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Continuing Training & Education

Grants

Each year, SHRM Foundation distributes over $200,000 in grants for continuing education to emerging and established professionals in the field of HR. Learn more about our various grant opportunities below. 

$200k

in grants awarded each year

Hundreds

of grant recipients throughout the world

$5+ million

given in grants to date

SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP Grants

The SHRM Foundation offers professional grants to SHRM members seeking their SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP certification. This grant awards one SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP certification exam as well as SHRM's online learning system. 

To apply for a graduate scholarship, you must satisfy the following criteria. 

  • You are a current SHRM member (Your professional or student membership must be active when applying and testing throughout the year in which you receive the grant). 
  • You must meet the eligibility requirements for SHRM Certification. 
  • You must test in Window #1 (Spring) or Window #2 (Winter). 
  • You are not receiving any organizational support or reimbursement for SHRM certification exam and preparation fees. 

To apply you must complete an online application. The application requires the following information: 

  • Basic contact information. 
  • Short answer questions about academic, volunteer, and work experience and career aspirations. 
  • A current resume (or academic transcript in English, if applicable). Universities within the United States must be regionally accredited. Universities outside of the United States must be accredited by a widely recognized accrediting body within the country or by the agency or ministry that oversees higher education within the country. The SHRM Foundation may request an applicant with an international transcript to provide a transcript evaluation (at the applicant’s expense), from World Education Services or another reputable service, prior to reviewing an application.  
  • One letter of reference, which provides insight into the applicant’s character, career and/or volunteer accomplishments, work ethic, values, and need. Please address letter of reference to “SHRM Foundation Grant Review Committee.” Who can write a letter of reference? Letters may be written by work or volunteer colleagues, coaches, professors, etc. They should not come from family members.  Applicants must request all recommendation letters through our scholarship application system. SHRM Foundation cannot accept recommendation letters directly from applicants. 

Applications are reviewed and scored by groups of SHRM volunteers and are reviewed by staff. All decisions are final. Each grant is a one-time grant, however previous applicants and past recipients are eligible to re-apply. Receiving a grant previously is no guarantee of receiving a future grant. Full selection criteria for each category of grants can be found in the application. 

If you are selected to receive a SHRM Foundation Certification Professional Grant you will receive a SHRM Learning System and exam for the SHRM Certification for which you are eligible (SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP), to be used in either test in the Spring or Winter Window. If you do not use your grant during those testing windows, you will have to reapply for a new grant, with no guarantee of receiving a new grant. Please note, the SHRM Foundation does not reimburse for certification exam fees, learning system fees, transfer fees, or any associated expenses. 

Specialty Credential Grants

The SHRM Foundation offers professional grants to SHRM members seeking to build specialized knowledge and expand their influence by earning a SHRM Specialty Credential. These credentials allow HR professionals to demonstrate targeted competence in several key areas while enhancing credibility among peers and employers. 

To apply for a graduate scholarship, you must satisfy the following criteria. 

  • You are a current SHRM member (Your professional or student membership must be active when applying and testing throughout the year in which you receive the grant). 
  • You are not receiving any organizational support or reimbursement for SHRM Specialty Credential expenses. 

To apply you must complete an online application. The application requires the following information: 

  • Basic contact information. 
  • Short answer questions about academic, volunteer, and work experience and career aspirations. 
  • A current resume. Universities within the United States must be regionally accredited. Universities outside of the United States must be accredited by a widely recognized accrediting body within the country or by the agency or ministry that oversees higher education within the country. The SHRM Foundation may request an applicant with an international transcript to provide a transcript evaluation (at the applicant’s expense), from World Education Services or another reputable service, prior to reviewing an application.  

Applications are reviewed and scored by groups of SHRM volunteers and are reviewed by staff. All decisions are final. Each grant is a one-time grant, however previous applicants and past recipients are eligible to re-apply. Receiving a grant previously is no guarantee of receiving a future grant. Full selection criteria for each category of grants can be found in the application. 

All grant recipients will be provided the opportunity to obtain the Credential at no cost to them; the recipient will not receive any cash award.  Recipients must satisfactorily complete the entire Credential package, including all learning components and the assessment in order to receive the Credential.  Access to the learning package and recipients use of the credential, if awarded, shall be subject to credential terms and conditions presented to all end users upon accessing the learning materials. 

Conference Grants

The SHRM Foundation offers professional grants to SHRM members seeking to attend our various conferences.  

SHRM Foundation provides conference grants in the following categories. 

To apply for a conference grant, you must satisfy the following criteria. 

  • You are a current SHRM member. 
  • You must satisfy the specific eligibility criteria associated with each grant, which various from conference to conference. To review the full eligibility criteria, review the front page of each application link. 

To apply you must complete an online application. The application requires the following information: 

  • Basic contact and demographic information. 
  • Short answer questions about academic, volunteer, and work experience and career aspirations. 
  • A current resume or academic transcript in English, depending on the grant. The SHRM Foundation may request an applicant with an international transcript to provide a transcript evaluation (at the applicant’s expense), from World Education Services or another reputable service, prior to reviewing an application.  
  • For the Annual Conference grant only: one statement of support that provides insight into the applicant’s character, career and/or volunteer accomplishments, work ethic, values, and need. Who can write a statement of support? Letters may be written by work or volunteer colleagues, supervisors, professors, etc. They should not come from family members.  Please upload the statement of support as part of your application. 

Applications are reviewed and scored by groups of SHRM volunteers and are reviewed by staff. The review committee will select individuals whom they believe are most likely to leverage this learning opportunity. They will seek candidates who are eager to learn and plan to apply the skills and knowledge gained to benefit their careers, their organizations, and their communities. HR professionals who are new to the field are encouraged to apply. All decisions are final.  

Each grant is a one-time grant, however previous applicants and past recipients are eligible to re-apply. Receiving a grant previously is no guarantee of receiving a future grant. Full selection criteria for each category of grants can be found in the application. 

If you are selected to receive a SHRM Foundation Conference Grant, you will be provided a complimentary registration to the conference, hotel accommodation, and a capped reimbursement for travel-related expenses. A member of the SHRM Foundation team will work with the recipients on conference registration, hotel bookings, and other details.  Recipients are responsible for scheduling travel plans and submitting all itemized travel-related (i.e., flight, meals, gas, tolls, taxi/Uber, etc.) invoices/receipts not to exceed ($500 for Annual Conference, $750 for Employment Law and Inclusion). 

 

Please note, the SHRM Foundation does not reimburse for any fees or expenses incurred by applicants prior to being awarded the professional development grant. SHRM/SHRM Foundation employees or board members and the immediate family are not eligible to apply for SHRM Foundation Scholarships, Grants, or Awards. 

Important Note: The SHRM Foundation does not reimburse for any fees or expenses incurred by applicants prior to being awarded the professional development grant. SHRM/SHRM Foundation employees or board members and the immediate family are not eligible to apply for SHRM Foundation Scholarships, Grants, or Awards. 

Student Membership Grants

The SHRM Foundation offers student membership to a group of HR students each year, allowing students to gain access to a global network of HR professionals from a variety of industries. 

To apply for a graduate scholarship, you must satisfy the following criteria. 

  • You do not have to be a SHRM member to apply. 
  • You must be enrolled in a degree-seeking undergraduate program OR graduate program from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning. 
  • You must be pursuing a degree in an HR-related field (e.g. business, communications, psychology, sociology, HR, organizational development, etc.). 
  • You must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for undergraduate or 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for graduate students. 

To apply you must complete an online application. The application requires the following information: 

  • Basic contact and demographic information. 
  • Short answer questions about your career aspirations and learning objectives. 
  • An academic transcript in English. Universities within the United States must be regionally accredited. Universities outside of the United States must be accredited by a widely recognized accrediting body within the country or by the agency or ministry that oversees higher education within the country. The SHRM Foundation may request an applicant with an international transcript to provide a transcript evaluation (at the applicant’s expense), from World Education Services or another reputable service, prior to reviewing an application.  

Applications are reviewed and scored by groups of SHRM volunteers and are reviewed by staff. he review committee will select individuals whom they believe are most likely to leverage this learning opportunity. They will seek candidates who are eager to learn and plan to apply the skills and knowledge gained to benefit their careers, their organizations and their communities. All decisions are final. Each grant is a one-time grant, however previous applicants and past recipients are eligible to re-apply. Receiving a grant previously is no guarantee of receiving a future grant. Full selection criteria for each category of grants can be found in the application. 

If selected to receive the Student Membership Award, the annual membership fee will be paid by the SHRM Foundation. 

Important Note: The SHRM Foundation does not reimburse for any fees or expenses incurred by applicants prior to being awarded. SHRM/SHRM Foundation employees or board members and the immediate family are not eligible to apply for SHRM Foundation Scholarships, Grants, or Awards. 

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