Johnson Opportunity Grants

The Johnson Opportunity Grant program provides funds to support W&L student projects across the country and around the world. The grants are awarded on a competitive basis and are open to rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors at Washington & Lee. The grants cover travel, living expenses, and other costs associated with the proposed project or summer activity.

Grant applicants must organize, describe, and justify a worthwhile summer project. It might be an unpaid internship on Capitol Hill or a State Department internship in a foreign capital. It might involve participation in a national or international student conference. It could include research travel that will help you become a leader in your chosen field of study. Or it might be a service project that demonstrates your commitment to community leadership. The possibilities are broad! Click "Apply Now" to learn more about our application process. 

A committee of faculty and administrators will evaluate applications based on both academic accomplishments at Washington and Lee and the potential for leadership development that the project makes possible.

Grants vary in amount depending on proposed budgets and the reasonably predicted costs associated with travel, living expenses, and other necessary expenditures. No grant will be smaller than $1,000 or larger than $6,000 (students with financial aid packages that include expected earnings in the summer may request an additional $1,500 to cover lost summer wages). Grants are not typically given for projects that involve traditional classroom instruction and regular summer school academic credit.

Grant advising is available from Elizabeth Knapp and Haley Culbertson prior to submitting an application. Schedule a meeting here or contact the Johnson Program via email.