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 while the grant is used during calendar year 2027. 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

• Complete details regarding the application process for 2026 awards will be published on this website in September.

QUESTIONS

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

For CCIS 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.

Last year the SEF program celebrated its 40th year and has now provided nearly $250,000 educational grants to over 650 international spouses/partners. Thanks to your generosity in 2025, we were able to give grants to 31 recipients from 19 countries.

The Spouse Education Fund is the only CCIS program inviting specific funding. Each summer, donations are solicited from CCIS members and the community. The grants are awarded late in the Fall term too spouses who have applied to and have been interviewed by the Spouse Education Fund Committee. The recipients will complete their classes by December 31, 2027.

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

• When making a CCIS donation, specify the amount you wish to donate to the Spouse Education Fund. (Donations are welcome throughout the year.)
• 2026-2027 SEF Appeal letter with testimonials