Professional Development Grant

SGA is offering an opportunity for partial financial support for students to attend professional conferences!!

* Click here for the grant application for the 2023-2024 academic year.

Parameters of the grant:

• Students must have a minimum of sophomore status and good academic standing. Students cannot be on academic probation to apply for the grant.
• The conference must relate to identified major or future career plans. The grant is not intended for experiences that relate to faith development or discerning career choices. The grant will allow students to attend conferences where they can put to practice the information they have learned and also have the opportunity to network with other students and professionals within their field.
• Students must submit a statement of purpose and a letter of recommendation from a supporting mentor. The statement of purpose should include
  • Importance/relevancy of the professional development experience to career goals
  • Any responsibilities that you may have at the conference (speaker, research presentation, etc.)
  • Description of how the campus community may benefit from your attendance at the conference.
• All application materials should be submitted no later than three weeks before the scheduled conference.
• Completion of a brief online training session, created by the Career and Professional Development Center, must be done prior to the conference.
• After the conference, grant recipients must complete an interview with a Career and Professional Development Center representative. Questions will be given to participants to complete. The questions will be used to help participants articulate the value of their conference attendance. A picture of the recipient may be displayed on the Career and Professional Development television outside the office, which will highlight your experience and the benefits of attending the conference.
• Grants are awarded in an amount up to or equal to fifty percent of the anticipated cost of the conference as detailed in the completed cost worksheet, with a maximum grant of three hundred dollars.

For more information, please contact Dwayne Keiffer at dkeiffer@messiah.edu or call 717-691-6016.