Student Experiences Fund (SEF)

The Student Experiences Fund (SEF) for UFV students is designed to provide funding up to $500 for experiential learning initiatives outside of the classroom that support personal and professional growth. Funding is available throughout the fiscal year (April 1-March 31).

Applications for 2022/2023 are now closed. Applications for 2023/2024 will open on April 1st; see how to apply below.

Student eligibility

An applicant must be a currently registered UFV student enrolled in classes, both at the time of application, and at the time the experience takes place (Please note: For summer semester activities, no enrollment is necessary, but students must be returning to study at UFV in the following fall semester)
The enrollment could be in any certificate, diploma, degree program, or Qualifying Studies
Students who are graduating before the event takes place are not eligible
Applicants must be in good academic standing (a GPA of 2.0 or higher)
Must not have any outstanding UFV account balances
Must have successfully completed the equivalent of at least one full-time term of studies prior to applying for the grant

Expense criteria

The Student Experiences Fund intends to offset any costs or fees associated with the students’ extra-curricular experiences. Only specific expenses (up to $500) as communicated in the application decision email are approved for funding. No changes will be permitted, except in extenuating circumstances.

Extenuating circumstances are defined as unusual circumstances beyond your control which make it impossible for you to complete the experience. Examples of extenuating circumstances include a course or conference cancellation, death of an immediate family member, or car accident. Requests for changes and supporting documentation of your extenuating circumstance will need to be provided to cece@ufv.ca. The Centre for Experiential and Career Education reserves the right to approve/deny changes requested.

Eligible expenses for SEF funding include:

Conference attendance*
Workshops*
Networking events*
Panel discussions*

Academic competition*
Student membership fees for any associations that offer professional development

*Conferences, workshops, networking events, panel discussions, and academic competitions are eligible to receive SEF funding for registration fees and admission fees. Travel expenses may be approved on a case-by-case basis such as airlines, ferries, shuttles, busses, SkyTrain, taxis/rideshares, tolls, mileage, parking, and hotels.

Other opportunities which may be eligible for funding on a case-by-case basis for equipment rental fees and/or supplies (consumable materials). Requests for supplies may require specific faculty validation. These supplies may include (but are not limited to):

Required art supplies

Project experimentation and implementation materials
Poster tubes
Printing costs
Specialized software licenses*

*Only specialized software licenses that are not already available at UFV will be considered.

Post-experience reporting

Please note all funds will be reimbursed after the event. Approved applications must submit the following to sef@ufv.ca within two weeks after the experience:

An expense claim form, with all receipts and other proof of costs incurred.
Proof of attendance or participation (e.g., conference brochures, websites, confirmation email, etc.).
A copy of your resume (with the experience recorded). Also, your resume must be uploaded into your CareerLink account, under My Documents.
Submit a screenshot of your Experiential Learning Student Profile which includes the SEF experience.
A report on the outcomes of the approved activity that focus on outlining the learning outcomes and how they connect to UFV’s Institutional Learning Outcomes. This report can take one of the forms as stated below.

NOTE: approved SEF applications for professional memberships do not need to submit a report. All other forms of post-experience reporting must still be submitted to obtain the SEF funds.

Written Report (200 words)
Reflect on and describe the outcomes of the experience and how it would add value to your goals and career readiness. Describe three or more newly acquired or improved skills that could be added to your resume. If applicable, identify the community impact from the experience.

- Poster presentation
  Create a 28” x 42” poster that uses a creative title to reflect on the experience’s outcomes/value. Identify the experience, and the community impact or new/improved skills earned that can help students build career readiness. The poster should show a good use of graphics, colours, fonts, and overall design to visually illustrate content.

Note: There is a $20 printing cost associated with the poster, however, this is an eligible expense that can be submitted for reimbursement.

Newsletter submission (200 words)
Write an article geared towards fellow students. Briefly describe to fellow students what the experience was and how the newly acquired or improved skills could help you (and others) reach goals and build career readiness. Describe how this experience could be added to a resume, and if applicable, identify the community impact from the experience. Include a visual image related to (or from) the experience and include image credits.

Application information

Only complete applications will be considered. Should there be a surplus of applications that exceed the funding resources, applications that meet the criteria will be ranked according to merit, and priority will be given to first-time applicants. Only one successful application per student, per fiscal year is permitted (UFV fiscal year runs from April 1-March 31).

Application deadlines

Decisions to award/deny will be made and communicated to applicants on the first of every month at the end of day (or the next business day if it falls on a holiday or the weekend). Applications should be submitted by 11:59 pm the previous day to be considered.

Applications can be submitted at any time throughout the year, but please note applications will not be considered if submitted during the month in which the activity takes place or after the activity has occurred. For example: If your activity is in March, your application must be submitted by the last day of February at 11:59 pm. If the application is submitted after this date, the activity is no longer eligible for funding.

How to apply

The SEF application can be found in CareerLink:

Log into your CareerLink account using your UFV student email and network password
Click on Resources
Click on Pathways
Click on Student Experiences Fund (SEF)
The whole SEF process will look like a checklist. Work your way through the checklist and submit your application. You will be notified one month after the application deadline as to the status of your application. Remember to submit all required post-experience documents no later than two-weeks after your experience.