SGA Funding Opportunities

Academic Pursuit Fund (APF): The APF subsidizes Skidmore students’ academic activities outside of the classroom. These pursuits include but are not limited to scholarly research (not related to required work for classes students are receiving academic credit for), creative work and academic conferences. Academic conferences are defined by this program as conferences that are related to the individual’s or group’s majors. Check out what people have used the fund for in our blog.

Green Grant: The SGA Green Grant is a $10,000 competitive grant managed by the Sustainability Commission in collaboration with the Sustainability Office to support students in pursuing sustainable initiatives on campus to improve student life and the environment. The Green Grant is funded by the SGA and was first approved for the 2023-2024 academic year. The projects must be based on Skidmore’s Campus Sustainability Plan while addressing intersecting spheres within sustainability such as social equity, economic viability, and environmental stewardship. All students are eligible to apply for the Green Grant. The Green Grant Review Committee will review project applications and determine project awards.

JSS Activism Fund/Civic Engagement:The JSS Activism Fund was created in honor of Skidmore’s sixth President, Jamienne S. Studley, to enable students to participate in political and social activism or causes to expand their sense of community involvement, service and awareness. The Civic Engagement Fund was created to provide financial support for worthwhile student civic engagement projects that actively pursue the alleviation of public concerns and the improvement of public life in a community. The JSS Activism and Civic Engagement Fund is meant to achieve the goals of both individual funds. The fund is meant for all students. Fund requests are not guaranteed. Every application will be fully considered but the criteria within the document “Criteria for the JSS Activism and Civic Engagement Fund” will guide the Senate in granting funds.

Out of Classroom Discussion Fund (OCDF): The OCDF provides Skidmore students with small grants to expand their relationships with faculty. These funds can be used to get coffee, lunch, tickets to school events and more.

Student Activity Financial Aid (SAFA): The purpose of SAFA is to bridge the class inequality gap that exists due to the lack financial support for students from various socioeconomic backgrounds. The goal of this fund is to subsidize student's expenses within the realm of SGA, meaning that this fund can only be used to support student participation in events or clubs that are already supported or sponsored by the Student Government Association. The fund can be used whenever there is a requirement for individual contributions including but not limited to membership contributions, membership fees, equipment or materials and SGA elections. It is our goal to have all SGA-supported activities accessible by all members of the student body no matter what their socioeconomic background may be.

Student Life Improvement Fund (SLIF): SLIF is a fund for individual students, or groups of students, not affiliated with an official group to propose a one-time cost for initiatives and projects that will directly impact the student experience at Skidmore. While initiatives need not be large, they must be in some way meaningful to more than a handful of current students. Applications are granted at the discretion of the Committee on Student Life, with oversight from the VP for Financial Affairs. 

All forms can be found on the #Homesync on Skidsync!

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Other Skidmore Funding Opportunities

Skidmore Summer Funded Internship Awards Program (SSFIAP): SSFIAP was created to provide full-time Skidmore students an opportunity to participate in unpaid internships, volunteer, research or community service projects over the course of the summer. The awards are designed to offer full-time Skidmore students an opportunity to gain the relevant knowledge, skills and experience employers require of entry-level candidates. Since previous work experience is often listed as a requirement for job applicants, this program was created to provide students with an opportunity to gain the relevant experience and skills needed to become a competitive candidate in today's job market.

Susan Hirsch Schwartz Fund (SHS): The Susan Hirsch Schwartz Fund was established to encourage the involvement of economically disadvantaged students (receiving significant financial aid and grant money) in off-campus career and graduate school exploration. If approved, the SHS Fund will cover up to $150 for travel assistance, interview attire, food (excluding alcoholic beverages), application fees, postage and other expenses. Expenses must be preapproved. Students are required to submit all receipts. Qualified students will be permitted to receive one award per year.

Dean of Students: Student Opportunity Funds: The Student Opportunity Funds, administered by the dean of student affairs, are provided by generous friends and alumni of the college and by the president of the college. The funds offer grants in support of worthwhile student cocurricular and leadership initiatives. Grants may be used to defray the costs of research materials and supplies, for travel to a site critical to the project's completion, for attending a conference (especially when the student will make a presentation at the conference), for preparing project results for publication or display, etc. The amount of the award, usually between $200 and $250, always depends in part on the total dollars available for each semester.

Student Opportunity Project Funds: Student Opportunity Funds are provided by generous friends and alumni of the college. Grants may be used to defray the cost of research materials and supplies, for travel to a research site critical to the project's completion or for preparing project results for publication or display. Grant amounts are typically $200–$500. Full-time students from every department and program are welcome to apply. Links to application guidelines and forms are provided below. Students seeking support to present or show their work at a conference or juried exhibition should follow instructions for Travel-to-Present Awards.

Student Travel-to-Present Awards: The Student Travel-to-Present Funds are made possible by generous friends and alumni of the college. Awards may be used to support student travel to present research or creative projects at a conference or a professional meeting or to share work at a juried exhibition. Grants may be used to defray the costs of travel, lodging and meals. Students should seek support from their departments to cover conference registration and membership fees in the professional organization, if applicable. Due to the limited amount of funds, we do not provide funds for students traveling to attend a conference without presenting their work. We also do not provide funds for student travel related to a class activity (required or voluntary) or as part of a cocurricular activity sponsored by a department or program.

Treuhaft Fund for Art Technology: The Jeffrey and Cynthia Treuhaft Fund for Art Technology was established in 1999. This fund is designed to provide technology in support of student opportunities to work with faculty in new and innovative ways in any art form or medium. Project grants can support purchases of  hardware and software for the college or provide other kinds of technological support for a wide range of projects. The guidelines are flexible and meant to encourage new kinds of opportunities. These may include collaborative research or independent study projects, interdisciplinary initiatives, work with artists-in-residence, projects connected with the Tang Museum, performance art or other related possibilities. The Treuhaft Fund for Art Technology is designed to enhance and strengthen the close interaction between faculty and students that is a distinctive aspect of a Skidmore education. Typically larger than Student Opportunity Fund grants, the Treuhaft Fund grants may provide up to $5,000 in support for appropriate projects.

SGA Responsible Citizenship Internship Award (RCIA): The SGA is pleased to offer 19 students a RCIA of $4,000 to participate in an unpaid summer internship. These awards were developed to provide Skidmore students with the opportunity to participate in unpaid internships to gain practical knowledge in their field of study and to further Skidmore College’s mission to encourage responsible citizenship, as outlined in the Strategic Action Agenda (2009). Students are not required to apply for academic credit. Starting in Spring 2019, the Career Development Center will be managing the application and selection process. Interested applicants should go to the Career Development Center's Summer Experience Fund website. 

Note: Additional funding opportunities may exist. Please check with your academic department to see if they offer or know of any internship scholarships or funding sources.