Wellness Scholarships

Program Overview

Being Well at Yale’s Wellness Scholarships support its vision to create and sustain a culture, community and environment in which wellness is a core value and measure of excellence.  Fostering a healthier work workplace, scholarships offer an opportunity to expand wellness offerings to departments and work areas to better meet the unique needs of Yale’s diverse, geographically spread community. 

Through an application process, scholarship dollars are made available to provide seed funding for departments to implement wellness initiatives that support, encourage and expand the healthy behaviors of Yale faculty and staff around physical activity, nutrition, weight management, stress reduction and tobacco cessation.  Applications are reviewed by members of the Wellness Leadership Group and approved programs that meet the following criteria are eligible for funding.

Program Criteria

  • Department-specific initiatives for at least 5 or more employees who will directly benefit from the program.  Funding for community-focused program requests is not available.  
  • Support at least one of Being Well’s priorities: physical activity, nutrition, weight management, stress reduction and tobacco cessation.  Please note, requests for fitness classes (i.e. yoga, tai chi, Zumba) will not be accepted as these programs are coordinated through Payne Whitney Gym and/or need approval from Risk Management.
  • Requestor coordinates the wellness initiative (i.e., scheduling rooms, promotion) and the department’s business office assists with charging expenses.
  • Program is discussed and supported by the department or work area’s manager or supervisor.
  • Maximum allotment of $35 per employee with a cap of $500 for larger departments.
  • Funds will only be approved for one measureable activity which must be completed within 90 days of approval and within the current fiscal year. 
  • The Wellness Scholarship applicant will be required to distribute a brief, digital survey to all participants after the activity. Being Well at Yale will provide the survey link to the applicant to distribute via email.
  • While responses are anonymous, the feedback may be used on Being Well at Yale’s or other university websites, newsletters and/or other communications.   

Note: Scholarships will be awarded on a quarterly basis based on available funding.  Only one request can be submitted by a department or work unit each fiscal year.  Priority will be given to departments who have not received a scholarship within the past 2 fiscal years.   Funding requests for the same initiative from a prior year cannot be granted.  Departments who have received a past scholarship and are requesting funds again in a new fiscal year, must submit an application for a unique wellness initiative.   

Examples of past scholarship programs include “Puzzle Power” , “An Apple for Your Thoughts” , Fitstyle Walking Tours and Workshops“Lunch and Learns with the RD” and “Wellness Calendars.”

Initiatives that exclude individuals on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, or are discriminatory in any way are not eligible.

Submitted applications will be reviewed within 14 business days.

Wellness Scholarship Application