Internship and Study Abroad Grant

Through its Internship and Study Abroad Grants, QVA seeks to provide financial support – typically in the range of $500 to $2,500 – to highly motivated UVA undergraduate and graduate students who are LGBTQ+ or allies, have financial need, and have been offered an unpaid internship or accepted to a study abroad program. When completing the application, please be aware that requests are evaluated and awarded monthly, and funds can take 2-3 weeks to process and disburse.

Who: UVA undergraduate and graduate students who are LGBTQ+ or allies and have financial need
What: Funding for unpaid internships or study abroad programs
When: Awarded on a rolling, monthly basis. The application deadlines for the 2026-27 school year are: 9/29/26, 10/27/26, 11/24/26, 12/15/26, 1/26/27, 2/23/27, 3/30/27, 4/27/27, 5/18/27
Questions/Contact: StudentAffairs@QueerVirginia.org

Special attention is given to internships or study abroad programs that focus on advancing the LGBTQ+ community. Decisions will be based on academic achievements, financial need, essays, extracurricular activities, and demonstrated commitment to bettering the LGBTQ+ community at UVA and beyond.

Recipients can reapply for a grant one year after receiving a grant. Applicants who do not receive a grant may reapply with an updated application each semester. Students may receive multiple different types of grants or awards within one year.

Awarded funds will either be applied directly to the student’s account by the Student Financial Services office or be sent directly to students.

To help with our grant decision, we ask for your permission to work with Student Financial Services to understand your full set of aid. Please go to the Virginia AcademicWorks website, complete Net Badge authentication, and click on “Sign In With Your Institution.” Then click on “My Applications” and complete the two-question General Application to release your records to us.

Awarded funds will be disbursed as quickly and efficiently as possible. For questions about the grant application, or in cases of unexpected and urgent financial need, please contact QVA Student Affairs.

Internship and Study Abroad Grant

Applicant's Legal Name(Required)

First Last

Preferred First Name

Email(Required)

Phone(Required)

Mailing Address(Required)

Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country

Although we don't generally send mail, we may send something related to any grants received. Please include an address where you feel comfortable receiving mail.

Education

Major(Required)

Overall GPA(Required)

Major GPA(Required)

Intended Graduation Year(Required)

Credit/No Credit

If there is any information you would like to provide related to your GPA and Credit/No Credit classes, please enter it here. We are working to be especially inclusive of challenging circumstances throughout the pandemic.

Financial Circumstances

Expected Family Contribution (EFC)(Required)

The EFC is the total approximate dollar amount of financial contributions you expect from relatives over the coming semester to help pay for your attendance at UVA.

Did you submit a FAFSA for this academic year?(Required)

Other Financial Context

Please provide a quick summary of any other major sources of aid such as scholarships / grants / loans, as well as any other considerations related to race, ethnicity, or disability that you feel are important to understand related to your financial need.

Essay Questions

Question 1: Tell us the organizations / activities you’re involved in and what positions you hold. Tell us what you've accomplished with those organizations.(Required)

Question 2: To what degree are you involved with LGBTQ+ causes and community at UVa or elsewhere? If you are involved, what have you accomplished and what are you working on? If you are not involved, why not, and what major opportunities do you see for the LGBTQ+ community on Grounds?(Required)

Question 3: Are there any specific circumstances you would like to make the review committee aware of that are causing you financial hardship or need? These circumstances may or may not be related to being LGBTQ+.(Required)

Question 4: What does the internship/study abroad entail? (Please provide a link to the program)(Required)

Question 5: How will this opportunity contribute to your personal, professional, and LGBTQ+ development goals?(Required)

Question 6: How much are you requesting? (Providing a range is okay, but please include a few examples of the main costs)(Required)

Question 7: If you don't get this funding, how will you fund this experience?(Required)

Question 8: Have you explored any other resources for funding support?(Required)

Question 9: When would you ideally like a decision by, and when is the absolute latest you need funds by?(Required)

Question 10: If selected for an award, will you commit to providing QVA with a 500 word summary afterward explaining how the program helped you learn and grow, in addition will you also commit to submitting receipts of all related expenses to QVA, which will be used to confirm the amount provided in grants?

Yes

Demographic Data Collection

QVA recognizes that even greater barriers stand in the way of people marginalized from within the LGBTQ+ community. The Board of Directors is committed to leveraging the programs, funds, and actions of QVA in ways that combat these barriers and work on behalf of equitable access to education and opportunities for student success. As part of our commitment, we seek demographic information from our scholarship applicants. This information is primarily used to help the Scholarship Committee evaluate QVA’s distribution of financial aid to marginalized people, including but not limited to people of color, gender diverse persons, and disabled persons. These questions are optional and are purely used after the fact to understand scholarship distributions, not to make any decisions.

Gender Identity (e.g. cisgender male, transgender female, non-binary, agender etc.)

Sexual Orientation (e.g. gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc.)

Romantic Orientation (e.g. homoromantic, aromantic, heteromantic, etc.)

Race/Ethnicity (check all that apply)

African American/African/Black

Indigenous People/First Nation/Native American/Alaskan Native

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

Arab American/Middle Eastern/North African

Asian/Asian American

European American/White

Hispanic/Latinx/Chicano or Chicana

Unknown/Decline to State

Disability (check all that apply)

I am a person with one or more visible disabilities

I am a person with one or more invisible disabilities

I am a person without disabilities

Unknown/decline to state