Funding Opportunities

The Richmond Guarantee

You’ve got big ideas. Richmond helps you make them real.

Through the Richmond Guarantee, every undergraduate in School of Arts & Sciences, Jepson School of Leadership Studies and Robins School of Business can access to up to $5,500 to support an unpaid or underpaid summer internship or research project. Whether you want to work in a lab, curate an art exhibit, intern with a nonprofit, or dive into global issues, you don’t have to choose between your passion and your paycheck.

With eight different funding programs (UR Summer Fellowships), we can extend real flexibility. You bring the vision, and we’ll help you fund it. Here are just a few examples of what Spiders have done:

  • Designed leadership programs in London
  • Researched women’s healthcare trends
  • Trained with professional dancers
  • Studied malaria in the Amazon
  • Built algorithms for imaging nanomaterials

Where will your Richmond Guarantee take you?

LEARN MORE AND APPLY

$4,200

AVG. FELLOWSHiP AWARD IN 2025

Vibrant outdoor portrait of a new graduate. She has a joyous smile and is wearing a graduation cap and gown.

$2.5M+

TOTAL AMOUNT AWARDED IN 2025

600

students in SUMMER 2025

Career Opportunity Fund

Thanks to the generosity of donors, Richmond’s Career Opportunity Fund provides need-based financial support to offset costs associated with career exploration and preparation. Degree-seeking undergraduates can apply for up to $500 per academic year to access career development opportunities during their career exploration and job search processes.

Types of Funding Available

CAREER DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Students with financial need can apply for funding to offset the cost of travel for career development opportunities including travel for a job, internship or graduate school interview, Spider Shadowing experience, health preceptorship, professional conference, or Spider Road Trip.

GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL FEES

UR students can request funding for graduate or professional school application fees or entrance exam fees not covered by a waiver (not test preparation).

PROFESSIONAL WARDROBE

NEW! The UR Career Closet platform provides equitable, effortless access to professional clothing in a full range of sizes, gender-inclusive selections and quality brands. Career Services partners with MyCareerCloset (powered by Hyde) to provide students with access to a professional stylist and a voucher for a complete outfit.

Follow the steps below to determine funding eligibility and apply for funding. DO NOT make any purchases prior to receiving funding approval. Items purchased prior to approval will not be reimbursed.

Steps To Apply for Funding

  1. Carefully review the “Types of Funding Available” and “Qualifying for Funding” sections prior to submitting your application.
  2. If your request falls within the guidelines, click apply to complete and submit the online application.
  3. Applications for funding will be reviewed on an ongoing basis during the academic year. Applications should be submitted as far in advance of the opportunity as possible, but no less than one week prior to the opportunity for which you are seeking funding. It can take a week or more to determine funding eligibility.
  4. You will be notified of eligibility/ineligibility within a week. If eligible, next steps and guidelines will be outlined along with the notification.
  5. Approved purchases must be made prior to the end of the academic year or they will not be reimbursed. All receipts should be submitted immediately after purchase for reimbursements. Receipts older than 60 days will not be reimbursed.
APPLY FOR CAREER OPPORTUNITY FUND

NEW DIRECT ACCESS TO WARDROBE – UR CAREER CLOSET

  1. Complete Career Opportunity Fund application using the Professional Wardrobe option
  2. Submit your application to Career Services for review
  3. If approved, you will receive an email with a voucher to use for UR Career Closet
  4. Use the link to access the portal where you can schedule a meeting with a stylist to select an outfit based on your needs
  5. Place your order, then receive your curated outfit delivered to your door in 5-7 days

Qualifying for Funding

  • Career Opportunity Fund is for full-time degree-seeking University of Richmond students with demonstrated financial need. If you are unsure of whether you qualify for need-based financial aid, contact the Financial Aid office. 
  • Students can apply for and receive funding through the Career Opportunity Fund more than once in an academic year up to a maximum of $500 per academic year.
  • This fund is primarily designed for degree-seeking undergraduates in the following schools: Jepson School of Leadership Studies, School of Arts & Sciences, School of Professional & Continuing Studies, and Robins School of Business.  
  • There is limited funding available for graduate and professional students in the following schools: School of Professional & Continuing Studies, School of Law, and The Richmond MBA.

FAQs

Thanks to generous donors, Career Opportunity Fund provides degree-seeking Spiders with financial need access to career exploration and career development opportunities. Students can apply for up to $500 in funding each academic year.

  • Transportation, lodging, and meals for career-related travel: Spider Road Trips, Spider Shadowing, recruiting events and interview costs not reimbursed by the employer. Not for internship/work experience travel (e.g., getting to/from a job or internship, parking)
  • Fees related to professional conferences not reimbursable by academic departments
  • Graduate entrance exam fees (e.g., LSAT, MCAT, GMAT, GRE)
  • Graduate or professional school application fees (check with the institution before applying for Career Opportunity Fund, as many provide fee waivers)

  • Travel to and from a job or internship.
  • Test preparation courses
  • Job or internship related expenses. Undergraduate Spiders looking to fund summer experiences including eligible unpaid or underpaid summer internships or research should apply for The Richmond Guarantee.

Students must qualify for need-based aid per the University’s policies to be eligible for funding. If you are unsure of whether you qualify for need-based financial aid, contact the Financial Aid office. This fund is primarily designed for degree-seeking undergraduates in the following schools: Jepson School of Leadership Studies, School of Arts & Sciences, School of Professional & Continuing Studies, and Robins School of Business.  

There is limited funding available for graduate and professional students in the following schools: School of Professional & Continuing Studies, School of Law, and The Richmond MBA.

No. You must be a full-time degree-seeking undergraduate student in Jepson School of Leadership Studies, School of Arts & Sciences, School of Professional & Continuing Studies, and Robins School of Business to qualify.  

Applications are open during the academic year. We cannot accept applications or reimburse expenses over the summer.

It can take up to 10 business days to process an application. Please plan accordingly.

Please allow 10-12 business days after you have submitted all documents required as part of the applications, including itemized receipts. The University will review and approve the request and disperse the funds through ACH direct deposit to the bank account set up in Bannerweb. We encourage you to add your ACH direct deposit information in Bannerweb if you have not done so already. If there isn’t an account set up, the University will mail a check to your home address on file.

Send an email to careerservices@richmond.edu. You are also welcome to stop by the Career Advising Suite in Tyler Haynes Commons, Suite 306, to get any quick questions answered.