Flames Internship Grant

Important Dates:

Spring applications open November 27, 2023

Applications close January 15, 2024, 11:59 p.m CST.

There are amazing opportunities to gain experience outside the classroom, but not all these experiences are paid.  The FIG was created to encourage UIC students to take advantage of substantive experiences beyond UIC that are unpaid and offer excellent opportunities for learning and growth. The grant provides a stipend of up to $2500 over the course of a semester or the summer. (See below for additional financial aid implications.)

Please note that students need to have a position secured in order to be eligible for funding.

At the end of the application there will be a place to upload a resume and job description, as well as review additional information about the requirements of the program. The next step in the application process will be an employer verification. Please be sure to let your employer know that someone from the FIG program will be contacting them for additional information after you apply.

• Applicants must be current, full time, undergraduate students in good academic standing.
• Positions eligible for funding must be substantive experiential learning opportunities completed on a consistent schedule for a specified period of time. (For example, periodic volunteer opportunities are not eligible.)
• Priority will be given to experiences that encourage students to explore opportunities outside of the University.
• Experiences required in the context of an academic course are not eligible (ie, student teaching, nursing clinicals, applied psychology practicum).
• Research positions on campus with faculty are not eligible for funding (please refer to the Chancellor’s Undergraduate Research Award Program for more information on research funding https://cura.uic.edu/ ).

IMPORTANT: This is a very competitive program.  There are a limited number of grants available.  Consider applying early and make sure that your applications are complete.

• Submission of 3 Work-Learning Objectives to be accomplished during the internship, agreed upon by student and supervisor.
• Attendance at monthly mandatory FIG seminars for all students who receive the grant. Dates will be announced at the time of notification and acceptance of the grant should be contingent on the student’s ability to participate in the seminar dates.
• Fulfillment of the time commitment required by the internship site and agreed upon by student and supervisor.  If for some reason you can no longer continue the internship, you must inform FIG staff as soon as possible.
• Completion of a mid-internship reflection and final evaluation, along with any reflections or assignments required by the seminar.
• Students may take the internship for credit while receiving the grant, however arrangements for credit must be made with the student’s academic department.

Stipends are disbursed to students in installments throughout the duration of the internship.

Please note:  FIG funding may impact your financial aid award. Stipends are applied to your account in installments.

1. The stipend serves as a form of financial aid.
2. If you have a balance on the account, the stipend will go towards paying against your balance.
3. If no balance, you’ll be issued a refund through student accounts and funds come directly to you.
4. If you have already received the maximum amount of financial aid for your academic year, your stipend will reduce other forms of aid. Please visit this website for more information: https://financialaid.uic.edu/faq/contact-us/
5. Please note that for DACA, undocumented, and international students, additional paperwork might be required in order to process funding.  Additional time may also be needed to process payments and it may take up the end of the internship or semester for payments to be completed