DONATE

SPOUSE EDUCATION FUND

Founded in 1985, the Spouse Education Fund (SEF) awards grants of $100 to $500 to enable international spouses or partners with financial need to take advantage of local academic and professional-development opportunities.

Spouse
program

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.

List of institutions from which a course choice may be made:
Local Educational and Other Opportunities

To participate

APPLICATION INFORMATION

    

INTERVIEW INFORMATION

    

QUESTIONS

Send your questions to the The SEF Committee at: sefcomm@CCISstanfordU.org

For more information contact: sefcomm@CCISstanfordU.org

For CCIS Volunteers

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.

SEF Chairwoman and her three female volunteer committee members.
SEF Committee members Dolly Verplank (Chairwoman), Gwyn Dukes, Ann Fathman, and Sande Stuart.

The SEF program is celebrating its 39th year and has provided nearly $225,000 in educational grants to over 600 international spouses. In the 2023-2024 academic year, 40 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, 2025.

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

For more information contact: sefcomm@CCISstanfordU.org