Dean's and President's Scholars
Dean's and President's Scholars are undergraduate students who receive additional merit funding from the University to pursue opportunities during their first, second, or third summers at UChicago. These opportunities include unpaid/minimally paid internships, research, summer coursework, and September term study abroad sessions.
Dean’s Scholars receive $5,000 in funding for one summer opportunity. President’s Scholars receive $10,000, which must be split across two summers.
Please complete the Merit Award Disbursement Form to request your funding!
If you are pursuing an internship or a research opportunity, you should complete this form after an employer or supervisor has agreed to hire you and you have accepted a written offer from them.
To request your Dean's or President's funding for a summer internship or research, you will need to provide the following:
Total number of working hours
Supervisor’s name and title
A written offer letter for the position
To request your Dean's or President's funding for a summer course at UChicago, you will need to provide the following information:
Title of course
Instructor’s name and title
Confirmation of course registration
Important Information & FAQ
Contact Brennan Rudy from Career Advancement at brudy@uchicago.edu with any questions about your award.
Yes. Dean’s and President’s Scholar funding is considered taxable income in the year you use it for an opportunity, similar to Metcalf internship stipends.
While the University cannot offer individualized tax advice, please visit the “taxes” section of the Metcalf Internship Program FAQ page for more information.
Only summer opportunities are eligible for Dean's or President's funding.
For help with classes, consult with your Academic Adviser. You can also view summer courses on the Summer Session website.
For help with internships, make an appointment with your career adviser.
For help with research, reach out to the College Center for Research and Fellowships.
If the cost of tuition for your course is lower than your grant, any remaining funds will be applied toward your Student Service Fee.
Students are responsible for any tuition and fees beyond their award amount.
Classes at the University of Chicago are the only courses eligible for Dean’s or President’s funds.
The September courses are considered part of Autumn Quarter and since the Dean’s or President’s Scholarship funding can only be applied toward Summer Quarter courses, the September courses are not covered under the parameters of your scholarship.
Although the award does not fund independent work experiences, students may use their funding to intern at a startup organization provided that the internship includes a supervisor with a demonstrated connection to the organization.
The Dean's and President's Scholarships unfortunately cannot be used for tuition payments to third-party program operators (e.g., internship placement agencies, other universities, etc.).
Your internship or research opportunity must last at least 300 hours for the summer. However, you do not need to work a traditional full-time schedule: you and your employer are free to structure your hours in a way that is mutually convenient as long as you complete 300 hours of work by the end of the summer.
Students can self-secure an additional internship or research opportunity and combine them to total 300 working hours. Complete a separate Merit Award Disbursement Form for each additional opportunity.
If you are interested in using your funds for an internship that comes with a small stipend, contact Brennan Rudy at brudy@uchicago.edu to discuss whether it is eligible for your Dean’s or President’s funds.
Students can use their Dean’s or President’s funding to pursue a research project with University of Chicago faculty members or institutions. This award does not fund projects created by a student independently.
President’s Scholars may use their full grant in one summer only if they wish to enroll in more than one class. They may only use one of their grants per summer for internships and research opportunities.
Yes! Your opportunity does not need to be within the United States as long as it meets all other program requirements.
