Overview

CDCE offers several scholarships to assist students in meeting their professional goals.

Professional Development Scholarship

The Professional Development Scholarship assists with expenses such as professional attire, travel for interviews or degree-related conferences, costs associated with internships, co-ops, or research, necessary supplies for academic presentations, or childcare expenses related to these activities.

Eligibility: Financial assistance is only available to currently enrolled, degree-seeking UWF students. If you receive financial assistance through the Professional Development Scholarship, it will be considered estimated financial assistance (EFA) as part of your Financial Aid package. You may only receive one award per academic year from the Argos Suit Up or Professional Development Fund.

Application Period: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis from the first day of the fall semester through May 21st of each year.

How to Apply: Current degree-seeking students can apply for financial assistance by submitting a short video discussing how they will be positively impacted by receiving financial assistance for professional attire, professional development, or other career-related expenses. Please follow the instructions below to submit your application for financial assistance.

Steps to Apply:

Visit MyUWF and search for Big Interview (click the link).
In Big Interview, click the "Interviews" tab (in your top navigation bar).
Select "Interview Assignments" (from the left side of the drop-down menu).
Enter the assignment code 22d963 in the code field. Select "Go".
Record your responses by selecting “Start recording”.
Select “Stop recording” when you are done. A green check mark indicates your response has been successfully saved.
Select “Re-record” if you aren’t satisfied with your response. This will overwrite your existing recording.
When you finish recording all responses, select “Submit Assignment”.
If you do not have access to Big Interview, please refer to the Alternate Application Instructions section to complete your application.
- Note: In order to access Big Interview, you will need access to your UWF student email account and a computer with webcam and microphone. Please contact the Office of Career Development & Community Engagement at career@uwf.edu or 850-474-2254 if you need access to a webcam and/or microphone.

Alternate Submission Instructions:

If you are unable to complete the recorded interview portion using Big Interview, please use these alternate submission instructions.

Please submit a typed document for the Financial Assistance Application to Tim Moore by May 21, 2025, 5 p.m. (CDT) with the following information:
- Tell me about yourself.
- Please discuss what type of professional development assistance you need and how receiving a professional development scholarship would assist you in meeting your career goals.

Argos Suit Up

Each Spring, the University of West Florida partners with JCPenney to participate in the Argos Suit Up! program, a national initiative designed to assist students in building a professional wardrobe for job/graduate school interviews and future employment. This event allows UWF students and alumni to shop for professional attire at JCPenney at a discounted rate. Through fundraising efforts and generous donations, the CDCE will provide financial assistance to current students and recent alumni (graduated within the last 3 semesters) who demonstrate a need that aligns with the mission of the program.

Eligibility: Financial assistance is only available to currently enrolled, degree-seeking UWF students and recent UWF alumni. If you receive financial assistance or a gift card through the Argos Suit Up program, estimated financial assistance (EFA) will be considered as part of your Financial Aid package. You must be able to attend the Argos Suit Up event in order to receive the award. You may only receive one award per academic year from the Argos Suit Up or Professional Development Fund.

How to Apply for Financial Assistance for Argos Suit Up: Current degree-seeking students and recent alumni (graduated within the last 3 semesters) can apply for financial assistance by submitting a short video discussing how they will be positively impacted by receiving financial assistance for professional dress.

Steps to Apply for Financial Assistance:

Visit MyUWF and search for Big Interview.
Click the link at the top of the page titled “Interviews.”
From the drop-down menu that appears, click the link for "Interview Assignments."
On the Active Assignments page, enter the assignment code ca77ec in the code field. Select "Go".
Record your responses by selecting “Start recording.”
Select “Stop recording” when you are done. A green check mark indicates your response has been successfully saved.
Select “Re-record” if you aren’t satisfied with your response. This will overwrite your existing recording.
When you finish recording all responses, select “Submit Assignment.”

Note: In order to access Big Interview, you will need access to your UWF student email account and a computer with a webcam and microphone. Please contact the Office of Career Development & Community Engagement at career@uwf.edu or 850-474-2254 if you need access to a webcam and/or microphone.

Steps for Alternate Submission Instructions:

If you are unable to complete the recorded interview portion using Big Interview, please use these alternate submission instructions.

Please submit a typed document that discusses the following:

- Tell me about yourself.
- Please discuss how receiving financial assistance for professional wear will assist you in meeting your future career goals.

Once you have completed the responses, email the document to Timothy Moore by February 18, 2025, at 8 a.m. (CST). The 2026 application dates will be released in fall 2025.

High-Impact Practices Scholarship

Eligibility: The UWF High-Impact Practice Scholarship will be awarded to an active, undergraduate, degree-seeking UWF student who has an overall GPA of at least 2.5 and has completed at least 15 credit hours at UWF. The scholarship committee will look to award applicants who are currently pursuing, have secured, or are seeking to secure a high-impact practice (HIP) experience. Experiences that qualify as a HIP include:

Internships,
Co-ops,
Research with faculty,
ePortfolio creation,
Service-learning with a class,
Study abroad/study away, and
Capstone projects

Applicants must submit:

A copy of their resume
An essay that:
1. provides a brief biographical information,
2. highlights activities, clubs, and/or awards and honors,
3. identifies professional goals and how they relate to the HIP experience, and
4. describes the financial need and impact of the scholarship award on participating in a HIP experience.
One recommendation letter

Special consideration will be given to those who have already secured a HIP experience for the upcoming semester.

Visit the UWF Scholarship Portal (accessed via MyUWF) and search for "UWF High-Impact Practice Scholarship" to learn more and apply.

Argos Community Impact Scholarship

The Argos Community Impact Scholarship supports students involved in unpaid internships or community-based research with government or non-profit organizations. These $1,000 scholarships are designed to help cover some of the expenses associated with these unpaid experiences. Our goal is to ease the financial burden so you can focus on your studies and professional growth. Don’t let financial concerns hold you back from gaining valuable internship experience- apply now!

Eligibility:

Must be a full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate student at UWF.
Must be enrolled in an associated course during the semester the internship or community-based research occurs.
Be actively engaged in an unpaid internship* or community-based research project with a government, non-profit, or mission-driven organization serving the public interest
Preference is given to students seeking their first internship experience in their major field.
Applicants must submit a 1-2 page essay outlining their internship or community-based research project, its impact on the community, and how the scholarship will help them achieve their academic and professional goals.
Letter from internship supervisor stating internship is unpaid.

*At UWF, “internship” is synonymous with practicum, clinicals/clinical placement, preceptorship, student teaching, co-op, and field experience/placement

Application Cycle:

Fall Internships: June 1 – July 15
Spring Internships: November 1 – December 1
Summer Internships: March 1 – April 1

Visit the UWF Scholarship Portal (accessed via MyUWF) and search for "Argos Community Impact Scholarship" to learn more and apply.

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CDCE Scholarships and Financial Resources