The Learning-Aligned Employment Program (LAEP) offers eligible undergraduate students at UC Davis the opportunity to earn money to help offset their educational costs while gaining education-aligned, career-related employment in research. LAEP aid is a type of work-study designed to subsidize student employment wages to provide staff and faculty the means to hire undergraduate students with financial need for research jobs. LAEP funds are disbursed through an eligible student’s paycheck when employed in permitted UC Davis research. UC Davis began piloting the program in 2022.

• The State of California is in a budget shortfall for 2024-25 and 2025-26. The May Revision of the budget called for a cut to many one-time programs which included the Learning Aligned Employment Program (LAEP). Therefore, LAEP aid for the 2024-25 aid year is not available and will not be offered in the foreseeable future. LAEP is no longer funding 2023-24 employment as of July 1, 2024.

• See our quick guide for setting up work-study for research employment! Undergraduate students and staff/faculty may want to consider Federal or Institutional Work-Study to fund research employment for the 2024-25 aid year.  Eligible students can receive up to $4,000 in work-study aid to subsidize student employment costs. More aid may be available on exception. Work-study subsidizes 75% of a student’s wage and the hiring department is responsible for funding the remaining 25%.

• The Undergraduate Research Center can also provide support in identifying research funding for students and faculty. We highly recommend reviewing this Undergraduate Research Program Information sheet for other funding opportunities.

Employers can learn more about how to utilize work-study funding for research positions at Work-Study for UC Davis Employers.