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CU Honors College

Educational Enrichment Travel Grants

About Educational Enrichment Travel Grants (EETGs)

A student standing outside with a group of schoolchildren and a teacher in Africa.

Educational Enrichment Travel Grants (EETGs) are designed to fund out of the classroom, life-changing summer experiential learning opportunities that take place away from Clemson and the Upstate of South Carolina.

These experiences may be internships (unpaid), research, public service projects, or other significant undertakings that are consistent with a student’s educational or career goals.

EETGs are highly competitive. Awards are based on both the nature and significance of the proposed experiential learning opportunity and on the strength of the student's application and supporting materials.

Certain experiences are not eligible for funding. These are experiences that are credit-bearing, unless there is a significant research or service component; or experiences that the student cannot adequately justify as consistent with academic or career aspirations. The Honors College does not fund faculty-led programs.

Priority for funding is given to experiential learning opportunities that are unpaid, unique, and competitive experiences. Some applications may receive partial funding, depending on the proposed budget, reasonableness of expenditures, and availability of funds. Experiences that provide compensation and housing are unlikely to be funded. 

Applications are due March 1. If additional funds are available after award decisions are made, a second round of EETG applications will be opened in early April and announced in the Honors Weekly Newsletter.

Apply Today

 

Application Schedule and Deadlines
February 1 EETG application opens
March 1 EETG application due
March 8 EETG faculty endorsement due - email will be generated to the person indicated, once student application is received
April 1 EETG decisions released
August 20 Receipts and other items from EETG experience due
September / October EETG Poster Forum in the Honors Center
Date Event

Program Details

The proposed experience should take place for one month (minimum 4 weeks) during summer break. The enrichment experience must take place away from Clemson University campus and applications for overseas experiences are especially encouraged.

Funding for a summer experience is $3,000 or less, with exceptions in well-justified cases.

Awards may support travel, subsistence and other needs as deemed legitimate by the review committee. Non-perishable items become property of the Honors College. Funds from EETG's must be used for the specific purposes detailed in the student's application. They may not be used for any other purpose, project, or experience without the express and prior approval of the Honors College.

Applicants should not request funds in conjunction with Departmental Honors requirements or other undergraduate research projects (e.g., Cooperative Education, coursework taken at Clemson University's overseas centers). EETG funds cannot be used for tuition.

Applicants must disclose financial support from other sources.

Program Eligibility

Applicants must be:

  • Members of the Honors College
  • Have at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA at the time of application
  • In general, must have at least one full academic year remaining (after completing the proposed enrichment experience) before completing their undergraduate degree

Students may receive more than one award during their undergraduate Honors education.

Application Process

Applications open February 1 on the ApplyWeb portal. 

First round application materials are due no later than 11:59 p.m. on March 1.

A letter of support from a Clemson faculty or staff member is due no later than March 8.

Students must ask a Clemson faculty or staff member for a letter of support, and once their application is received, an email will be automatically generated to their letter writer. The endorsement letter should address the substance of the proposed experience and address the selection criteria.

Students are responsible for asking for the letter and assuring it is submitted by March 8, through ApplyWeb.

Students can check their Application Status portal any time after they have created an account. Every effort will be made to notify students of the results by April 1.

If there are any remaining grant funds, students will be notified of another application cycle in the Honors Newsletter.

Selection criteria to assist in letters of support

Impact. Does the application make a convincing case that the experience will have a positive, life-changing effect on the student?

Clarity. Are the learning objectives explained in a clear and understandable manner?

Feasibility. Are the learning objectives accomplishable within the time frame of the award?

Fitness. Does the applicant have the intellectual capability, maturity, and motivation to ensure a successful and rewarding experience?

Adaptability. Can the student easily adjust to a different cultural environment?

What Makes an Application More Competitive?

  • Does the student explain how the experience will be educationally enriching?
  • Does the proposal show a well-considered pathway to enhancement of the student’s education?
  • Is the proposal designed to enhance the student’s career goals?
  • Would this experience be considered distinctive or prestigious in student’s field of study?
  • How competitive is the process to be afforded the summer placement?
  • Does the student’s proposal show that a significant amount of time was spent completing it?
  • Does the proposal show promise for contributing to a strong and potentially successful application for an extramural fellowship? Such fellowships include, but are not limited to, the Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, Mitchell, Goldwater, and Udall scholarships, and Fulbright Grants.

Access the Application

Follow these steps to access the application:

  • Create an ApplyWeb Account. Please visit the Honors College Application Menu page to create your account (this creates an ApplyWeb user ID and Password – this is not your Clemson ID and password).
  • After creating your ApplyWeb ID and Password, under ‘Ready To Apply?’ choose the link to the Educational Enrichment Travel Grant Application. Fill it out and submit it.
  • For technical problems with the application or if you forget your username/password, contact our technical support. They are normally very quick to respond.
  • For questions on Educational Enrichment Travel Grants, email eetg@clemson.edu or call 864-656-9431.

Important Dates and Final Details

Important Travel Warning

EETG applicants must determine whether the country to which they plan to travel is subject to a U.S. Department of State Travel Warning (bookmark this link). If so, students must submit a “Request to Allow Travel to Countries Subject to Travel or Travel Health Warnings” (Request) to obtain a waiver. The waiver must be obtained before funds for an EETG can be disbursed to the student. This process can take 3 or more months, so EETG applicants should begin the Request process as early as possible.

Important to Register

In order to receive any funds from the Honors College, you must register with Clemson University Tiger Pay. It is permissible to register in advance of award notification, as this system applies to many things with regard to Clemson funding. Register with TigerPay.

After Your Application is Approved

Applicants must upload their program/internship/research experience acceptance or offer letter (or email) with their application on ApplyWeb.

For students who need to commit or make a deposit to an experience before April 1, email eetg@clemson.edu to explain. Every effort will be made to provide you with a decision by your deadline.

Students who will not have received acceptance regarding their summer experience by the March 1 EETG deadline, may apply prospectively. In such cases, applications should be as specific as possible. If the award is granted, students must add their program acceptance document into the ApplyWeb account before funds can be disbursed.

Poster Presentation

Upon completion of the experience, students will make a public poster presentation about their experience. Students will receive a post experience information email telling them to go back to their ApplyWeb account in order to upload required documents.

The poster should be designed in PowerPoint. The finished size of the poster should be 35.5 x 46.5. Size can be set under “Design,” and then “Page Setup” in PowerPoint.

Creativity is encouraged! Students should showcase their experience, funded by the EETG – the research; the class; the internship location – as well as what else was experienced such as the landscape, culture or city sites. The poster should entice viewers to want to know more about the experience. The poster should not be cluttered, and photos are encouraged. Any font can be used but Arial is recommended, as it is easy to read. Four-point font is easily readable when printed full-size.

Posters should have a title and the student’s name. They should acknowledge the Educational Enrichment Travel Grant. (Example – The Clemson University Honors College is gratefully acknowledged for supporting this experience through an Educational Enrichment Travel Grant.) Other funding or support can also be acknowledged.

Printing the Poster

Posters need to be printed at CCIT: See Printing and Plotting information here. Receipts for the printing can be uploaded where the other EETG receipts were uploaded.

Mounting Your Poster

The date of the poster forum will be emailed to students. On the date of the forum, students will bring their paper poster and use provided clips and foam boards to display them. Students will take their posters with them at the end of the forum.

Final Advice

Applicants are strongly advised to consult with faculty members and others for assistance in identifying possible enrichment experiences and in preparing the application. See "In Their Own Words" in the accordion below. 

Upon completion of the experience, students will receive a post experience email reminder to log in to their ApplyWeb account in order to submit a summary of their experience as well as two photos.

Each EETG recipient will receive an email about their participation in an EETG poster forum in the fall following their EETG summer experience.

In Their Own Words

Educational Enrichment Travel Grants offer a wide range of possibilities for broadening your educational experience. Read below what some students said about their experience with their travel grant, and what it meant to them.

Andrew Tuz, European Baroque Architecture

A map of Europe with photos of Andrew's trip sprinkled across it.

Architecture student Andrew Tuz compared Baroque Architecture from Central Europe to Rome in the summer of 2023. Andrew explored Europe with the goal of identifying the differences in motives, intended use, and geometries of buildings that exemplify the Baroque architectural style in Rome and other parts of Europe. In Rome, he visited Chiesa di Sant’Andrea al Quirinale, Chiesa di San Carlino alle Quattro Fontane, and St. Ivo alla Sapienza. In Central Europe, he visited Ludwigsburg Palace, Stuttgart, Germany; Nymphenburg Palace, Munich, Germany; and St. Nicholas Church, Prague, Czechia.

Andrew’s research demonstrated the different architectural goals in Rome versus Central Europe. Both places used Baroque architecture to demonstrate their power and legitimacy in difficult times. Rome manipulated three-dimensional space to result in grandeur, and Central European architects drew the eye inward to intricate decoration. Andrew concluded that more comparisons and examinations should be undertaken in order to make additional conclusions regarding the differences between Roman and Central European architecture.

Rachel Girvin, Midwifery Internship in Africa

Rachel Girvin cradling a new born baby.

Rachel Girvin (2023) received an EETG to do a midwifery internship in Arusha, Tanzania.

Her first placement was at Ngarenaro Birthing Center, a birthing center that handles natural vaginal deliveries. She assisted the doctors and nurses with the births and learned how to give a full pelvic examination.

Rachel was interested in child-birth and new born screening options in third world countries. Specifically, she wanted to know how different it might be from the U.S, where newborns are screened for hearing, and undergo blood testing and heart screening. She was also interested in further investigating nursing burnout rates as compared to the U.S.

In her internship, she was able to rotate between the NICU, ER, and surgical units to gain experience in many different areas of care.

Madeleine Wolfe, Volunteering with United Planet in Buenos Aires

Madeline Wolfe watering a garden

Madeleine Wolfe used her EETG to volunteer in Buenos Aires, Argentina with United Planet. She lived with twelve other volunteers from around the world during the experience and traveled each day to different project sites. Four days a week, the volunteers traveled in small groups to sites and worked, and one day a week, they traveled together to the city center to attend cultural education classes. In the classes, the volunteers collaborated with local Argentinian professors to discuss politics, country history, art, and social norms and customs.

One project Madeline worked on was Tierra Salud or “Earth Health” where the volunteers worked with individuals of different ages with cognitive disabilities on a small organic farm. Together, they prepared, planted, harvested, and sold produce. Through the experience, local resident volunteers were taught basic job skills such as leadership and interpersonal communication. Proceeds from selling the harvest were used to buy more seeds and supplies to keep the project going.

While volunteering and spending weeks in Argentina, Madeleine was able to strengthen her Spanish speaking skills. She was comfortable enough with her fluency that when she returned to the US, she began working with Prisma Health to establish introductory Spanish education classes for all Prisma emergency services personnel.

Find Out More

For more information about the Educational Enrichment Travel Grants program, contact us at: 

511D Fort Hill Street
180 Cribb Hall
Clemson, SC 29634

Phone: 864-656-4762

Fax: 864-656-1472

Email eetg@clemson.edu with program or application questions.