Student Services Grants

Graduate School Preparation Support for Students with Financial Need—$10,000

Funds from this grant will provide awards of $100 to help students cover costs associated with the graduate school application process. These grants will be available to juniors and seniors who are in the process of applying to graduate school. Often funding plays a major role in how students prepare for graduate school entrance exams, choose the number of schools to apply to, etc. These funds will directly impact our mission and the mission of the College by helping students to achieve their postgraduate goals regardless of income level.

Contact: Jen Pollard, Executive Director and Associate Provost, Career Education

Short Internship Projects (SHIPs)—$10,000

Funds from this grant will provide 10 more stipends to support first-year students in a summer 2025 SHIPs project. To support students in meeting Wellesley’s new Experiential Learning requirement, Career Education has shifted funding to ensure juniors have greater access to funded internship opportunities. This is an important way to support students’ career development as they near graduation, but it also means there are fewer funded experiential learning opportunities for first-year students. The SHIPs program is an established and meaningful way for younger students to earn one ELR unit, build skills and gain industry knowledge, and develop a mentorship relationship with a Wellesley alum, parent, or employer partner.

Contact: Destiny Barletta, Director for Alumnae Connections

Health Professions Advising Pre-Health Scholars Cohort—$9,600

Health Professions Advising (HPA) is developing a cohort program that aspires to support URiM (underrepresented in medicine) students by providing connections, information and opportunities for incoming first year students who express an interest in a career as a physician. In offering early opportunities, the goals of the Pre-Health Scholars program are to increase persistence in healthcare pathways, facilitate early mentorship, and demystify the college experience and professional school application. Funds from this grant will provide funding to support (1) transportation to clinical sites that enable PreMed Scholars to gain first-hand experience in the healthcare field; (2) materials to enable the PreMed Scholars to begin early preparation for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT); and (3) Wintersession participation in Harvard Med Sciences (HMS) to allow Premed Scholar applicants (who were not initially accepted into the program) to have a secondary option for support.

Contact: Cindy Seltzer, Director of Health Professions Advising

Gender-affirming Gear Project—$6,000

Funds from this grant will provide gender-affirming gear to transgender, nonbinary, and other gender non-conforming students. Gender-affirming care provides substantially better health outcomes for trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people, improving mental health, reducing rates of suicide, and increasing social and academic engagement.

Contact: Todd Nordgren, Director, LGBTQ+ Programs & Services

Professional Development Grants—$7,500

Funds from this grant will be used to support students with small grants for professional development opportunities that otherwise are not funded through the College, such as attending conferences, paying for transportation for unpaid internships, or getting additional credentials. This will further the mission of OICE to increase opportunities for low-income, first-generation, and/or students of color to enhance their resumes and prospects for career development.

Contact: Ines Maturana Sendoya, Associate Dean of Students for Inclusion and Engagement

Study Abroad Support for Students with Financial Need—$10,000

Funds from this grant will be used to provide high-need students hoping to study abroad during the 2025-2026 academic year with small grants to offset costs associated with going abroad that are not covered by Wellesley financial aid. These include fees for passport applications, passport renewal, and visas, as well as income lost by forgoing on-campus work-study.

Contact: Katie Saibara, Assistant Director of International Study

First-Generation, Low-Income Summer Storage Fee Waiver Program—$10,000

Funds from this grant will be used to provide financial assistance to 100 first-generation, low-income students and other high financial need students with the costs associated with storing their belongings during the summer months while students are away from campus.

Contact: Jamie D. Motley, Anne Shen Chao '74 Director of Student Success

Student Rideshare Safety Program—$3,000

Wellesley’s campus presents logistical challenges for students navigating off-campus travel, particularly during late hours, in situations where they may be under the influence of alcohol or other substances, or in emergency/safety situations. Funds from this grant will be used to launch a Student Rideshare Safety Program to provide safe, reliable transportation for students who might become stranded off-campus late at night, particularly in and around Boston. This initiative aims to address an ongoing safety concern while offering a practical and cost-effective solution.

Contact: Allison Weinberg, LMHC, Director of Student Wellness

Membership Dues for Students on Financial Aid—$3,800

Funds from this grant will assist with paying membership dues for students on financial aid. The national organization requires that students join the society in order to claim the honor of membership. Our chapter has always had a policy of paying the dues for students on financial aid. In recent years, the number of new members on financial aid has increased dramatically, in part due to our more holistic selection process in keeping with the goals of inclusive excellence.

Contact: Corinne Gartner, Associate Professor of Philosophy, President of the Wellesley Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa

PERA Physical Education Gear Program—$7,000

Funds from this program will directly impact any student at Wellesley College who needs assistance with purchasing PE gear. The College’s Physical Education graduation requirement ushers every single student through PERA’s doors. However, many students, especially those with financial need, cannot afford the cost of basic fitness gear like proper running shoes or a sports bra. Students will be offered a one-time $100 grant to purchase clothing and/or gear that will allow them to participate in the PE class of their choice. The student must need PE credit in order to be awarded the grant. With this program, students would be able to access the gear they need to safely complete their requirement.

Contact: Martha Dietrick, Associate Director, PERA

U.S. Work Authorization Application Fee Support for Senior International Students—$4,500

To work post-graduation, international students must apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT), a form of work authorization that allows international graduates to secure employment in their major field of study after graduation. Funds from this grant will support senior international students with up to $150 in grant funds for a partial OPT application fee reimbursement.

Contact: Xiaoning Ding, Program Coordinator, Slater International Center

Food Accessibility Program for Academic Breaks—$3,000

Funds from this grant will assist the Slater International Center in creating a safe and accessible space to provide our student and scholar community food security, and access to cultural ingredients that may be more difficult for students to obtain. This particular student population is also vulnerable to cultural adjustment and experiences feelings of isolation, anxiety, depression, or homesickness during these breaks. Food is universally interconnected with the emotional, mental, and cultural ties that can provide the comforts of home and provide an additional layer of student support. These funds will be used before the start of each academic break—fall, winter, spring, and summer—to purchase specific food ingredients and healthier food alternatives that would support our student community in attaining nutritious food and effectively utilizing the two kitchen spaces provided to students.

Contact: Xiaoning Ding, Program Coordinator, Slater International Center