Career Center Professional Development Grant
About this Grant: The Villanova University Career Center (VUCC) is excited to offer Professional Development Grants which enable eligible undergraduate and graduate students to receive amounts up to $2,500 each year to participate in conferences, professional memberships, job fair registration fees, professional networking events and more. Applicants will be judged on need, the experience and how closely the experience fits with career goals. Applications are reviewed and decisions for awarding grants are made on an ongoing basis during the fall and spring semester application periods. A student may apply once per application period. See full Eligibility Guidelines below.
NOTE: Applications will not be accepted to fund summer internships, tuition, education abroad, professional school admission exam preparation, medical bills, or certification/license fees. Professional development experiences occurring after a student graduates will not be eligible.
2023/2024 Application Periods:
Fall Semester – Closed
Spring Semester – January 22 through April 3, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.
Applicants are advised to review the Career Center Information Session recording prior to applying.
VUCC Professional Development Grant applicants must meet the following basic criteria.
- Undergraduate first-years, sophomores, juniors, and seniors are eligible to apply for funding to support professional development experiences that occur prior to their graduation date.
- Enrolled graduate students are eligible to apply for funding to support professional development experiences that occur prior to their graduation date/degree conferral.
- Fundable experiences include: conferences, conference research presentations, professional memberships, job fair registration fees, professional networking events, interview travel expenses and more.
- Request is not for expenses related to: tuition, education abroad, professional school admission exam preparation, an internship, medical bills, or certification/license fees.
- Applicants who receive 50%+ from other Villanova sources may not be eligible.
- Amount requested does not exceed $2500/AY for the student.
- Students are eligible to apply once per semester.
It’s easy as 1, 2, 3!
Step 1 | Identify An Enriching Professional Development Experience
Identify an experience that closely fits with your career goals and meets the described criteria in the Eligibility Guidelines section.
Step 2 | Complete Professional Development Grant Application Materials
See the Required Application Materials section for details.
- Budget
- Resume or CV
- Personal Statement
Step 3 | Upload Application Materials to Blackbaud Award Management (BAM)
- Login to BAM
- Complete the online application questions before the deadline.
- Upload your application materials to BAM before the deadline. Preferred file formats include .pdf** or doc. **
Please review the VUCC Professional Development Application Rubric
- Completed application questions and materials submitted through Blackbaud Award Management (BAM) before the deadline.
- Personal Statement – Prepare a personal statement that is well‐written, thoughtful and focused answers to the prompts provided on the application portal, Blackbaud Award Management (BAM). The statement should clearly support your financial need for the grant and not restate the expenses that are included in your budget.
- Resume/CV – Schedule a coaching session with a Career Center Advisor (Register on Handshake) to receive guidance on creating or improving your resume/CV.
- Budget – Include supporting documents as proof of expense such as airfare receipt/confirmation, hotel room invoice, link to conference registration fees, etc. Please use the Sample Budget Worksheet to help you determine the amount of funds you need for your experience (linked below).
APPLICATIONS
What is required to submit an application?
An application will be considered completed when all required documents are uploaded to the award management platform (BAM). The application packet must include all of the items listed in the Required Application Materials section.
Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered, so you are encouraged to identify your professional development experience well before the deadline.
When will applications be reviewed and decisions made?
Decisions are made on a rolling basis, usually within two to three weeks.
GRANT AWARDS
If I receive an award, how much funding can I expect?
The maximum grant award is $2,500, but depending on the number of qualified applicants, it is likely that you will receive a percentage of your request.
Can I apply for a professional development grant award to support a fall and spring semester experience?
You may apply separately for a professional development grant during the fall and again in the spring semesters. However, we will only accept applications for the current semester during the open application period listed on the website. You will not be eligible to apply if you have already reached the maximum grant amount of $2,500.
When will I be notified if I am chosen for the award?
You will be notified approximately three to four weeks after your completed application submission.
If I am awarded funding, when will I receive payment?
If you are awarded funding and submit the required forms as requested, you will receive the award via direct deposit approximately four weeks after your submission.
If I am awarded a funding, how will the funds be disbursed?
If your application is approved, the funds will be transferred to your Bursar’s Office tuition account, pending that you do not have any financial holds on your account. Once the funds are there, you can apply for an e-refund via www.bursar.villanova.edu to receive them.
What if I do not have direct deposit?
You may setup Direct Deposit refunds by enrolling through MyNova. If you do not want Electronic Refunds, go to MyNova to request the refund as a check refund.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
What if I have additional questions about the application process?
If you have a question that is not addressed on the website, please email the Career Center at studentfunding@villanova.edu.
Career Center Student Funding Information Session Recording
