Funding & UAF

Universal Application Form (UAF)

Mount Holyoke College has a unique centralized summer funding program called the Universal Application Form (UAF) that provides financial support for internship and research projects.  In 2008, the College funded approximately 200 students for a total of nearly $600,000.  In 2009, you could be one of these students! The College encourages all students to think broadly about using the summer to explore academic and professional opportunities.  Summer research and internships provide invaluable opportunities to explore areas of interest in new settings.  They are often powerful experiences that can help you clarify your career interests and give you an edge in the job market or when applying to graduate schools.

All students should use the Universal Application Form to apply for funding for summer projects. There are a variety of participating programs and funding sources, which vary from year to year.  Students do not need to choose which funds or programs they are applying for (with the exception of HHMI and the Cascade Mentor Program); instead the UAF committee will determine which funds best suit the application based on the funding available.  The committee will then forward each application to the appropriate committee(s) for consideration. We promise to work hard to be sure that your application is carefully considered by all possible funding sources.

Application Deadline

The deadline for applications is on February 27, 2009 at 5:00 p.m.  Your entire application must be completed and submitted to the committee by this time.  The UAF application system will close at 5 p.m. and applications will not be accepted after this point.

Get Started

To begin the UAF application process we encourage you to get started by attending an information session on 'How to Find an Internship or Research Project' or a program specific info session led by various departments. Become familiar with the UAF information contained in this section of the  website, including general internship information.  You should then attend a workshop on 'How to Apply and Prepare a UAF Application' as well as review your draft project proposal with your faculty and advisors for feedback before submission to the UAF. Drop-in appointments with a CDC counselor to discuss your UAF proposal or plans will also become available closer to the deadline. Students who attend these info sessions, workshops, and advising opportunities will be at an advantage in finding an opportunity that meets their needs and at crafting a UAF proposal. 

Click here to view a list of Internship, Research, and UAF Workshops & Info Sessions.

Special Additional Grant for Students on Financial Aid

Summer Earnings Replacement Grant (SERG).  Domestic students who receive financial aid will be eligible to receive a $500 reduction in their summer earnings requirement (which is $1950 for rising sophomores, $2050 for rising juniors, and $2150 for rising seniors in summer 2008) if: 1) they are funded through any of the programs supported through the Universal Application form for $2700 or less for a project more than five weeks in duration, 2) they are domestic students on financial aid, and 3) their total family contribution in the 2007-2008 academic year was less than $5,000 (or higher if funding allows).  The family contribution is the amount that your family is expected to pay each year after need-based financial aid is awarded.  This additional SERG grant will be awarded at the same time of the UAF award.  The $500 award will then be credited to your account in Financial Services on or around September 2008 following confirmation by the faculty member or department responsible for administering your award that you have completed your summer project successfully. We hope this will help make it possible for all students to seek and accept important research, study, or internship opportunities. 

Other Funding Resources

Other funding resources are available to students to support summer, academic year, or post-graduation experiences.  We encourage you to visit the Funding Resources section of this website.