Thanks to WEP I was able to spend a year working at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. With WEP, I was given the opportunity to make connections between the laboratory experience and my academic studies. Financial struggles should not prevent you from seeking great opportunities.
The Work Exemption Program is designed to enable financial aid recipients to take advantage of unpaid experiential learning opportunities. Accepted program participants receive a Columbia Grant to support their pursuit of unpaid internships, research projects, and community outreach, locally, nationally, and internationally.
WEP grants offset the earnings a student would be expected to contribute towards their educational expenses from paid work. WEP grants do not fund the unpaid opportunity itself, but instead are applied towards the Fall and/or Spring Student Account balance.
WEP grants will be awarded during the semester in which WEP funding is applied for. This means a successful Fall term WEP application would yield a WEP grant during that same Fall term, and that a successful Spring term WEP application would yield a WEP grant during that same Spring term. A successful Summer WEP application resulting in a student being awarded a Summer WEP grant will generally result in a student being awarded funding evenly between the upcoming Fall and Spring terms of the following academic year.
Academic year (Fall or Spring) WEP grants are allocated towards the standard Work Expectation portion of the Student Responsibility. Summer WEP funding is allocated towards the standard Student Contribution portion of the Student Responsibility.
Please note that acceptance to WEP is not guaranteed. There is a competitive application process with strict deadlines as well as essay and recommendation letter requirements.
Scholars, and some recipients of outside scholarships may not be eligible to apply for the WEP Grant. We recommend speaking with a Financial Aid Officer prior to applying to discuss individual eligibility.