Career Funding & Support

At Brandeis University, you can take advantage of a number of funding resources both during your tenure as a student and beyond. Review the opportunities available below.

Transportation & Travel Funding

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Transportation Reimbursements

Update for Groceries and Supplies

Brandeis will now reimburse on-campus students for the full cost of a rideshare trip (Lyft, etc.) from campus to local grocery stores and pharmacies in Waltham.

Commuter Rail

Brandeis will reimburse currently enrolled full-time undergraduate and graduate students for the full cost of a round trip commuter rail ticket (subject to limitations) for all eligible travel from the Brandeis MBTA rail stop to Porter Square or North Station. Effective dates for reimbursement are August 26, 2020 (first day of classes) through May 14, 2021 (last day of finals).

Eligible travel includes: Trips for internships or jobs, academic purposes (enrolling in classes, or attending lectures), visiting libraries for specific research needs, visiting exhibits or sites (historic or cultural) associated with a student's classes or field of study.
Eligible trips do NOT include: Trips for exclusively social purposes (e.g. attending a party, going on a date, visiting family or friends, or getting to the airport or South Station to take a trip).

Commuter rail trips must take place when there is no Brandeis Boston/Cambridge shuttle. Visit the Boston/Cambridge shuttle page for the full shuttle schedule. The cost of any additional travel from the destination train stop will be the student’s responsibility. Monthly passes do not qualify.

Reimbursement:

Gather your receipts from all your qualifying trips, receipts will need to be uploaded into the reimbursement form. For Lyft, please include initial and destination locations. For the commuter rail, keep the emails if ordering online for tickets, if purchasing tickets at the station, scan or take a photo of each ticket, or if using the App take a screenshot of each trip.
Receipts should be attached as .pdf, .jpg, or .png. If we are unable to open the attachment we will request resubmission of the request.
Receipts must be submitted within 30 days of travel.
Complete the Transportation Reimbursement Form

Hiatt processes the refund requests twice monthly, on or around the 15th and the 30th of each month. If you are/were a student employee you'll receive a direct deposit otherwise checks will be mailed to the address you provide. Email HiattCenter@brandeis.edu with any additional questions.

Internship Transportation Expenses Fund

This fund is used to assist students with funding for transportation expenses incurred while pursuing an internship for credit at Brandeis.

Reimbursement may be used towards the expense of traveling to the internship (Examples: Uber fees, train or bus fees, tolls)
Funds are limited and may not cover all travel expenses
Hiatt works to support as many students as possible
Funding is for one semester. If the internship is for additional semesters, a new request must be submitted
Receipts must be submitted within 30 days of travel

Qualifications:

Currently enrolled degree-seeking undergraduate student and pursuing an unpaid internship for credit
Preference is given to students with identified financial need (as determined by Student Financial Services)

Requests will be reviewed upon receipt each semester (fall and spring). Please complete this brief survey or contact HiattCenter@brandeis.edu to inquire about the possibility of fall funding.

Hiatt Career Closet and Brandeis Food Pantry

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Hiatt Career Closet

The Hiatt Career Closet provides undergraduate students FREE access to professional attire for interviews, career fairs, networking events and other career-oriented activities and occasions. Our goal is to help students feel prepared, professional and comfortable when making a first impression without having to leave campus or spend a lot of money.

Hours of Operation

*New hours for fall 2020*
Tuesdays and Fridays: 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Contact the Hiatt Front Desk to schedule a time to come in: hiattcenter@brandeis.edu. We are complying with the University's social distance rules and can only have one student shopper in the career closet space at a given time.

How It Works

The Hiatt Career Closet is located on the second floor of the Hiatt Career Center in the Usdan Student Center. Students may take (and keep) any items of their choosing. Before shopping, we highly suggest that students review our online inventory to see what is available based on your specific needs.

Inclusion

The Hiatt Career Closet strives to include all shapes, sizes, and orientations. Each time a student visits the closet, they will be treated with sensitivity and respect. With the understanding that not all users identify with a specific gender, our garments are categorized into two categories: masculine style and feminine style. Within these categories are a breakdown of the item type (suit, jacket, blouse, pants, etc) and how many are in our current inventory. Students should feel free to shop in whatever category they choose.

Donations

Accepted donations must be new or gently worn, in good condition and cleaned prior to donating. Items must be of high-quality: not ripped, stained, broken or missing pieces (buttons, zippers, straps). Review our donation guidelines and standards.

Donations can be brought to the Hiatt Career Center during business hours (Monday-Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm) or dropped off in our donation bin after hours. For additional information, contact Kristin Menconi, assistant director of marketing and communications, at (781)-736-8718 or kmenconi@brandeis.edu.

Sponsored by the Hiatt Career Center in partnership with the Brandeis Department of Community Service and the Division of Student Affairs.

Brandeis Food Pantry

An on-campus free food pantry has been stocked with a variety of non-perishable items. Please feel free to stop by and take a few items as you need them. If you are accessing the food pantry for the first time, please complete the online registration form. The form can be completed in advance of visiting the food pantry or at the food pantry, where a tablet will be available for use.

Location: Graduate Student Center conference room, Kutz 102

Hours: Weekdays, 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m (8:00pm Fridays)

Contact: foodpantry@brandeis.edu

Learn more on the Graduate Student Affairs website.

Internship, Research & Fellowship Funds

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Brandeis Internship & Research Grants

Brandeis offers a variety of ways to financially support internship experiences.

Please refer to the list below to find Brandeis funding sources that best match your needs and criteria. Some funding is based on type of experience including undergraduate research and study abroad, others are based on particular fields including politics and women’s and gender studies, and others are focused on geographic location including the India Initiative.

History Majors — Eugene C. Black Prize Internship (2), $1,000
India Initiative Fellows
Journalism Program — Esther Kartiganer Prize for Excellence in Journalism and Women’s and Gender Studies
Latin American & Latino Studies Program — Jane’s Travel Grants
Middle East Studies — The Crown Center Travel & Study Grants
Peace, Conflict & Coexistence Studies Program Awards
Politics — Research Circle on Democracy and Cultural Pluralism Undergraduate Summer Internship Grant
Public Service — Eli Segal Citizen Leadership Fellowship
Undergraduate Research — The Office of Scholarships and Fellowships; Division of Science Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship
Study Abroad Scholarships
Tauber Institute Undergraduate Research Grants - for senior thesis research in any academic discipline related to Jewish Studies
Women’s & Gender Studies Grants & Prizes — Rapaporte grant for internships related to Women, Children or Gender
Frances Taylor Eizenstat '65 Undergraduate Israel Travel Grant Program — competitive $2,500 grants for students pursuing academic or career interests in Israel: study, work, research or internship. Students from all departments and majors are invited to apply. Deadline: March 30. Questions? Email Keren at scis@brandeis.edu.
Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program in the biological and physical sciences
Funding for undergraduate research in the sciences

External Grants & Fellowships

Foundation Grants to Individuals

The Library has a subscription to Foundation Grants to Individuals which provides details on foundations that offer scholarships, fellowships, grants, and a wide range of financial support to individuals.

External Fellowships

The Office of Scholarships and Fellowships located within Academic Services can help guide you through the necessary steps in applying for academic fellowships such as Fulbright, Rhodes, Marshall, Goldwater and others. Additional fellowships are listed in Handshake.

Jordan Liebhaber Scholarship for young adults wanting to do community service work projects, particularly those benefiting seniors.

The Hiatt Career Center can help you in tailoring your resume, and reviewing your personal statement, and coaching you through the interview process. If you are applying for an academic fellowship that requires Brandeis University nomination, you must work with the Office of Scholarships and Fellowships.

World of Work (WOW) Program

Brandeis’ WOW fellowship program is a highly competitive program that awards stipends to Brandeis undergraduates who pursue unpaid summer internships. Hiatt administers several types of WOW fellowships:

Universal WOW
Alexander P. Heckler/Governor Ann Richards Internship Fund in Politics & Public Service
Judith Cossin Berkman '59 Endowed Internship Fund in Social Work
Louis D. Brandeis Legacy Fund in Social Justice Fellowships
Rauch Family Trust Internship
Experiential Learning Internship Fellowships
Jewish Communal Service

YMA Fashion Scholarship

The YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund encourages gifted and enterprising liberal arts students to pursue careers in design, merchandising, retail and business. The program offers internships, career mentoring from prominent senior executives, and $5,000 scholarships for students interested in the business of fashion as a career.

Requirements:

Eligible students must be a current sophomore, junior or senior.
Overall G.P.A. of 3.0 or above.
Completion of a case study as part of the application. Students must work with a faculty member on the development of their case.
Applicants will be expected to participate in an interview with a YMA FSF School Ambassador.
Students must have a desire and passion to enter the Fashion Industry.

Brandeis is 1 of the 41 educational institutions nationwide selected to participate. For additional information about YMA and the scholarship fund, visit the YMA website.

To apply to the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund, contact Alice Kelikian.

Brandeis Emergency Fund

The Brandeis Emergency Fund is available to undergraduate and graduate students who experience financial emergencies without recourse to other resources. In the past, the fund has supported students with high financial need facing unreimbursed medical or dental expenses; travel needs for an unexpected illness or death in the immediate family; replacement of personal belongings due to theft or fire; housing and food needs, and the purchase of clothing appropriate for winter or an interview. Students in need of emergency funds should contact Student Financial Services at x63700 or sfs@brandeis.edu, or visit the office in Usdan 120 in person.