For Internationals

The grants are intended to provide spouses with encouragement and financial support to take a class or to pursue a personal or professional interest.

Applications are restricted to spouses or partners of current Stanford international students, postdocs and visiting scholars on F‑2 and J‑2 visas. Spouses of Stanford employees are not eligible.  Neither the applicant nor the spouse can hold American citizenship.

Grants are available only to those who have not received a grant in the past, and grantees must be at Stanford when the grant is used. Grant award criteria include: financial need, relevance, future impact, and motivation.

List of institutions from which a course choice may be made:
Learning Opportunities at Local Institutions

To participate

APPLICATION INFORMATION

• You will need to have a Gmail address to access the application.
• Link to the application: CCIS SEF Grant Application
• Application period: November 7, 2025 through November 12, 2025 at noon
• The SEF Committee will notify you if you are not eligible for an in‑person interview.
• Awards Ceremony for presentation of the grants will be Thursday, December 4, 2025 at Bechtel.

INTERVIEW INFORMATION

• Interviews will be held during the week of November 17, 2025.
• The link for making an interview appointment will be provided in the online applications when they are open.

QUESTIONS

For more information or questions, contact the SEF Committee at: sefcomm@CCISstanfordU.org

For CCIS Volunteers and Donors

Many Stanford international spouses put their careers on hold while their spouse pursues academic studies at Stanford. The Spouse Education Fund program awards grants toward supporting one course to enrich the experience of the spouse professionally or personally while they are at Stanford.

The SEF program is celebrating its 40th year and has provided nearly $250,000 in educational grants to over 650 international spouses. In the 2024-2025 academic year, 51 spouses from 19 countries received grants.

The Spouse Education Fund is the only CCIS program that invites specific funding from the community. Each summer the SEF program solicits donations from CCIS members and the community. These funds are distributed as grants late in the Fall Term to international spouses who have applied to and been interviewed by the Spouse Education Fund Committee. The recipients will complete their classes by December 31, 2026.

It is a privilege to know these accomplished and interesting spouses, and to learn about and support their interests and goals. The impact of SEF grants on the lives of the recipients goes far beyond the monetary value of the award.

To participate

• Make a donation to the Spouse Education Fund. (Donations are welcome throughout the year.)
• 2025-2026 SEF Appeal Letter with Testimonials