宅男福利导航

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many times can I apply to the Career Development fund?

  • 宅男福利导航s can receive $300 in funding for an Interview Suit through the Career Development Fund/JC Penney Suit-up event up to two times during their undergraduate career at 宅男福利导航. The funding must be in an interval of two years or more (i.e.: freshman and junior year or sophomore and senior year), and will not be provided in consecutive years.  宅男福利导航 will be required to justify why the second suit is necessary.
  • 宅男福利导航s can apply a maximum of $550 in reimbursement for Graduate/Professional School Test Prep and Application Fee assistance one time during their undergraduate career at 宅男福利导航. To the extent possible, please plan to include all expected expenses related to your test preparation and application costs at one time.

Can I be reimbursed through the Career Development Fund?

Interview Suit funding: Funding is paid by reimbursement.  宅男福利导航s can receive up to $300 to make eligible attire purchases.

Graduate/Professional School Test Preparation and Application Fees:  Reimbursement is the preferred funding method.  宅男福利导航s should save receipts for all eligible expenses and submit at the same time for reimbursement up to $550.

What other resources for undergraduate student support exist?

Several offices and schools on campus offer funding to support undergraduate professional development needs. The review committee may refer an applicant to one of these resources if it is a more appropriate fit for the funding request. Check out the  and the  to search for additional funding sources.

What funding resources exist for graduate students?

Graduate students are typically able to receive professional development funding through their academic program or school of enrollment.  We recommend that you contact your academic program to learn about available funding opportunities.

What am I allowed to buy with interview suit funding?

  • One blazer
  • One matching bottom (dress pants or skirt)
  • One dress shirt/blouse to be worn with the suit
  • One tie
  • One Belt
  • One pair of professional dress shoes

Are suits for graduate school interviews allowed through the Career Development Fund?

No. The Career Development Fund is designed to fund students with financial need for full-time or internship opportunities (not yet secured). Therefore, suits for interviews for internship and full-time job opportunities are eligible, not graduate school. 

What resources exist if I need business casual attire?

’Cats Closet offers students access to FREE gently used professional and business casual attire appropriate for career fairs, interviews, information sessions and the workplace. Our mission is to eliminate barriers that prevent students from looking and feeling their best as they navigate their internship and job search and enter the professional world.

What if I made a purchase over the summer, am I still eligible?

Recent purchases may be eligible for funding. You will need to apply to the Career Development Fund when it opens in September. To have summer expenses covered, students will need to apply within the first few weeks the fund is open, no later than the end of September. If approved, summer purchases that meet the criteria of the fund can be reimbursed. We only reimburse eligible expenses.

How long do I have to turn in my receipts/essay?

Receipts and essay should be turned in within 1 month of funding. Items purchased more than one month prior to applying are not eligible for reimbursement. Please apply accordingly. For purchases made over the summer, students need to apply right away, before the end of September, to be considered for reimbursement.

What should I wear to an interview?

You can find helpful information in our Career Guide. You can also meet with your career adviser to discuss preparation for your interview, including what to wear.

What if I don鈥檛 get the email from Hyperwallet with my reimbursement?

Please pay close attention to your email the week after you submit your receipts. Reimbursements should take no more than 5 business days to process. If you don’t recall getting an email, search your inbox, SPAM and deleted items for a message from do.not.reply@northwestern.prepaid.com.

What if I have trouble activating my Hyperwallet card?

Please be sure you are using Google Chrome browser. Also, sometimes when you login for the first time, it will appear like there is a $0. Refresh or log out and back in and it should show the correct balance.

Are there any fees associated with the Hyperwallet cards?

There is $3.00 monthly inactivity fee charged by Hyperwallet to participants who activated the account but have not used the money on the account for more than 90 days. Once any of the money is used, the 90 day policy starts again. In addition, the money on the Hyperwallet card will expire if the participants do not activate the account within 180 days. Therefore, it is very important that you use or transfer your funding in a timely manner to avoid any inactivity fees.

There is also a $1.50 fee to make a bank transfer. This amount will be added to your reimbursement to cover the bank transfer fee.

What happens if I buy my suit + other allowed items and I haven鈥檛 spent the full $300?

If you can buy all the items allowed for less than $300, that’s great! We will reimburse you for what you spent + $1.50 bank transfer fee. $300 is the maximum you can receive. However, you are not allowed to buy more than what is specifically allowed to use up the $300. If you can get the suit for less, it allows us to use the remaining money to fund additional students. 

What if I was funded to purchase a suit previously and it doesn鈥檛 fit anymore?

宅男福利导航s are allowed to apply twice for an interview suit, but not in subsequent years. To be eligible for a second suit, students must include justification for the second suit. The application should include why they can no longer wear the first suit and need another one.

What if I have more questions about my internship/job search or my career goals?

You can schedule an appointment through Handshake with a NCA career adviser.

Can I apply to get a suit if I already have a full-time job offer?

宅男福利导航s must be in pursuit of an opportunity. 宅男福利导航s who already have secured a job or grad school admittance are not eligible for funding.

More questions?

Feel free to contact our office at nca@northwestern.edu.