NASPA Undergraduate Fellow Program (NUFP)

What is NUFP?

The NASPA Undergraduate Fellow Program (NUFP) is a mentoring program for undergraduate students from traditionally underrepresented and historically disenfranchised populations who want to learn more about working in the field of student affairs and/or higher education. The program is presented by NASPA, the leading association for student affairs administrators in higher education.

Students and mentors apply as a pair. If accepted into the program, students are then known as Fellows and have access to scholarships, internships, on-campus mentorship, and professional development events (i.e., conferences, webinars, etc.).

SJSU coordinates a campus-based program that includes support for mentor/mentee matching, application submission to NASPA, and additional professional development oppportunities on-campus. All SJSU students who are interested in NUFP must apply through the campus-based program.

The NUFP Mission

The mission of the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program is to increase the number of historically disenfranchised and underrepresented professionals in student affairs and/or higher education, including but not limited to those of racial and ethnic-minority background; those having a disability; and those identifying as LGBTQ.

For more information about the mission and history of NUFP, see the NASPA NUFP website.

More Information

• NUFP Requirements

  • To be considered for admission to the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program, each applicant must:

    • Identify as a member of a traditionally underrepresented or historically disenfranchised student population, including those of racial and ethnic-minority background, those having a disability, and those identifying as LGBTQ

    • Have at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA at the time of application

    • Have a NASPA member serve as your mentor

    • Have at least two more semesters of undergraduate education left at time of application

    For the complete list of current requirements, see the NASPA NUFP website.

    ***Those who do not identify with any of the criteria above may still apply to the SJSU program, but will not be eligible for the NASPA national program and its benefits (i.e., scholarships, internships, etc.).

• How to Apply

  • Applications for the 2023-2024 cohort are now open!

    SJSU Application Link: https://tinyurl.com/nufpsjsu2023

    The NUFP application process includes completing online forms and submitting supplemental materials, including an unofficial transcript and one letter of recommendation from a staff or faculty member other than your proposed NUFP Mentor.

    Timeline:

    SJSU Campus NUFP Program Application Due	Monday, September 4
    SJSU Applicant Notification	Wednesday, September 6
    Accept/Decline SJSU Participation	Friday, September 8
    Mentor/Mentee Match	Monday, September 11
    NUFP Fellowship Mandatory Meeting	Week of September 11th  **Based on availablity
    National NUFP Application Due **Materials must be all submitted	First NUFP Meeting

• Benefits of NUFP

  • NUFP provides many benefits for Fellows including:

    • Mentorship on Campus
    Fellows and their Mentors participate in an ongoing exchange designed to provide the Fellow with a chance to develop a sense of what a career in student affairs or higher education might be like.

    • Dungy Leadership Institute
    This five-day leadership institute is aimed at developing leadership skills, enhancing cultural competencies, and preparing students for a career in student affairs.

    • Summer Internships
    The NUFP Summer Internship Program gives fellows an opportunity to gain insight into the fields of higher education and student affairs through a campus-based experience at a campus other than their own.

    • Professional Development Opportunities 
    Fellows are provided specific programming at NASPA's annual conference, as well as many regional conferences. Conferences include informational sessions on a wide variety of relevant Student Affairs issues presented by professionals throughout the field and opportunities to connect with individuals from specific regions or universities.

    • Scholarships
    Scholarship applications are available to attend regional and annual NASPA Conferences. 

    For more detailed information about these benefits, see the NASPA NUFP website.

• Information for Mentors

  • Serving as a NUFP Mentor gives you a unique opportunity to share your wisdom and help guide the next generation of professionals in Student Affairs. You’ll get to reflect on your own career, develop personal leadership skills and network with other people in the profession.

    As a Mentors, you will be expected to meet with your assigned Fellow 1:1 at least once a month, actively participate in monthly cohort workshops/meetings, and overall help your Fellow gain an understanding of Student Affairs on the SJSU campus and nationally. We encourage you to have fun, learn, and engage with your Fellow(s)!

    Interested? Submit the Mentor Interest Form: http://bit.ly/nufpmentorinterest 

Student Testimonials

"The NUFP experience is a great opportunity to really connect with other individuals who share the same passion as you for higher education. Also getting paired with a mentor was reassuring, and I felt very supported throughout my school year not only academically, but professionally as well. This fellowship helped me decide on a career in student affairs because I had the chance to do a summer internship in another state and attend the Dungy Leadership Institute. These experiences helped me develop into a more confident leader and student."

- Ling Le (Cohorts 2017-2018 & 2018-2019) 

“If you are interested in learning about how SJSU functions, how college communities are supported and ran, and how current issues across the nation are tackled and discussed, being a NUFP is a very worthwhile experience. You will gain mentorship, career advice, and a better understanding of all the work people do behind the scenes to make a university function.”

- Andrew Lingao (Cohort 2017-2018)

“The NUFP experience helped me decide on my career in student affairs. I knew I loved psychology and higher ed. Being able to talk to my mentor and other professionals helped me be 100% sure about what I wanted to do in the future. I recommend the NUFP experience to all students that are interested in Higher Ed. It is a great start to your student affairs career!”

- Maria Gutierrez (Cohort 2017-2018)

“I would absolutely recommend the NUFP experience to anyone interested in learning more about such an engaging, exciting, and dynamic field. NUFP really opened the door for me to so many opportunities and I don't think I would be where I am today if it wasn't for this experience. I am so grateful and privileged to have been a Fellow and to be able to develop myself personally and professionally throughout the entire experience.”

- Zayna Seyedi (Cohort 2017-2018)