I’m a co-term student. Am I eligible for this grant?

As long as your undergraduate degree will be conferred in March, June, or September 2025, or December 2024, you are still eligible for the grant.

 

I am entering an MFA, PhD, MD, or another program in Fall 2025. Am I eligible to apply?

No. Students pursuing MFA, PhD, MD programs (along with other forms of graduate study beyond Stanford co-term programs) are not eligible for the VPA Senior Grant.

 

Can the Senior Grant be used to support an unpaid/underpaid internship or apprenticeship?

No. Senior Grants are intended for independent projects that lead to the development/expansion of original creative work. Grant funds cannot be used for internship, apprenticeship, or fellowship experiences.

 

I’m still not sure about my summer plans. Should I apply?

Yes! We know that Stanford students are often juggling multiple application timelines for post-graduation experiences. By applying for the Senior Grant you’re keeping a door open (you can always withdraw your application after the deadline if your plans change.) The process of applying for the Senior Grant is also a great way to start developing materials that you’ll need as you continue your artistic/arts administration practice (our application is modeled after some real-life opportunities.)

 

Can I travel during the grant timeline?

Yes. As long as you conduct all project-related travel domestically (within the 50 U.S. states). International travel for projects are ineligible.

 

My project will require additional sources of funding. Is this allowed?

Yes. As long as your project does not utilize any other sources of Stanford funding (beyond this grant.) You are welcome (and encouraged) to seek additional funding sources.

 

How is funding determined? 

Funding and number of awards vary from year to year. See our list of grantees in Past Projects.

 

How finalized should my proposal be?

Your proposal can be at any stage; reviewers will look for the depth through which you think through your proposal based on your application. Think of your proposal as a “calling card”, to guide you into how you envision developing and incorporating art in your post-graduate rhythm.

 

Can we learn about some past projects to understand scoping? What type of projects have received funding in the past? 

See Past Grantees.

 

I want to incorporate content creation/documentation of my practice. Does the grant allow for this?

Yes! If this is a rhythm you want to develop as part of your post-graduate plan, include some strategy ideas in your application narrative.

 

What is a work sample portfolio, and what do I put in my application portfolio? 

Make sure to review the portfolio guidelines for your discipline carefully:

VPA Senior Grant Work Sample Portfolio

This document showcases condensed examples of your best work most relevant, in this case, to your artistic journey at Stanford and your proposed project. These work samples, with the recommended textual information below, function both independently of each other and as a portfolio set to indicate your trajectory and depth of work.

 

How do I choose the order of my 3-5 work samples?

You can list them in the order of most importance to your project/and medium, chronologically, etc. The list aims to complement your short answer application responses. Be concise and clear; take advantage of the required 1-5 sentence work sample description. Reviewers rely on the provided work description as they spend limited time reviewing each of the many submissions.