All Indiana students enrolled in high school or an affiliated Indiana career center are eligible to participate in the eXceL Awards. Home school students are welcome to enter providing they work closely with a teacher employed by a high school so that the teacher can verify the authenticity and originality of the student’s entry. Exceptions must obtain the prior approval of eXceL Awards administrators. Violations will result in immediate disqualification.

A comment about plagiarism: with the continued growth of the internet and global media, it has become easy to locate works of art with which judges may not be familiar. However, anyone who plagiarizes does a great disservice to himself and to the other entrants of the competition. Any time that an entry is determined to be plagiarized, the eXceL Awards will disqualify the entry and contact the student’s school.

There is no limit to the number of categories a student may enter. There is also no limit to the number of entries an individual high school may submit. Students may submit more than one entry per category. However, only one entry per student per category can advance to the state finals.

Entries completed by more than one student are known as partner entries. Again, while any number of students may work on a single entry, only the three students listed on the official entry form are eligible for awards and prize money. The names of all three students must be listed on the entry form. Students are encouraged to seek advice from teachers or supervisors when creating an entry. However, every person listed on the official eXceL Awards entry form and any person who participates in the presentation of an entry must be enrolled in an Indiana high school, an Indiana career center, or meet the eXceL Awards home school criteria.