PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS
The Betty and B. Frank Matthews II ’49 Center for Career Development provides support of professional development opportunities for students that include, but are not limited to, certifications, testing prep, training and conferences through the Tony Snow ‘77 Professional Development Fund along with the support of the generosity of numerous alumni, parents and friends.
Students can apply for a grant up to $1,000 to support a professional development experience and up to $250 for post-graduate applications per academic year. All current students with demonstrated financial need are eligible to apply to receive a professional development grant.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Students must submit the online application in its entirety to be considered for a grant. Applications are due the 1st of each month and will be reviewed during the deadline month they are submitted by. Students will be notified during the deadline month they submitted the application.
Example: An application submitted on August 15 will be considered under the September 1 deadline. Review of the application and notification to the student will occur in September.
Grants are awarded on a rolling basis throughout the academic year, or until all available funds have been awarded.
Please note that completing the application does not guarantee that you will be awarded a professional development grant. Due to limited funds we are not able to meet all requests.
STUDENT ELIGIBILITY
Current student in good standing (good standing applies to academics, conduct and student accounts)
Demonstrated financial need
FEATURES
$1,000 maximum awarded per academic year for professional development experiences
$250 maximum awarded per academic year for post-graduate application fees, prep courses, and related graduate school experiences
$30 per day food allowance for experiences outside of the Davidson/Charlotte region
INELEGIBLE
Academic courses are not eligible for funding
Internships (Matthews Center offers summer internship grants)
PD opportunities that have already occurred or completed
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Check out our resource to access free test prep.
Professional Development Funding Application is closed for the remainder of the 2024 academic year.
TAXES AND FINANCIAL AID IMPLICATIONS
Grants are categorized as non-qualified scholarships. For domestic students, the college will not withhold taxes on the grants or report them on a form-1099. Recipients, or their parents/guardians if they are considered dependents, are responsible for reporting the income on their individual taxes. Grants awarded to international students may be subject to tax withholding and will be reviewed on an individual basis. Students receiving financial aid will be required to report the grant as income on their aid application for the subsequent year. Undocumented students are not eligible to receive grants unless they have been granted work authorization by the Department of Homeland Security.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
My professional development experience occurs during the summer, do I apply under the Summer Internship Grant application or Professional Development Funding Grant application?
All professional development experiences will use the professional development funding grant application. Only internship and research experiences occurring during the summer use the summer internship grant application.
I am currently not receiving financial aid or on scholarship from Davidson, but still need financial assistance to complete this experience. Can I still apply?
Yes. Students do not need to be receiving financial aid to qualify to receive funding. Students should submit a detailed explanation in the application that explains your individual circumstances and why assistance is needed to complete the professional development experience.
Can I apply for more than $1,000 or $250 for post-graduate application fees?
Unfortunately, due to limited funding, awards cannot exceed the established limits.
Can I submit an application for a virtual experience?
Yes, virtual professional development experiences are eligible for funding.
How many grants are awarded each year?
It depends on the funding we receive from donors and the financial ask for each application. We review applications each month and grants are awarded on a rolling basis until funding is exhausted.
The Betty and B. Frank Matthews II ’49 Center for Career Development welcomes requests for reasonable accommodations related to disability and strives to make this resource accessible to participants. Please contact careers@davidson.edu if you require further accommodations.