Congratulations to the Columbia College and Columbia Engineering students awarded Work Exemption Program (WEP) grants for the Fall 2023 semester!

THE WORK EXEMPTION PROGRAM

The Center for Career Education is excited to announce the completion of another successful application cycle for the Work Exemption Program (WEP) for the Fall 2023 semester. This program, which enhances financial aid for undergraduate students in Columbia College and Columbia Engineering, provides Columbia Grants to support eligible students’ pursuit of unpaid internships, research projects, and community outreach.

As Emily Coty ‘24, a Summer 2023 WEP recipient, summed up so eloquently after interning at Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital, “This source of financial stability is an opportunity of a lifetime.” 

This fall, Columbia undergraduates will be interning, volunteering, and researching at a wide range of organizations that span a variety of industries. These include healthcare, government, media, and the nonprofit sector. The students will be taking on various tasks such as writing, communications, and analytics, and conducting cutting edge research.
 

TYPES OF ENGAGEMENtS

As in previous years, a large number of students will be involved in research projects on both Columbia’s Morningside and CUIMC campuses. Among the departments and labs hosting research assistants are Physics, Biology, Chemistry, the Data Science Institute and the Zuckerman Institute, as well as Pediatrics and the Sia Lab.

Several students will explore opportunities in the arts and media at placements with FilmNation, New Village Press, The House of Speakeasy, CAIR-NY, and Manage-Ment, while others are interning in government with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the Office of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and the New York District Office of Congressman Adriano Espaillat. 

Still others are volunteering their time with Columbia University Emergency Medical Service, Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, Columbia Computer Music Center, and Community Impact. Meanwhile, numerous students are engaged in nonprofit opportunities such as with Project Rousseau, The Brave House, New York Civil Liberties Union, and the International Rescue Committee. 
 

A TIME for LEARNING & REFLECTION

All in all, these students will be actively involved in learning and exploring potential career paths and interests. In this vein, 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 one step closer to graduation.

WEP supports students in Fall, Spring and Summer, with applications accepted during distinct timeframes for each cycle. The process requires a personal statement, resume, letter of recommendation, and employer verification form. 
 

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

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