 10, 2026 will be given priority review on a rolling basis and are eligible for early admission.

STANDARD ADMISSION/FINAL DEADLINE: All applications must be submitted by December 15, 2026

2027 draft calendar

All dates, times, and locations are subject to change.

Session times are approximately 9:00am to 7:00pm on Fridays and 9:00am to 1:00pm on Saturdays. The exceptions are the Opening Retreat, which will occur on Thursday from 9:00am to 7:00pm and Homecoming Saturday and Graduation Saturday, which are both scheduled from 9:00am until 4:00pm.

February: Statehouse Press Conference and 2027 Class Announcement

Friday, February 19 | At the Ohio Statehouse

March 2027: Opening Retreat

Dates/Location: TBD

Program runs monthly March 2027 - November 2027

Check back for 2027 dates/locations

Session Format

Leadership Ohio programming is in person unless otherwise noted. Regarding Covid-19 or other unforeseen circumstances, we are committed to adhering to state and community policies and will also make our own determinations related to health and safety. We do not and will not offer any hybrid sessions, meaning the entire class will meet either in-person or virtually, but not both at the same time. Leadership Ohio reserves the right to adjust its operations to be in-person or virtual, and accordingly, admitted Fellows must commit to be adaptable.

Attendance

Full participation in sessions is expected, however, you may request an excused absence. Attendance at the Opening Retreat is mandatory. If you have any concerns regarding dates or attendance, please reach out at info@leadershipohio.org.

Questions?

Please read our FAQ carefully.