Student Academic Enhancement Fund (SAEF)
Please consult the following guidelines prior to applying for a SAEF award. Students can apply individually or as a group.
Deadlines
Applications must be submitted:
Three academic weeks prior to the start of local travel or a virtual conference.
- “Local travel” includes travel to any location within a fifty-mile radius of the University of Washington Bothell. Funds awarded for local travel cannot cover airfare or lodging.
Seven academic weeks prior to domestic travel.
Nine academic weeks prior to international travel.
Please keep in mind when applying that finals week and breaks are not considered academic weeks.
Application requirements
All applications must include a letter of recommendation from a faculty or staff advisor familiar with the project. The letter of recommendation must be attached with the application before submission.
All applications must provide evidence of some form of research into lodging and airfare. The two must be separate—you cannot rely on package deals or bundles since these can’t always be purchases by the university.
The university will only fund the most cost-effective travel and has certain limits on lodging costs. For groups or pairs, we encourage you to research the possibility of shared lodging. This requirement has been added to encourage students to look for cost-effective options, ultimately allowing the ASUWB team to support a larger pool of students.
When applying for a group award, every student traveling in the group must submit an application and list the other students traveling with them. Each application will be cross-referenced for consistency. The letter of recommendation can be the same for each application.
Funding may be approved for students who:
- Have been offered the opportunity to present a research paper or project at a professional conference and have the endorsement of a UWB faculty member in their discipline.
- Wish to enhance their current leadership role on campus by attending a skill-building conference or workshop. The student’s application must be endorsed by the student organization adviser or administration.
- Wish to attend a conference or workshop in order to create or enhance a project or service that will directly benefit UWB students. The student’s application must be endorsed by a UWB faculty or staff member familiar with the project.
After you apply
Applications will be reviewed in the order received and awards are allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis.
You may receive additional questions regarding your travel proposal, and subsequently may be asked to discuss your proposal further at an ASUWB general meeting. If you have any questions, please contact the Director of Finance & Budget at asuwbdof@uw.edu. You can also contact the entire ASUWB team at asuwbteam@uw.edu.
Once approved, you will be directed to meet with Jessica Falk from Student Affairs (uwbsao@uw.edu) to book your travel and accommodations. To optimize funding, we suggest meeting 6-8 business weeks for domestic travel and 9-12 for international before the trip. It is required for all applicants to create a travel log, including photos, as a form of verification for your proposal. If this is not provided, you may be asked to return the awarded funds.
Rules, policies, and miscellaneous information
There is a $1,500 award cap per individual application, and a $4,500 award cap for group applications.
There is a $3,000 award cap per student for the fiscal year (July 1st – June 30th).
For planning purposes, please note that some costs, if approved, can be paid in advance by the University, while others will be reimbursed. Please read and understand what are considered non-reimbursable costs.
SAEF awards will not cover any food costs associated with the event. All meals are the responsibility of the SAEF recipient.
SAEF awards may cover the most economical means of transportation to and from the event and lodging only. This includes taxis, Uber X or Uber Pool, Lyft, etc. SAEF awards may not be used for UCAR or other university fleet vehicles.
SAEF awards may not be used to obtain academic credit.
SAEF awards will not be granted in conjunction with another SAF funding source. (Ex: SAEF awards cannot be granted if Club Council has already funded conference registration)
ASUWB approves SAEF applications during weekly general meetings. Open public meeting information can be found on the ASUWB Get involved page.
ASUWB has the right to revoke the funding for SAEF awards.
The approved application amount is final, additional expenses that exceed the approved request are the responsibility of the SAEF recipient. Students who are traveling on behalf of UWB are subject to the Student Code of Conduct and Washington state laws.