Fund your experience. Build your future.
Receive up to $3,000 for an educational experience outside the classroom.
Experience Grants Initiative Launches Fall 2027 for New Students
Receive up to $3000 in one-time, internal grant funding for high-impact educational experiences
Build valuable skills outside the classroom that strengthen your résumé and open doors to experiences that support your academic and career goals. Experience Grants help you make the most of your time at NMU, with funding designed to support high-impact experiences that complement your education and prepare you for what's next.
How It Works
An Experience That Can Take You Further
The Experience Grant provides up to $3,000 in support, by way of a one-time, internally funded grant during a student's time at NMU. When a student reaches junior status and has gained one academic year of full-time enrollment, they can use their faculty mentored Experience Grant funding toward the cost of one beyond-the-classroom experience, focusing primarily on one of these broad areas: travel study, undergraduate research, or internship/workbased learning.
Who is Eligible?
Experience Grants are available to all NMU students who enroll in the Fall of 2027 or thereafter. A student is eligible for the grant when they have achieved junior status and have been enrolled full-time for at least one academic year (two consecutive semesters with a full-time credit load).* The grants are not available to re-admitted students, graduate students, Global Campus students, and non-degree-seeking students at this time.
To begin the Experience Grant funding process, a student must meet the above criteria and be actively enrolled full-time at NMU, in good academic and student conduct standing, complete a short online financial literacy module, and register with NMU's Career Center.
*This internal grant funding is in addition to any financial aid the student receives and will not result in the reduction of any then-existing scholarship, grant, aid, or loan.
Choose An Experience
Travel Study
Take your learning beyond the classroom and immerse yourself in another place, culture or area of study.
Dr. David Wood, head of the English department, takes a group of students to the Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario, as part of his EN385 Theatre in Perspective course. Experience Grant funding could help a student cover travel cost for a trip similar to this one.
Undergraduate Research
Dive into meaningful research and gain experience applying what you learn to real-world questions and challenges.
The Upper Michigan Brain Tumor Center (UMBTC) conducts life-saving cancer research right on NMU's campus. Undergraduate students can access this research as freshmen, an experience other institutions do not offer. Experience Grant funding could help students with costs associated with research fellowships.
Workbased Learning
Gain professional experience, build your network and develop skills you can take with you into your career.
Delany Frank '26 experienced a life-changing internship with Kenai Fjords National Park. Her time in Alaska helped build valuable skills and an exceptional resume. Experience Grant funding may help a student with living costs and other expenses associated with traveling for an internship or work-study.
"Attending and presenting at the SMA Conference was an unforgettable experience that showed me how classroom research can make an impact in the real world. The opportunity helped me grow more confident as a speaker, develop a genuine passion for research, and even consider pursuing a Ph.D. in the future." - Carly Schrank BS '25, MBA '27
Service trips, like this one to Panama, offer students the experience to explore other cultures, build leadership skills and instill the importance of giving back.
Real-world experience makes all the difference. Just ask graduate Delaney Frank '26, whose internship with Kenai Fjords National Park helped build valuable skills and an exceptional résumé.
"My study abroad trip to Belize demonstrated the importance of meeting underserved patients exactly where they are. Whether applying dental varnish to schoolchildren, managing wounds in the clinic, or learning about traditional Mayan remedies, I witnessed firsthand how resource limitations affect care. This experience equipped me with cultural humility and adaptability that I will carry forward into my future in medicine." - Ben Trevillian '28
Madi Gillen '26 experienced several once-in-a-lifetime opportunities as host for Platform Personalities, an NMU student org dedicated to bringing educational, motivational, and inspirational speakers to campus. Here she is interviewing actor Anthony Ramos during his visit to campus!
Volunteering, like graduate Nickolas Wheatley '26 (right), is one of the best ways to develop leadership skills. It's even better when students can focus on making a difference instead of worrying about how they'll get by financially.
Educational trips, like the one the NMU Construction Management program took to Norway in 2026, help broaden students' worldviews and experiences, a crucial practice for training the world's future leaders.
"Participating in a service trip to Costa Rica to refurbish a heavily used multisport complex was a definitive highlight of my time at NMU. This opportunity allowed me to make a tangible difference in an underserved community while utilizing my Spanish minor in a real-world setting. This experience directly inspired me to take on a leadership role back on campus, leading to my position as a Superior Edge/Volunteer Center Coordinator to facilitate service opportunities for others." - Laney Pestrue '28