Student Life Enhancement Fund
Do you have a non-academic initiative that you intend to participate in or provide to University of Guelph students – one that will enrich the student experience? Are you in need of funds to bring your initiative, project, or event to life? Apply to the Student Life Enhancement Fund (SLEF) and University of Guelph Alumni Association (UGAA) Student Experience Fund!
Approximately $100,000 is available through SLEF and the UGAA for the Fall and Winter allocation cycles for applications meeting the criteria.
Who can apply?
Recognized University of Guelph student organizations and clubs, registered students, and University departments are eligible.
What are the purposes of these two Funds?
The Student Life Enhancement Fund (SLEF) was established to support non-academic initiatives that enrich the student experience.
In 2021, the University of Guelph Alumni Association (UGAA) established the UGAA Student Experience Fund to support student engagement. This fund is intended to nurture a culture of volunteerism, diversity, inclusivity, and civic engagement among the student body.
Your application will automatically be submitted to both the Student Life Enhancement Fund (SLEF) and the UGAA Student Experience Fund. Both Funds follow the same timeline and use the same review committee for all applications.
Application Timelines
There are two opportunities to apply to the SLEF/UGAA Student Experience Fund for the 2025-2026 academic year:
Fall 2025
- Applications open: Friday, September 5, 2025.
- Application deadline: Thursday, September 18, 2025. Applications must be fully submitted with uploaded files by the deadline. Late applications will not be accepted.
- Applicants notified approximately: week of October 20, 2025.
- Funds disbursed: As soon as possible in the week(s) to follow.
Winter 2026
- Applications open: Friday, December 5, 2025.
- Application deadline: Thursday, January 8, 2026. Applications must be fully submitted with uploaded files by the deadline. Late applications will not be accepted.
- Applicants notified approximately: week of February 16, 2026.
- Funds Disbursed: As soon as possible in the week(s) to follow.
Applicants can apply in the Fall semester for initiatives taking place during the Winter semester.
Questions? Explore the tabs below and if you need further assistance, reach out to the Program Assistant, Student Experience via slef@uoguelph.ca.
SLEF and UGAA Student Experience Fund Proposals will be assessed based on the following criteria:
- Impact to and enrichment of the student experience.
- The number of students benefiting from the initiative.
- The ability of the applicant to acquire funds elsewhere rather than relying solely on SLEF or UGAA Student Experience funding.
- Financial need, as evidenced by a comprehensive budget.
- Environmentally sustainable delivery.
- Consideration of access (e.g. does the proposal increase access to the activity, and/or address barriers to access?).
- Priority will be given to new initiatives.
- Priority will be given to inclusive initiatives that benefit a broad segment of the student population.
Proposals that meet the below criteria are eligible for UGAA Student Experience Funding
- Priority will be given to initiatives that nurture a culture of volunteerism and civic engagement.
- Priority will be given to initiatives that foster a culture of diversity and inclusion on campus.
What SLEF and UGAA Student Experience Funds will not fund:
- Continued base operating expenses of existing programs or items of an ongoing nature.
- Initiatives that are academic in nature.
- Initiatives that duplicate existing programs.
- Initiatives that take place outside of the funding year (September to August) .
- Expenses related to salaries/wages, honoraria in lieu of salary/wages.
- As an exception, honoraria for judges or speakers will be considered. Decisions for honoraria for speakers or judges will be evaluated based on the necessity of the individual’s expertise to the initiative as demonstrated through the application, as well as the rationale provided in the application for the proposed honoraria amount(s).
- Gifts, giveaways, swag, merchandise and/or apparel.
- Unsustainable consumables (plastic water bottles, single use plastics, disposable items, single use items that can be substituted, non-value added travel).
- Alcohol.
- New applications from an organization/applicant that outstanding final report requirements related to previously received SLEF/UGAA funding.
Initiatives submitted by organizations/applicants where unused/surplus funding from previous initiatives has not yet been returned. Any previously granted funding not used on approved budget items as reviewed by SLEF must be returned at the time of final report submission.
