The Gordon Career Center’s Career Development Grant (CDG) provides financial support to offset costs associated with career exploration and preparation. Funds for this program are limited. Priority is given to those applicants with the highest level of financial need, and grants are awarded until funds for the semester are exhausted. Please review eligibility, the application, and the funding process below before you apply.
We are currently welcoming applications for the Career Development Grant for the Spring 2025 semester. Submit your application for the CDG here.
Eligible expenses include:
- Interview attire such as suits, dress shoes, ties, and professional bags at reasonable price points
- Transportation, lodging, and meals for career-related travel (such as for recruiting events and interview costs not reimbursed by the interviewing organization) *not including transportation related to a summer experience.
- Fees related to professional conferences not reimbursable by academic departments;
- Graduate entrance exam fees (e.g. LSAT, MCAT)
- Campus-sponsored career programs for which a fee is assessed, such as HBX CORe and Wall Street Prep
Career Development Grant funding may not be used for:
- Test prep courses
- Outside educational programming or coursework not sponsored by Wesleyan University;
- Credit-bearing coursework offered at Wesleyan University
- Income or expenses associated with a summer internship or career-related summer experience
- Apply for funding to pursue no- or low-pay career-related summer experiences through our Wesleyan Summer Grants program. Applications open annually at the start of spring semester classes.
Eligibility
To be eligible for funding, you must be an actively enrolled full-time undergraduate student at Wesleyan University. The Career Development Grant is available and awarded on a need-aware basis. While students may apply to the fund more than once, individual students are limited to $500 in total awards over their time at Wesleyan.
Application and Selection Process
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and prioritized based on financial needs. Funds for this program are limited, and grants will be disseminated until they are exhausted for the academic semester.
- Complete the confidential Career Development Grant (CDG) application form, including the dollar amount you are requesting.
- Please allow up to 10 business days for your application to be reviewed and for our office to verify your need level with the Office of Financial Aid.
- Look for an email from our office notifying you if your funding request is approved, denied, or requires additional information.
If your request for funding is approved, you will receive information from our office via email regarding the amount of your grant award, the process for receiving funds, and a request to complete the Career Development Grant Fund Agreement Form. You must complete the Fund Agreement form for your award to be processed.
Funding and Receiving Your Award
The maximum grant awarded is $500. Students can apply for and receive funding through the Career Development Grant multiple times, up to, but not exceeding, $500 while an actively enrolled undergraduate student at Wesleyan University. Funds are generally distributed to your account through direct deposit.
Please allow up to 10 business days for your application to be reviewed and verified by the Gordon Career Center and the Financial Aid Office. You will be notified via email about the status of your request. If your application is approved, you must complete the Career Development Grant Fund Agreement form (sent to you via email) to receive funding. Please note that receiving funds in your bank account may take up to four weeks once the agreement form is submitted.
If you have any questions or need assistance, contact us at careercenter@wesleyan.edu.
