Get Experience scholarships frequently asked questions
If you have questions not answered below, please reach out to LAS Career Services.
Applications
Not necessarily. If the payment you receive falls under Illinois minimum wage (currently defined as a rate of $14 per hour), we will consider your experience as being "underpaid" and apply a formula that considers the gap. This is why the application asks questions about the expected number of hours and weeks you will be dedicating to the role, as well as compensation you will receive.
This question does not apply to enrollment in the LAS 289 Internships or LAS 199 Internships and Professional Experiences courses that support scholarship recipients. If LAS 289 or LAS 199 will be the only academic credit you receive related to doing this experience, then please answer "no."
No worries. While it is required for you to have an identified organization that you are working with, we recognize that it can be hard to coordinate all of the details about your role. We are willing to work with you. Do the best you can and reach out to las-careerservices@illinois.edu with the issues you need time to help resolve. However, it is important that you communicate with us. Let us know where you are in the process so that we can help you plan ahead. We do not want to reject your application due to a misunderstanding about missing information.
Finances
The scholarship funds are deposited into your student account during the academic term in which your experience occurs. We are able to release funds once we have received your Professional Experience Verification Form, and have acknowledgement of whether you will be participating in the LAS 289 class, LAS 199 class, or individual career coaching opportunity.
Other considerations
The Get Experience Scholarship will be rescinded if the experience is not successfully completed. Be aware that if you withdraw after you have signed a contract with a provider, you are still liable for those program fees.
We are not able to role a scholarship award over from one semester to another. However, you are welcome to reapply as long as you have not previously received funds from the scholarship.
Yes. Your advisor or supervisor should confirm what your work experience / duration / hours will be in the Professional Experience Verification Form. If we have any questions or concerns, we'll contact you. Generally, though, a change in hours would not change the award amount unless the number of hours or weeks dedicated to the experience drop drastically. A significant portion of these awards are dedicated to addressing a “pay gap,” which is calculated based on anticipated number of unfunded or underfunded hours worked. If the anticipated number of hours worked drops drastically, the total amount of the award may be reduced before distribution in efforts to award scholarships equitably and to adequately support as many students as possible to obtain career-related experiences. Any changes to award totals will be communicated to students before they take effect.