ExL Award

• The amount of funding is up to $1,500 per academic year (Fall 2025 – Summer 2026).
• The funding is credited to the student’s university account. This may affect student financial aid packages.  It is the student’s responsibility to contact the USC Financial Aid office (askUSC) to discuss the potential impact of an ExL award.

 All funds will be disbursed in accordance with University policies and procedures. 

• Minimum 3.0 cumulative USC GPA. Freshmen and new transfer students are not eligible to apply until a USC GPA is calculated.
• Declared major in USC Dornsife
• Full-time enrollment at USC for the entire academic year (i.e., registered for at least 12 units each semester). Seniors with Fall 2025 – Spring 2026 enrollment are eligible to apply. Seniors with only Fall 2025 enrollment are not eligible to apply.
• Graduate students and students with 144 units or more are not eligible to apply.
• Demonstrated financial need
• Funding to be used for a Dornsife-approved program or opportunity
• Must not have already received the maximum ExL funding during the academic year for which you are applying. Up to $1,500 can be awarded per academic year.
• Students who are already receiving funding through SOAR/SURF, the Provost’s Undergraduate Research Fellowship (PURF), or other USC research funds may not receive an ExL award for the same time period.

Spring 2026 Priority Application Period: Thursday December 4, 2025 to Thursday January 8, 2026

Applications received after the priority application deadline will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis, as funding may not be available for those applying after the priority deadline.

Please reach out via email if applying after the priority application deadline. 

To be considered for the ExL Award, applicants must submit all required materials as outlined below. Please ensure all documents are compiled and uploaded as a single PDF file for items 2-4.

1. ExL Award Online Application

Access the ExL Award application here.

2. Course Syllabus / Supporting Documents

Include documentation verifying your participation in the experiential learning opportunity. Acceptable materials may include:

• Course syllabus or project outline

• Conference registration or email confirmation

• Any official document confirming your participation in the experiential opportunity, including key details such as dates, location, and contact information

3. One-Page Personal Statement

Provide a personal statement (maximum one page) responding to the following prompt:

Tell us about yourself and how this experiential learning opportunity will enrich your studies and future goals. Share your achievements, experiences at USC, and interests, and tell us what you hope to gain from this experience. Additionally, indicate whether you have applied for any other grants or fellowships to support this opportunity.

4. Detailed Cost Sheet

Submit a detailed breakdown of all eligible expenses related to your experiential learning opportunity. Examples of allowable costs include:

• Transportation or flight expenses

• Conference or program registration fees

• Lodging costs

Your cost sheet should clearly outline itemized expenses and include an estimated total that supports the amount of funding you are requesting.

At the conclusion of the experiential learning opportunity, ExL award recipients are required to submit a one-page report. The report is a brief summary of your overall experience. If you fail to submit the report, your ExL award funding will be rescinded and you will become ineligible for ExL award funding in future terms.

The ExL award report should be submitted via the instructions indicated on the award agreement.

Click here to access the ExL award report guidelines.

ExL Report Deadlines:

• January 15, 2026 – Report deadline for students receiving awards for Fall 2025
• April 23, 2026 – Report deadline for students receiving awards for Spring 2026
• August 3, 2026 – Report deadline for students receiving awards for Summer 2026

Yes, students are allowed to apply for multiple funding opportunities during the same period. However, you may only accept funding from one source for the same period. Also, students awarded the maximum amount of ExL award funding in the fall are not eligible to apply for additional funds in the spring.

You must disclose your intent to apply for other funding sources in your ExL application proposal. If you are offered and accept funding from another source before receiving  notification from ExL, you are required to inform our office immediately. Your application for ExL will automatically be closed if you accept funds from another source. Any offers from ExL are also voided if you accept funds from other sources.

Students who fail to disclose receiving multiple awards for their research or experiential learning opportunity will have their ExL award rescinded, and will become ineligible for SOAR/SURF/ExL funding in future terms.