Career Design Center Internship Support + Emergency Fund

Modeled after the UB Student Emergency Fund, the Internship Support + Emergency Fund for the 2026-2027 academic year is designed to provide limited, one-time financial assistance to students experiencing unexpected or exceptional financial need directly related to a current experiential learning opportunity or one they are actively preparing to begin. Eligible opportunities may include, but are not limited to, internships, on-campus employment, research assistantships, and education or study abroad experiences.

Please note that the Internship Support + Emergency Fund is not intended to serve as income replacement for unpaid opportunities. Eligible expenses must represent clear barriers to participation and may include, but are not limited to, relocation/temporary housing, transportation, childcare, essential supplies, or emergencies that arise during the experience. Ineligible expenses include tuition + related fees, rent, car payments, and other ongoing living costs unrelated to your experiential learning opportunity.

Requests must demonstrate a specific financial need directly tied to the experiential learning opportunity and be supported with documentation, if necessary. Funding is awarded on a case-by-case basis and is subject to availability.

Please also note that we are unable to provide retroactive funding; expenses incurred prior to application submission unfortunately will not be considered. Furthermore, we cannot provide funding for past experiential learning experiences.

Additional Eligibility Criteria:
- Student must be currently enrolled at the University at Buffalo
- Must be currently participating in or actively pursuing an experiential learning opportunity
- Student has not previously received emergency funding from UB for the same reason
- Students must have a Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) as awards may be considered taxable income

Additional Program Information:
- Applicants can expect to receive outreach via their UB email within 10 business days of submission. Emergency requests will be prioritized and addressed as quickly as possible
- Final funding decisions are typically made within 4 weeks of application submission

Award
Awards typically range from $500 to $1,000
Departments
Career Design Center
Deadline
06/25/2027
Supplemental Questions
  1. What is the current status of your experiential learning opportunity?
  2. What type of experiential learning opportunity is this?
  3. What is the modality of your experiential learning opportunity?
  4. Where is your experiential learning opportunity taking place? Please provide both the organization name AND geographic location.
  5. What is the start date of your experiential learning opportunity? If you are unsure, enter your anticipated start date.
  6. How many hours have you already completed for this experiential learning opportunity?
  7. What is the end date of your experiential learning opportunity? If you are unsure, enter your anticipated end date.
  8. How many hours do you still have remaining for this experiential learning opportunity?
  9. Are you receiving academic credit for this opportunity?
  10. If you are receiving academic credit for this opportunity, please provide the course name and number. If you aren't receiving credit, please write "N/A"
  11. Name of experiential learning opportunity supervisor and contact information (email + phone number):
  12. Please provide the website affiliated with your experiential learning opportunity.
  13. Please upload proof of your experiential learning opportunity here.
  14. In at least 3-5 sentences, please describe the nature of this experience and your responsibilities, providing specific examples or details where possible. If you selected "Other" for type of experiential learning opportunity, please also describe the opportunity here.
  15. In at least 3-5 sentences, please explain how this experiential learning opportunity benefits your long-term career goals.
  16. How much are you being paid for this experience? If this experience is unpaid, simply put "unpaid."
  17. Which expense categories are directly related to your ability to participate in your experiential learning opportunity? Please select all that apply.
  18. Have you already paid for these expenses?
  19. Internship Support + Emergency Fund awards typically range from $500–$1,000. Please indicate the total amount of funding you are requesting.
  20. Please provide an itemized breakdown of the selected expenses. For each expense, include the expense category, a brief description or purpose, and the dollar amount. The total of your itemized expenses should equal the total funding amount you requested above.
  21. From the expense(s) outlined above, which specific expense is the most critical to your ability to participate in your experiential learning opportunity?
  22. Please describe any other resources, funding, or support you have pursued or received to help cover the expenses listed in your request. If applicable, include the source(s), amount(s), and any remaining financial need.
  23. In at least 3-5 sentences, please describe (in detail) how your experiential learning opportunity is directly impacted by the expenses you have listed. Be sure to explain how this funding will help you overcome this barrier. If you are being paid for your experiential learning opportunity, please also explain why your salary is insufficient to address your financial needs.
  24. Please provide any relevant documentation (up to three documents) to further articulate your financial need. Examples of documentation include sample flights for upcoming travel, daily commute route, projected temporary housing costs, software prices, necessary supplies you would like to purchase, etc. Screenshots are fine to show potential expenses.
    • Supporting Documentation #1
    • Supporting Documentation #2
    • Supporting Documentation #3
  25. Do you have a Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)?
  26. Have you previously received UB emergency funds OR funding from the Career Design Center? If yes, please list the specific funding source, when you received the funding, and how much funding you received.
  27. How did you hear about the Internship Support + Emergency Fund?
  28. If a specific person referred you, please include their name and title/role. If you selected other, please explain how you were referred.
  29. If selected for funding, we will issue your award through a U.S. Bank Expense Card-- which may be considered taxable income. Please upload the appropriate tax document as outlined below.
  30. If selected for funding, are you able to pick up your expense card from our office (259 Capen Hall)?
  31. I understand that this funding is not intended as general financial aid or wage replacement and must be applied to expenses directly related to my experiential learning opportunity. I understand that the Internship Support + Emergency Fund is unable to offer assistance for tuition, UB fees, textbooks, rent, car payments, and other ongoing living costs unrelated to the designated experiential learning opportunity.
  32. Once this application is submitted, someone from the Career Design Center will reach out via UB email in 7-10 business days. We aim to make a final funding decision and offer funding to accepted applicants within 20 business days. This includes scheduling a conversation with you if needed, requesting supplemental budget information, reviewing application materials, and working with our finance team to deliver approved funding via US Bank expense card.
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