Staff Professional Development Fund

How Much Funding Is Available?

Staff may receive up to $5,000 per fiscal year.

Awards may cover all or a portion of the requested amount and will depend on the relevance of the opportunity, demonstrated department or employee professional development need, available program funding, other available funding sources and applicable University and state requirements.

Funding is competitive and is not guaranteed.

What Can Be Funded?

The proposed development opportunity must support the staff member’s current role, trajectory career path at Clemson or an identified University workforce need. 

Funding may support approved professional development opportunities such as:

• Professional certificates and preparation programs
• Job-related continuing education
• Specialized training
• Strategic learning programs or cohorts
• Approved courses
• Required books and study materials for certificate or training
• Required learning platforms or software

Departments are responsible for funding mandatory training or credentials required for a staff member’s current position.

Credit bearing tuition should be processed through Clemson’s Employee Tuition Assistance Program. 

Certain expenses, including professional license fees, certification examinations and retakes, credential applications and recertification fees are not eligible.

How to Apply

1. Complete the Staff Professional Development Fund Application.
   Within the application, applicants must:
   • Provide information about the proposed development opportunity, expected benefits and requested funds.
   • Upload documentation supporting the request, detailing the development opportunity and estimated costs.
2. The application will be automatically routed to the applicant’s supervisor for approval.
3. Eligible applications will be considered by the review committee and sent to the Office of the President for final approval.
4. Applicants and their supervisors will receive written notification of the final decision.

How Are Applications Evaluated?

Applications will be reviewed by a committee made up of representatives from the Office of Human Resources, Office of the President and Staff Senate.

Selection criteria

Applications will be reviewed against the following criteria:

• Alignment with the staff’s current role or career development at Clemson
• Development of critical or needed skills needed at Clemson
• Benefit to the staff, department or University
• Quality and relevance of the proposed development opportunity
• Availability of comparable development opportunities through Clemson
• Availability of departmental or other funding
• Reasonableness of the cost
• Supervisor support

Priority may be given to requests that address critical skills, operational effectiveness, compliance, accreditation, safety, institutional workforce priorities or staff with limited access to departmental development funding.

The President, or his designee, will make final funding decisions based on recommendations from the review committee.

Applications will be reviewed and approved on a rolling basis.

Staff should not register, make purchases, book travel or incur expenses until written funding authorization has been received.

When possible, Clemson will pay the provider directly. If reimbursement is authorized, staff will be required to provide proof of payment, receipts and applicable documentation.

All expenditures are subject to Clemson University and State of South Carolina financial, travel, tax and payment policies.

Staff receiving funding will be expected to provide documentation of completion and may be asked to share how the opportunity was applied in their work and/or how the program benefited their department or University.