Congratulations to the Columbia College and Columbia Engineering students awarded Work Exemption Program (WEP) grants for the Fall 2024 semester!

THE WORK EXEMPTION PROGRAM

The Center for Career Education (CCE) is excited to announce the completion of another successful application cycle for the Work Exemption Program (WEP) for the Fall 2024 semester. As an enhancement to financial aid for undergraduate students in Columbia College and Columbia Engineering, the WEP program provides Columbia Grants to support eligible students’ pursuit of unpaid internships, research projects, and community outreach.

WEP recipient Akosua Agyemang CC ’25, who interned in Columbia’s Stockwell Lab this past summer, described how the Work Exemption Program “not only supports students financially but also empowers them to gain hands-on, practical experience that can profoundly influence their career trajectory. By enabling students to focus on their professional development, the program plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world application, making it a cornerstone for career advancement.”

As they pursue their own career advancement this semester, Columbia undergraduates are interning, volunteering, and researching at a wide range of organizations across various industries including the arts, government, and the non-profit sector. The students will take on tasks such as website development, fundraising, event planning, art curation, and mentoring, in addition to conducting cutting edge research at prestigious organizations and academic labs.

TYPES OF ENGAGEMENT

As in previous years, a large number of WEP recipients participate in research projects on both Columbia’s Morningside and CUIMC campuses. Among some of the departments and labs hosting research assistants this fall are the Kriegeskorte Lab at the Zuckerman Institute; the Rush Lab in Columbia’s Department of Statistics; the RObotics And Rehabilitation (ROAR) Laboratory; Columbia College’s History Department; Columbia Engineering’s Complex Resilient Intelligent Systems Laboratory, and the Denny Laboratory at CUIMC.

Several students are exploring opportunities in the professional world with placements at tech start-up Vochai, music non-profit Taste of Sounds, comedy event producer Underground Overground, and the New York Blood Center’s Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention. Others are interning in government offices and non-profit organizations such as Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s Office, the Diplomat in Residence program with the Virtual Student Federal Service, Sakhi, Accion Latina, and the Boys and Girls Club of the Los Angeles Harbor.

Additionally, some students utilize this opportunity to volunteer their time with organizations that speak dually to their passions and career goals such as at the Columbia Justice In Education Initiative, Roger Lehecka Double Discovery Center, Hispanic Organization Promoting Education, Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center, Counseling and Test Preparation Ethiopia, and Matriculate.

A TIME FOR LEARNING & REFLECTION

During the WEP, students are actively involved in learning and exploring potential career goals and interests. In support of this endeavor, the culmination of the program includes a Reflection Project, which gives the students the opportunity to think about how their experience impacted them with regard to their career aspirations, challenges faced, and next steps as they move closer to pursuing their dreams. The Reflection Project serves as an important and useful take-away that students can use to inform their resume, future cover letters, or preparation for future interviews.

CROSS-CAMPUS COLLABORATION

WEP is administered jointly by the Center for Career Education and Financial Aid & Educational Financing.

The WEP committee, composed of administrators representing offices across Columbia College and Columbia Engineering, met in September to determine recipients. The offices represented on the committee include:

  • Financial Aid & Educational Financing

  • Columbia College Alumni Affairs and Development

  • Columbia College Office of the Dean

  • Office of Global Programs

  • Columbia Engineering Office of the Dean

  • Columbia Undergraduate Admissions

  • Undergraduate Student Life

We greatly appreciate our partners’ support and service to the implementation of this critical program.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WEP GRANTS

Applications for the WEP are accepted three times a year in support of internships in Fall, Spring, and Summer. Application materials include a personal statement, resume, letter of recommendation, and employer verification form.

Visit our Funding page to learn more and see the variety of experiences supported by WEP grants.