Career Advancement Fund 2022-23

Note to applicants: Please read this entire page. It contains information you'll need to know about the application and funding processes for this award.

Students may apply to receive funding of up to $500 per school year in support of a range of professional development pursuits, including:

• Travel to internships, shadow opportunities, or professional interviews for full-time employment
• Career-related conferences, training, and related events
  • Conferences/events must have a career-related component with a clearly established connection between the event and your professional goals
  • If you are presenting research at a conference, then apply to the Opportunity Grants first.
  • The funds can be used to cover travel expenses, registration expenses, or relevant membership dues
• Travel to graduate/professional school interviews
• Purchase of professional attire for a specific career related event (interview, etc). Please note, clothing budgets are typically capped at $200
• Standardized test registration or test prep fees for GRE, LSAT or MCAT*
• Graduate or professional school applications*
• Other categories of expense may be eligible, as determined by the review committee on a case-by-case basis
• Please note: you may not use the CAF to pay for the cost of courses taken elsewhere to satisfy Reed graduation or distribution requirements

* Applicants requesting funding for graduate/professional school applications and or standardized tests must first investigate eligibility for a fee waiver/reduction

Expenses generally will not be reimbursed after the fact.

Application Deadline

The 2022-23 CAF application will close on Sunday August 13th, 2023 at 11:59pm pacific time, or when funds are exhausted.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the academic year and summer and must be received in Handshake by Sunday night at midnight for the application to be considered at the next CAF committee meeting (that Monday or Tuesday).

Eligibility

Currently enrolled Reed students, including seniors during the summer after graduation, are eligible to apply.  

Funding

Applicants may receive a maximum of $500 from the Career Advancement Fund per academic year. You may apply more than once if you have not yet reached the $500 limit. Funding requests will be reviewed and, if approved, may be fully or partially fulfilled depending on the applicant’s financial need, strength of application materials, and availability of funds. All approved funding requests will be paid through the Business Office as a cash advance. Receipts are required, and unused funds must be returned. Funding for awarded applications can sometimes be received by Friday that week, but sometimes not till the following Friday, so please plan ahead. Holiday weeks can also delay receipt of funds.

Expenses generally will not be reimbursed after the fact. In other words, CAF applications should be approved for funding before any expenses from a submitted budget have been paid for.

Application Process and Materials

The Career Advancement Fund is a grant application in which you must specifically address the prompts provided. The more clearly you explain how this funding will support your future career pursuits, the better. Please provide context for your request, bearing in mind that the readers may not know your financial circumstances or how your request fits in to your larger career goals.

• Responses to two short essay prompts (250 words max for each response). Be thorough and detailed in the words allotted; we need a thoughtful response to both questions in order to consider your request.

  • Prompt one: how will this funding help you achieve your professional goals? Please be explicit about how this activity is related to career exploration or development. Note: If you are presenting at a conference, explain why you're not seeking funding from the Opportunity Grants. If you're requesting funds to pay for grad/professional school fees, you must investigate fee waivers and mention this here.

  • Prompt two: Describe your financial circumstances, particularly as related to the resources available to fund the activity for which you are requesting Career Advancement Funds. Within this response, please indicate whether you receive financial aid from the college.

• An itemized budget detailing how you will spend the funds and any relevant documentation supporting the request. Be sure to include a total in your budget request, and indicate how any expenses in excess of your CAF request will be covered. Combine the budget with the document containing your responses to the prompts.

• A one-page resume or CV

We strongly recommend that you have your resume and application reviewed before you submit (see the right-hand sidebar of the CLBR website for Drop-In Advising hours and locations).

Budget Guidance

• If requesting a meal allowance while traveling, CLBR recommends a maximum of $30 per day
• If your request includes travel, please include a budget line for transportation, which may cover commuting costs, airport transfer, and plane/train/bus tickets
• Use of public transportation rather than taxis or rideshare services is highly recommended
• If using a personal vehicle for travel, use the estimated cost of gas in your budget

Applications to request funding for travel within the United States must be submitted a minimum of three weeks prior to the intended date of travel. Incomplete applications may be returned to the applicant with a request to resubmit.

Thank You Note and Receipts

Refer to the CAF Terms and Conditions for details. These are detailed in the Etrieve form, and are also sent separately via email for reference. All receipts should be sent directly to the business office at business-office@reed.edu. The thank you note and any photos should be sent to CLBR at clbrfellowships@reed.edu.

Funding Sources

The Career Advancement Fund is made possible by generous gifts from alumni and friends of the college. Additionally, funding for specific opportunities or populations comes from the following sources:

Thomas Daniel Sophomore Exploration Fund

The Thomas Daniel Sophomore Exploration Fund is a fund for sophomores to make it easier for you to explore your purpose and is generously funded by Reed parent and Trustee Thomas Daniel. Funding for sophomores who receive funding from the CAF will be made from this fund.

LEAF (Legal Education Access Fund)

The Reed Legal Network of alumni have established a small fund to help students with LSAT and LSAC related costs, law school application fees, and travel to law school interviews. If you apply to the CAF for any of these expenses, you may be funded by the LEAF instead. Please email clbrfellowships@reed.edu with any questions.