HIGHLIGHTING STUDENT LIVES TRANSFORMED BY DEBATE
2027 Debater of the Year Application, Qualifying Information & Key Dates
The Debater of the Year award recognizes a debater who demonstrates commitment to debate, improvement in their academic performance and leadership in their school, urban debate league and community.
The Debater of the Year will receive a college scholarship of at least $2,000 and they, along with their partner, automatically qualify for the Urban Debate National Championship* (UDNC) scheduled for March 19-21, 2027, at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Finalists in the competition will receive a college scholarship of at least $1,000.
Qualifications
- High school seniors graduating between January and June 2027
- GPA of at least 2.00
- Active in their urban debate league for the last two years
- Available to compete in the NAUDL Urban Debate National Championship
Key Dates
Oct. 27 – Round 1 Application Opens
Nov. 30 – Round 1 Application Closes
Dec. 10 – NAUDL Team Review
Dec. 11 – Finalists Announced & Round 2 Application Opens
Jan. 8 – Round 2 Application Closes
Jan. 25 – Jan. 29 – External Committee Review Window
Feb. 1-5 – Debater of the Year Announcement Window
Mar. 19-21 – In-Person UDNC
Additional Notes:
- NAUDL will send an internal email to league contacts to let network know of all students who applied after the Round 1 application closes.
- NAUDL will send an email to the network to announce the final 8 finalists selected.
- NAUDL will send an email to league whose student was selected as the Debater of the Year before posting on social media in efforts to coordinate.
For questions about the application form or process, please contact Taylor Beck at taylorbeck@urbandebate.org.
