Work-integrated learning awards

Two students sitting on laptops

About the awards 

Waterloo's unpaid work-integrated learning (WIL) awards help students cover costs while doing unpaid WIL. Unpaid WIL is work experience that doesn't come with pay, but does count toward your program. It can last one term or up to three. You may be able to apply if you're doing one of these in Fall 2026:

  • Entrepreneurial WIL (Faculty of Health students only)
  • Field Placements (Faculty of Health students only)
  • Internships (Faculty of Health students only)
  • Mandatory Professional Practicum / Clinical Placement (Faculty of Health students only)
  • Unpaid co-op work term (Faculty of Health students only)
  • Upskilling micro-course and project
  • Waterloo Experience Accelerate (WE Accelerate) program

Fall 2026 awards

Funder Eligibility Value Selection Process
Ross and Doris Dixon Foundation

Students must meet all the following criteria:

  • Students participating in the WE Accelerate Program – enrolled in Winter, Spring or Fall 2026 terms.
  • Good academic standing – 70% GPA 
  • A personal statement, describing how this award will support your learning and reduce financial stress. 

$2,000

 A Co-operative & Experiential Education selection committee reviews applications and selects recipients.
Rippling

Students must meet all the following criteria:

  • Students participating in the WE Accelerate Program – enrolled in Winter, Spring and Fall 2026.
  • Good academic standing – 70% GPA
  • A personal statement, describing how this award will support your learning and reduce financial stress.
  • For Canadian citizens and permanent residents only 
 $2,500 A Co-operative & Experiential Education selection committee reviews applications and selects recipients.
WSP Canada Inc.

Students must meet all the following criteria:

  • Students participating in the WE Accelerate Program – enrolled in Winter, Spring and Fall 2026.
  • Good academic standing – 70% GPA
  • A personal statement, describing how this award will support your learning and reduce financial stress.
 $2,500 A Co-operative & Experiential Education selection committee reviews applications and selects recipients.
Embark

Students must meet all the following criteria:

  • Undergraduate and graduate students completing the AI Upskilling for Impact micro-course and real-world project are eligible for an award.

  • In Fall 2026, for students that complete the micro course and project, no application is required.

 $500 For Fall 2026, students that complete both the micro course and project will automatically receive an award. No application is required.
CEWIL Canada's Innovation Hub (iHUB) 

Students must meet the following criteria: 

  • Undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in a Faculty of Health program only 
  • Students participating in one of the following forms of WIL during the Fall 2026 semester only 

    • Entrepreneurial WIL (Faculty of Health students only) 

    • Field Placements (Faculty of Health students only) 

    • Internships (Faculty of Health students only) 

    • Mandatory Professional Practicum / Clinical Placement (Faculty of Health students only) 

    • Unpaid co-op work term (Faculty of Health students only) 

  • Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or persons to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act  

  • Legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with the relevant provincial legislation and regulations  

  • Completed unpaid WIL experience with an eligible Canadian community or industry partner located in Canada (or with a Canadian head office)*  

  • Complete a personal statement, describing how this award will support your learning and reduce financial stress  

Amount based on the duration of WIL experience:

  • Tier 1 Awards - $1,500 (200+ hours in unpaid WIL)
  • Tier 2: $800 (100–199 hours in unpaid WIL)
  • Tier 3: $500 (fewer than 100 hours in unpaid WIL)
 Students selected for a CEWIL-funded award may be required to complete additional documentation as part of the award process. Further information will be provided to selected students.

If eligible applications exceed available a randomized lottery selection will be used to select those receiving awards. 

*Please note: Ineligible Canadian community or industry partners: post-secondary institutions, with the exception of entrepreneurial WIL only; Federal, Provincial, Territorial, Municipal Government; Members of the House of Commons and the Senate; Organizations that engage in partisan political activities; Financial sector employers with 500 or more employees (includes all branches); Organizations for which you are paying for a service.

Additional guidelines

Students with host/partner organizations may be contacted to verify application information or asked to complete a survey after receiving funding. Students receiving support through community and industry donor funding are expected to engage with donor impact activities. This may include meeting with donor representatives and participating in public promotional opportunities. As part of these activities, details about the student’s funding and personal information, including photographs, may be shared in a donor impact statement.

How to apply

  1. Login to WaterlooWorks
  2. From your dashboard, select Submit a form from the navigation menu
  3. Complete the form
    • Category: Awards and funding
    • Sub-category: Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Awards Application (5045)
  4. Applications will be reviewed by the Centre for WIL for eligibility and to verify completion of all required elements of your unpaid curricular WIL experience
  5.  Awards will be granted once the selection committee meets, verifies requirements, and SAFA/GSPA processes funds into students’ accounts. Students will be notified by email. 

To confirm you submitted your application, select “My Forms” in your WaterlooWorks dashboard. You will see the date and time your application form was submitted. If the “Submitted Date” field is empty and you can see blue “complete form” and “view” buttons to the left, it has not been submitted and you have only saved the form as a draft. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Centre for WIL.

Application deadline: November 8, 2026

The selection committee for donor-funded awards meets in November. 

Frequently asked questions

Is my WIL experience eligible for funding?

Eligibility depends on the type of unpaid work-integrated learning (WIL) experience you are participating in and the specific funding program.

Students may be eligible if they participated in one of the following unpaid WIL experiences:

  • Waterloo Experience Accelerate (WE Accelerate)
  • Upskilling micro-course and project
  • Entrepreneurial WIL (Faculty of Health only for Fall 2026)
  • Field Placements (Faculty of Health only for Fall 2026)
  • Internships (Faculty of Health only for Fall 2026)
  • Mandatory Professional Practicum/Clinical Placement (Faculty of Health only for Fall 2026)
  • Unpaid co-op work term (Faculty of Health only for Fall 2026)

Additional eligibility requirements vary by funder and may include academic standing, citizenship or work authorization requirements, and completion of a personal statement. When you submit an application, you will automatically be considered for all awards for which you are eligible. Review the award descriptions and eligibility criteria carefully before applying.

I received a stipend from the organization I am working with. Can I still apply?

Possibly. Receiving a stipend does not automatically make you ineligible for funding.

The key requirement is that your WIL experience is considered unpaid according to the Centre for WIL's funding guidelines. Modest stipends intended to offset costs associated with participating in the experience may still be permitted.

Applications are reviewed based on the eligibility requirements of each funding source. If there is uncertainty about whether your stipend affects your eligibility, the Centre for WIL may request additional information about your arrangement with the host organization.

If I am selected for funding, how do I receive the funds?

Award funding is processed through your student account after all eligibility requirements have been verified.

Following the application period, selection committees review eligible applications where applicable. Once recipients are confirmed, Student Awards & Financial Aid (SAFA) and/or the Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) office will process the funds. Recipients will be notified by email when their award has been approved and processed.

I will be graduating, so how do I receive the funds?

Graduating students are still eligible to receive funding if they meet the award requirements and participated in an eligible unpaid WIL experience during the applicable funding period.

If you are selected for an award after graduation, funds will be processed according to the University's standard award payment procedures. To avoid delays, ensure your contact information and banking details (if required by the University) are up to date. Award notifications will be sent to your email address.

I applied but didn't receive funding. Why?

There are several reasons why an applicant may not receive funding:

  • The application did not meet all eligibility requirements for the available awards.
  • Available funding was limited and demand exceeded the number of awards available.
  • For donor-funded awards, other applicants were selected by the Co-operative & Experiential Education selection committee.
  • For CEWIL-funded awards, if eligible applications exceed available funding, recipients are selected through a randomized lottery process.

Submitting an application does not guarantee funding (excluding upskilling students). However, students who meet eligibility requirements are automatically considered for all awards for which they qualify.

What is expected of students selected to receive funding?

Students who receive funding may be asked to support follow-up activities related to the award. These activities may include:

  • Verifying information provided in the application.
  • Completing a survey after receiving funding.
  • Participating in impact reporting required by donors or granting agencies.
  • Meeting with donor representatives or industry/community partners.
  • Taking part in promotional, recognition, or storytelling opportunities that highlight the impact of the funding.

Participation helps the Centre for WIL and Co-operative and Experiential Education demonstrate the value of unpaid WIL experiences and secure future funding opportunities for students.