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Spouse Education Fund (SEF)
How can an international spouse, who has put her or his career on hold, feel useful and productive while her or his spouse is pursuing studies at Stanford? There are many ways, but one of the most rewarding has been supported by the community at large through their interest and donations to the Spouse Education Fund.
Education grants – up to $500 per grant – are awarded annually to international spouses who have participated in a rigorous application–review–interview process conducted by CCIS.
Last academic year, the community – along with Stanford Federal Credit Union and Stanford Continuing Studies -- generously raised funds and provided course fee waivers to allow 27 grants (for a total value of $10,600) to be awarded to spouses. These grants were used for academic pursuits in fields ranging from law, to children’s health, management, jazz piano, nursing, financial planning, business, language teaching, art history, sustainable design (architecture), psychology, public speaking, economics, web design, and taxation.
How did such an educational fund for Stanford international spouses get started? It began in 1985 with contributions and the sale of note cards by Helen Gibson, followed by an endowment gift of $1,500 in honor of past Bechtel International Center Director, Lee Zeigler. The first two SEF grants were made 23 years ago in 1987, from a total of five applicants. Since 1987, 352 grants have been made from 429 applicants for a total of $121,962.
In nearly every case, SEF grant recipients are already engaged in volunteering in the community around Stanford or on campus and participating in I–Center activities. The grant recipients are talented individuals in their own right. Most of them are students themselves at home or have put their own career "on hold" to accompany their partner to Stanford. Their notes of appreciation (click here for testimonials) illustrate the importance of the grants in restoring their sense of self-worth as being more than "just a spouse" or dependent. The impact of simply being recognized and awarded one’s own education grant goes far beyond the monetary value of the SEF grant.
International spouses - would you like to apply for a grant? Click here
Community members – to learn more about the Spouse Education Fund, click here