The Hawkeye Experience Grant Application for Summer 2024 opens the first day of Spring semester on January 16, 2024 in the Iowa scholarship Portal

Students may apply for up to $4,000 to help defray the cost of a summer experience, with living costs being prioritized first before any required tuition or fees.  See student and site eligibility below. 

Deadlines for applications: 3rd Wednesday in March (March  20, 2024)  and 3rd Wednesday in April (April 17, 2024) .  The application review committee will inform applicants of their decision within 2-3 weeks after each deadline. If an applicant applies for the first deadline and is not awarded funds, their application will be rolled over and considered again for the second deadline.

Students who do not have their experience confirmed may still apply for the April deadline; if grant is awarded no funds would be released until the experience is confirmed. 

Amount available for Summer 2024: $50,000 total in variable amounts up to $4,000.

Questions?  Contact Jennifer Noyce, Associate Director of Experiential Education at jennifer-noyce@uiowa.edu.

Student Eligibility

• Student must be a full-time, degree seeking undergraduate student at the UI for one semester prior to the experience and enrolled for the semester following the experience**
• Student must have completed at least 38 credit hours by time of application
• Must have a UI GPA of 2.0 or above
• Student must be in good academic and judicial standing (UI Code of Student Life)

• No outstanding tuition or fees* 

• International students are eligible. For experiences in the United States, work authorization and CPT must be submitted to ISSS, and approval must be granted before funds can be released.

• Prior recipients are not eligible

**Exceptions will be made for students participating in a required experience for graduation that has time restrictions (ex. Social Work practicums)

*If you need an exception to the qualification of 'no outstanding tuition or fees' or full-time enrollment, email jennifer-noyce@uiowa.edu explaining your need for an exception.  Sometimes in special circumstances the committee will make an eligibility exception.

Experience Eligibility Requirements

Not sure if your experience is eligible?  Contact jennifer-noyce@uiowa.edu for site eligibility questions.

Non-profit/Government Internships

• Internship (or practicum, co-op, field experience) is unpaid or underpaid
• Internship is located in the United States
• Internship is at a non-profit or in government
• 20-40 hours of work per week for 8-12 weeks
• Supervised by a professional in the field
• Remote/virtual internships are acceptable if a situation warrants it
• Internships via programs (ex. The Washington Center) are not currently eligible

**Government includes city, county, state, or federal offices as well as working in an elected official's office.

**Non-profit includes 501 (c) 3 organizations  and generally charitable organizations and does not include political campaigning or lobbying.

For-Profit Organization Internships

• Internship (or practicum, co-op, field experience) is unpaid or underpaid
• Internship is located in the United States
• Internship is at a for-profit company
• 20-40 hours of work per week for 8-12 weeks
• Supervised by a professional in the field
• Remote/virtual internships are acceptable if a situation warrants it
• Students from arts and humanities are especially encouraged to apply

**No start-ups, small businesses, presses, art gallery, or studio assistant internships may take place within an employer home; the organization must have an office/gallery/site for safety and liability reasons unless the student is working virtually

**Political action committees, Super PACs, or organizations whose sole purpose is lobbying are not currently considered in the For-Profit Organization Internship category

Internships Abroad

• Only internships abroad through programs administered by the University of Iowa’s Office of Study Abroad are eligible. 
• Programs for a minimum of 8 weeks will be prioritized; internships that are less than 8 weeks may be granted funds at a pro-rated total 
• 20-40 hours of work per week at the internship site
• Internship is unpaid
• Supervised by a professional in the field
• Virtual/remote internships acceptable

Research or Creative Scholarship

• Research or Creative Scholarship is unpaid or paid below minimum wage
• Research or Creative Scholarship is located in the United States
• Research or Creative Scholarship is at a non-profit public or private organization
• 20-40 hours of work per week for 8-12 weeks
• Supervised by a professional in the field with a PhD and/or MFA
• Remote/virtual research or creative work is acceptable when the situation warrants it
• Cannot be receiving funds concurrently from OUR, IBA, or other research program
• Students with on campus research or creative scholarship experiences are strongly encouraged to apply to OUR Fellowships first

Community Engagement or Service-Learning 

• Community Engagement or Service-Learning is unpaid
• Site is located in the United States
• Site is at a non-profit or government**
• 15-40 hours of work per week for 8-12 weeks
• Site or duties must be connected to prior academic content (ex. International Studies student could be volunteering at an organization serving refugees; informatics student could be analyzing data; a student could be completing a project from a Community Engaged Course from the spring)
• Duties meet a need of the site, support their mission and are mutually agreed upon by the student and site supervisor
• Supervised by a professional at the site
• Remote/Virtual service is acceptable when the situation warrants it
• Students with prior enrollment in “Introduction to Leadership” or “Career Leadership Academy Part 1” or who plan to enroll in an independent study for their community engagement or service-learning are especially encouraged to apply

**Government includes city, county, state, or federal offices.

**Non-profit includes 501 (c) 3 organizations  and generally charitable organizations and does not include political campaigning or lobbying.

Short Field Experiences

The Hawkeye Experience Grant committee understands that some fields will require an experience for entry that does not meet the typical internship, study abroad, research/creative work, or service requirements.  The experience may offer an essential skill or mentorship that supports the student's entry to graduate school or the field.   The Hawkeye Experience Grant committee will consider these experiences on a case-by-case basis, but at scholarship amounts pro-rated for the length of time and still prioritizing living costs to complete the experience  (as opposed to tuition).

Examples of these field experiences could include: 

• Archaeological field school
• Advanced geological field methods
• Other

Please contact jennifer-noyce@uiowa.edu before applying if you have a field experience for which you would like the committee to consider eligibility.  

The University of Iowa provides funding support for the Hawkeye Experience Grant. Selection of a student for an experience is made by the respective internship employer, researcher, program abroad, or service site. In addition, the University’s selection of candidates for funding support through the Hawkeye Experience Grant is independent of any management decisions by the respective site. The Hawkeye Experience Grant committee may consult with other UI programs to verify funding in order to maximize the number of students who receive funding.

We encourage students to reach out to Pomerantz Career Center staff to explore the eligibility of their experience. Email Jennifer Noyce at jennifer-noyce@uiowa.edu with any questions.

• Unless you are in a robust internship or practicum where you are working under the supervision of a licensed or credentialed professional and working towards your own licensure or accreditation through your program of study, a summer camp position is not considered.  Examples of eligible roles/sites-- a therapeutic recreation student working unpaid underneath a credentialed rec therapist at a camp for kids with disabilities; a social work student working unpaid under a licensed social worker; or a child life student working underpaid under a certified child life specialist at a respite camp for kids with illness and their siblings. Examples of ineligible roles/sites -- a business student serving as a paid camp counselor while also receiving food and living costs. 
• Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) certification courses
• Attending or presenting at a conference is not considered eligible as a stand alone experience.  If you are doing research or creative scholarship and the conference is part of your budget for the whole experience, the committee may consider it as part of your expenses.  If you are only doing a conference, then that is not an eligible site. 
• Any experience abroad that is not through the auspices of Office of Study Abroad.

Sometimes students will apply for the grant when they have already completed one research, internship, study abroad, or volunteer experience. You may still apply for the grant with a repeat experience or repeat site but reviewers do encourage you to address in your application how the experience will be different than the first.  Committee members consider how different the experience is from the first experience, whether the experience is more in depth, deeper time commitment, and/or allowing the student to gain more skills, independence, networks, etc.

You may not apply for funds for the summer to cover an experience that happened in the past.  The experience must be happening at the same time as the grant. 

• A site confirmation form signed by your supervisor, mentor, or coordinator. It is required that you use this form.  If site not yet confirmed, you may still apply using the form but without the signature.
• A 1-2 page resume or CV
• 4 Short-answer questions (typically 200 words maximum) (answers will be copy/pasted into Scholarship Portal):
  • Describe the experience and what you will be learning.
  • How or why are you prepared to be successful in this experience?
  • How does this experience support your career goals?
  • How will this funding support you to participate in this experience?  What financial obstacles have you had to overcome?
• A budget. It is required that you use the Hawkeye Experience Grant budget form. (See Herky Hawk's example).

We encourage applicants to have resumes/CVs reviewed by Pomerantz Career Center peer advisors, and/or to work with the Writing Center or research mentor to review their essays. Applicants may also attend help sessions and/or ask questions of the coordinator (jennifer-noyce@uiowa.edu).

Letters of support or letters of recommendation will not be accepted or reviewed by the scholarship committee.

Hawkeye Experience Grants can cover costs associated with participating in an unpaid/underpaid experience, and the committee prioritizes costs related to the experience before tuition/fees.  Use the Hawkeye Experience Grant budget sheet to help you calculate your costs. Make sure on the Budget sheet to not round/estimate in the Total costs section.

• Living Expenses associated with the experience (including Food, Rent, Utilities, Commute)
  • While housing at site and housing in Iowa City for those not allowed to sublet are both included on the budget, the committee will only award funding for one location
• Internet if the experience is remote
• Art, research, basic technology, or service supplies associated with mentored research/creative scholarship or community-engaged project when reasonable
• Travel costs to/from site or study abroad program
• 1 pant/dress suit or other professional outfit suitable for your field
• Tuition/Fees for required experience course 

Not Included: typical reoccurring costs of living not necessarily associated with the experience including but not limited to car payments, car insurance, entertainment, health insurance, paying off credit card or loan debt, tuition for summer courses not required for the experience, tuition for past/future courses, etc.

The selection committee reviews applications for merit and need in a holistic review process. Categories the committee may consider during the review include:

• Preparation for the experience
• Connection between the experience and the student’s career goals
• Financial need
• Quality of the experience
• Ability to represent UI well with off-site partners
• How close the student is to graduation and thus, how much time they would have to complete an experience in the future
• Whether the student is in a major that historically has lower participation in the experiential learning opportunities listed above

Drop In for Hawkeye Experience Grant Application Help 

Have questions?  Need support figuring out your budget or talking about what the selection committee wants to see in your essay questions?  Need materials reviewed?  Stop by for some drop-in help during these times. 

Wednesday, March 6 from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. in C310 PC

Friday, March 8 from 10 a.m. -12 p.m. in C310 PC

Monday, April 8 from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. in C310 PC

Tuesday, April 9 from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. in C310 PC

If these do not work for your schedule, contact the scholarship coordinator for an in-person or Zoom appointment (jennifer-noyce@uiowa.edu) 

Don't forget about the other great services on campus!

Resume help - M-Th, 10 a.m. -3 p.m. with Peer Advisors at the Pomerantz Career Center  (C310 Pomerantz Center)

Essay writing help -Writing Center  

Yes!   We understand that some opportunities may interview but do not solidify offers for internships, research/creative scholarship, or service projects until early May. 

You can still apply if you do not have your offer yet. Submit the site confirmation sheet without the supervisor or mentor signature, and with a sentence in the form stating when you hope to hear back.  You can be selected for the Hawkeye Experience Grant but no funding would be released until your site is confirmed by the supervisor or mentor. 

Applicants will be informed of funding decisions 2 to 3 weeks after the submission deadline. 

Funds should not be expected until the first day of a student's summer course(s) due to Office of Financial Aid and Billing's disbursement procedures.   Funds are awarded onto the student's U-Bill. Excess funds are then disbursed via check or direct-deposit. Students should not expect any funds to be released by direct deposit if they have not already paid their summer tuition.

Due to disbursement timelines students should not count on these funds to pay a summer rental deposit or flight to a study abroad site. 

If you need an exception to the disbursement timeline, contact the grant coordinator to discuss your situation (jennifer-noyce@uiowa.edu).

If you apply with an unconfirmed site, you may be awarded the grant but no funds will be released until sites are confirmed.

• Sign a fund acceptance form and submit it to the scholarship coordinator
• Attend a Zoom orientation with the Pomerantz Career Center prior to beginning your experience
• If you are not already enrolled in a required, credit-bearing course for your experience, then enroll in a free, 0-credit Pomerantz Career Center course for the scholarship during the experience (Hawkeye Experience Grant CCP:1018). Through this course you will complete check-ins, an evaluation, and share about your experience. You may contact scholarship staff (jennifer-noyce@uiowa.edu) if you need to discuss credit-bearing options.
• Research/Creative Scholarship students are also required to be enrolled in 0-credit URES course to help with research tracking. 

Note: Grants can have implications for financial aid packages and taxes. Please discuss concerns with the Office of Financial Aid and ask tax questions of your accountant or the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to participate in University of Iowa programs. If you are a person with a disability and require an accommodation in order to apply, please contact the Pomerantz Career Center, (319) 335-1023.