Honors at Jacksonville University

Cost Honors College

Male student writing on a pad under the water

Honors at Jacksonville University Welcome to the Cost Honors College

The Cost Honors College at Jacksonville University is a vibrant community of highly motivated students like you, united by intellectual curiosity and a commitment to excellence. Here, students don't simply pursue academic achievement—they challenge themselves to grow, to question, to explore, and to discover who they're meant to become. Your Honors experience supports your holistic growth—preparing you for the breadth of life's possibilities, not just the narrow focus of a career. We are a community of dreamers and doers who strive to make a meaningful difference in the world.

The Honors College offers an honors living-learning residential community, dedicated honors academic advising, priority class registration, honors seminars, curated internship opportunities, special events, speakers, and more!

Honors decisions are released on a rolling basis. Priority is given to applications submitted before Feb 1, 2026.

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Events

Task	Deadline or date
Honors Student Association (HSA) Meeting	Spring Meetings - TBD Gooding Auditorium

Task

Deadline or date

Honors Student Association (HSA) Meeting

Spring Meetings - TBD

Gooding Auditorium

The Cost Honors College Announcement Video

Jacksonville University announced the formation of the Cost Honors College with plans to formally launch in 2025. The naming of the Cost Honors College, endorsed by the University’s 26-member Board of Trustees, recognizes President Tim Cost and First Lady Stephanie Cost for their transformational philanthropic support of the University, which now totals $10 million.

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we are grateful and thank Tim and Stephanie for their incredible generosity and unwavering support of our students and the entire university,” said Chairman of the Board, Matt Kane. “The Cost family is one of the University’s most generous, who consistently give their time, resources, talents, and voices to benefit our students, faculty, and staff dating back to the 1980s.”

The Costs’ catalytic gift enables the University to elevate its honors program and transition to become an honors college. The Cost Honors College will focus on three pillars – academic excellence, thriving residential life, and engaged global citizenry. The gift also supports initiatives and projects that enhance the university's overall academic and campus experience for its 4,000 students.

“Tim and I believe in the impact that a high-quality, challenging education can have on a student’s life and their trajectory,” said Stephanie Cost, Jacksonville University First Lady. “Our lives bear witness to the critical importance of education as students ourselves, as parents of two children who graduated from excellent universities, and now having observed and influenced the life paths of thousands of students over the past decade. We’re gratified to make this investment in the Honors College that will benefit today’s students and future generations.”

Jacksonville University’s Honors Program has been offered to undergraduate students for more than three decades. Today, there are 220 students in the honors program at the University, with plans now in place to fully transition to an Honors College. All students already enrolled in the Honors Program will become members of the Cost Honors College. The first cohort will graduate in Spring 2026.

Universal access Read a transcript of the video.

The Cost Honors College Announcement Video

People often ask us why we’re doing what we’re doing, and my answer is always very simple: it’s to provide their children with the experience we wanted our own children to have in college. How do we create the opportunity to provide a better experience for all students, not just fraternities and sororities, not just military students, commuters, or athletes, but all students? That’s how we arrived at the concept of investing in an Honors College. We find that ambition is the fuel that gets students where they want to go, and our Honors College will help them go farther and faster.

My name is Ellis Har. I’m a proud JU graduate and a product of the JU Honors Program and the generosity of the Cost family. The experiences I had at JU and in the JU Honors Program changed my entire life. The time that President Cost spent mentoring me changed the way I viewed myself and my potential, and it shaped the life I live today.

We’re very excited about the leadership we have established for the Honors College, particularly with the addition of our Executive Director, Dr. Lisa Sutherland. She is an all-star athlete. She brings so much to the table, along with tremendous passion and enthusiasm. We were fortunate to find her.

The Cost Honors College is the Cost family's legacy at Jacksonville University. I’m honored and humbled to lead the transition of the program into the Cost Honors College. Our students want to go out and make a difference in the world. As we think about the future of the Honors College, we ask ourselves: How do we position our honors students to become global leaders?

We’re going to select highly motivated, intellectually curious students. We’re not seeking only valedictorians or students with perfect SAT scores, although we certainly have some. We’re looking for students who are motivated to do more, expand their learning, and push themselves farther and faster.

The goal is for every student who comes here in the future to experience a much more customized, almost bespoke, educational experience. Once you get that right, and we will get that right, you can elevate that experience and extend it across all 3,000 undergraduate students and all 1,000 graduate students. In our view, that’s how an Honors College doesn't just benefit 50 or 100 students. It benefits all students. And by doing that, you also strengthen the entire region. I think the reason I’m so deeply invested in our students is the hope they give us. These students are committed to making the world better, developing their talents, and going out to change the world. I believe they will, and I want them to. To play even a small part in that is the greatest gift.

Academics Honors Excellence

The Cost Honors College has high standards for students who join our programs. We offer two honors pathways for our students: Honors Laureate and Honors. Program requirements vary based on when and how a student is admitted into the Cost Honors College. The lists below reflect the current requirements. Students who meet these requirements before graduation will be designated as Honors Laureate or Honors in the commencement bulletin and on their academic transcripts.

Honors Laureate Pathway Requirements

3.5 cumulative GPA
JU-169H - Honors first-year experience
24 honors credits (Dual enrollment, AP/IB/AICE credits do not apply)
Research project within major area of study & public presentation
Internship
Honors seminar

Honors Pathway Requirements

3.3 cumulative GPA
JU-169H - Honors first-year experience (may be waived depending on admissions type)
15 honors credits (Dual enrollment, AP/IB/AICE credits do not apply)
Research project with presentation OR internship
Honors seminar highly recommended

Service Giving Back

Servant leadership and giving back is important to all of us at Jacksonville University. We believe in rolling up your sleeves to help others. For us, this means applying what we learn in the classroom to community problems. Whether we're cleaning up the St. Johns River, volunteering at schools, hosting food drives, or organizing charitable events.

Our Honors students are campus leaders, and we encourage our leaders to be responsible and active citizens by actively engaging them with the society in which they live.

The picture featured here is from a 2025 Parkinson Run fundraiser, organized by an honors student. More than 300 people participated, raising more than $8,000 for this important cause.

Learn about service-learning

Your Honors Community at JU Honors at a Glance

Cost Honors College students hail from 34 states, from Maine to Idaho to California and Texas, and from 8 countries around the world. One in five honors students are scholar-athletes representing DI sports including baseball, softball, lacrosse, golf, soccer, track & field, rowing and more. Our students are also active members of Greek life, student government, campus clubs, intramural sports, and so much more.

Honors students at JU don't have to chose between Honors and all the other opportunities offered that we think are important to your college experience.

51%Out-of-State Students

4.15High School GPA

100%Majors Represented

27%First Generation Students