FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


DOES CELI HAVE A SAMPLE LETTER TO ASK An EMPLOYER TO SPONSOR TUITION?

CELI recommends asking your employer to pay the full tuition or to contribute a significant portion of the tuition as soon as possible. Once selected applicants are notified of their acceptance into the 2025 Fellowship, the deadline to pay the deposit ($500) and commit to a payment plan happens very quickly. Click here for a sample REQUEST FOR EMPLOYER TUITION SUPPORT that you can download and edit to personalize your specific request to your employer. Please email applications@cleanenergyleaders.org with any questions.

WHAT IS THE COST OF TUITION FOR CELI’S 2025 FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM?

CELI’s 2025 Fellowship tuition is broken out into two different tiers based on whether or not your employer is contributing to the tuition. No applicant will be turned away for lack of funds as long as they qualify for need-based financial assistance. Candidates should not let the cost of the program prevent them from applying. CELI’s application process is need-blind; application materials and financial assistance requests will be evaluated separately. CELI offers both full and partial scholarships, as well as 7-month payment plans. We encourage you to discuss with your employer whether or not they can offer financial support to you, and at what level, before filling out the Financial Assistance application form.

The full cost of the 2025 Fellowship is $5,500 if an employer is supporting a Fellow (Tier 1), or $3,500 if a Fellow is paying-out-of-pocket (Tier 2). Both tier levels may be eligible for financial assistance depending on their application. Fellows receiving partial employer support will be put into Tier 1 tuition level ($5,500), and Fellows receiving no employer support will fall into Tier 2 tuition level ($3,500). Fellows who receive partial employer support will never be expected to owe more than $3,500 out-of-pocket for tuition, even if their employer’s support totals less than $2,000. All levels of tuition commitments (including those receiving financial assistance) may be paid up-front or over a 7-month payment plan. 

Barring exceptional circumstances, all selected applicants are required to pay $500, due June 5, 2025, in-full, as a non-refundable deposit to hold their spot in the fellowship. 

Tier 1: Employer-Supported Tuition

Applicants should check with their employer to determine the level of employer support that is possible. Tuition for full employer-supported applicants is $5,500. If employers are only able to cover partial tuition (i.e. small start-ups, non-profits, government or academic institutions, depending on size), CELI will work with the selected Fellow to award the employer a waiver based on organization size and budget. Be sure to check with your employer regarding professional development funding, as employers frequently cover the cost for incoming fellows. Fellows who receive partial employer support will never be expected to owe more than $3,500 out-of-pocket for tuition, even if their employer’s support totals less than $2,000.

Tier 2: Tuition Without Employer Support

For those without employer support who will be paying out of pocket, CELI offers a reduced tuition of $3,500. At the point that payment is requested (June), selected Fellows who are not able to access any employer support will be asked to provide an email or a letter from a supervisor or other means that confirms lack of employer funds. Full-time students, self-employed applicants, and those outside of the workforce may also qualify for the reduced tuition (in this case, proof of student enrollment or other documents can serve as proof). All tuition may be paid on a 7-month payment plan from July through December, 2025. Applicants who are eligible for this tier who need financial assistance based on income, cost of living, dependents, and special circumstances, should be sure to fill out the separate financial assistance application by March 19, 2025.

IS FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE?

CANDIDATES SHOULD NOT LET THE COST OF THE PROGRAM PREVENT THEM FROM APPLYING. We are deeply committed to ensuring that every accepted applicant is able to be a part of CELI, if they qualify for need-based financial assistance. Thanks to the generous support of our donors and sponsors, CELI provides financial assistance awards ranging from partial to full cost reductions for fellows who are unable to meet the program costs, if they qualify for need-based financial assistance. Applicants must complete a financial assistance application in order to be eligible for a financial award. Financial assistance applications are submitted separately from the Fellowship application and are due by March 19, 2025.

Full and partial financial assistance awards are available for individuals falling into both tiers as determined by income, cost of living, dependents, level of employer support and special circumstances. CELI does everything possible to support all selected applicants to attend. Persons of color (esp. Native, LatinX, Black), members of the LGBTQIA+ community, persons with disabilities, persons from low-income communities, persons from communities with histories of environmental injustice, and individuals from other traditionally excluded backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply.

We will review financial assistance applications after applicants are selected, and we will notify selected applicants of their financial award determination on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Since we are evaluating the 2025 Fellowship application and Financial Assistance application separately, some of the questions are duplicative! Thank you in advance for answering the duplicative questions in both the 2025 Fellowship and the 2025 Financial Assistance applications.

Financial Assistance - Rolling Application

  • An applicant must submit a separate financial assistance application immediately AFTER completing their fellowship application, if the applicant would like to be considered for financial assistance.

  • All final financial assistance applications are due: March 19 at 11:59 PM PT 

  • Selected applicants will be invited to join a cohort on May 20, 2025, and those who requested financial assistance will be notified of their financial awards at this time.

  • There is no fee to submit a financial assistance application. The only application fee applies to the application for the fellowship itself in the regular or late period of application.

Visit our detailed Tuition and Financial Assistance page to learn more.

IF MY EMPLOYER PROVIDES TUITION SUPPORT, BUT IT DOES NOT COVER THE WHOLE TUITION, WHAT TIER DO I FALL INTO?

Fellows who receive full or partial employer support will fall into Tier 1. The total cost of tuition for Tier 1 is $5,500; however, Fellows will never be expected to pay more than $3,500 out-of-pocket for tuition, even if their employer’s support totals less than $2,000.

WHEN SHOULD I ASK MY EMPloyer about tuition support?

We recommend asking your employer about professional development funds as soon as possible, and ideally before March 19, 2025, so that you can submit a financial assistance application with the most accurate information. Fellows will find out if they are offered a spot in the 2025 Fellowship on May 20, 2025, along with notifications about preliminary financial assistance awards. In order to receive a preliminary financial assistance notification, the applicant must have filled out the financial assistance form by March 19, 2025. Please note that your answers are non-binding, as we understand that you are filling out this form before you have been offered a spot in the program.

IS THERE AN APPLICATION FEE?

Application Due Dates by Fee Schedule

  • Early Bird application deadline ($0):  Jan 15 - Feb 17, 2025 at 11:59pm PT 

  • Regular application ($25) deadline: Feb 18 - Mar 16, 2025 at 11:59pm PT 

  • Late application ($100) deadline: Mar 17 - Mar 19, 2025 at 11:59 PM PT 

Please see above for tuition costs. Acceptance notifications will be emailed on May 20, 2025 to all applicants that are selected into the program. Financial assistance notifications will be coordinated with acceptance notifications (no fee for financial assistance applications), and all applicants will be notified of financial assistance awards on May 20, 2025. Please note that a non-refundable deposit of $500 will be required to be paid by June 5, 2025 in order to hold one’s spot in the program.

Financial assistance applications are due no later than March 19, 2025, and do not require an application fee.

DOES CELI OFFER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE OR PAYMENT PLANS?

Yes! Individuals paying out of pocket are able to sign up for a payment plan over seven months, with the first payment of $500 due on June 5, and the next six payments due July through December. Employers that contribute to the fellowship tuition (employer payments) are not eligible for a payment plan. Upon acceptance, CELI works with each applicant individually to determine the right payment plan and offers a flexible, 7-month payment plan.

All fellows are required to secure their spot with an initial payment of $500 (due June 5, 2025) in order to stretch the financial assistance pool to support as many eligible Fellows as possible.

Visit our detailed Tuition and Financial Assistance page to learn more.

HOW MANY FELLOWS ARE ACCEPTED TO EACH COHORT?

The 2025 Fellowship will welcome approximately 220 fellows! Each Virtual Cohort can serve approximately 35 fellows, and each In-Person cohort can serve approximately 25 fellows. Fellowship invitations to join a cohort will be extended on May 20, 2025, along with preliminary financial assistance award notifications if the applicant has filled out the financial aid application on time.

WHAT ARE THE WEEKLY FELLOWSHIP SESSIONS LIKE?

Cohort participants meet once a week, virtually, for two hours in the evenings to receive topical lectures from experts in the field and engage in discussions with their peers. Modules cover energy markets, new technologies, policy, deep decarbonization, adaptive leadership and energy justice topics. Unless specified otherwise, weekly sessions are held either in-person or online every Wednesday from 6:00 - 8:00 pm local time for each of our cohorts. These 2-hour-long sessions will consist of a mixture of lectures with expert practitioners, panel discussions with leaders in the field, hands-on activities, and small group discussions to build community and connection among fellows. Optional Tuesday sessions (on varied Tuesdays, not weekly) will introduce critical concepts for the Wednesday sessions that prioritize activities over content.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE IN-PERSON COHORT AND THE VIRTUAL COHORT?

In-Person cohort participants will meet in-person for the majority of sessions (14 of 23). While speakers will still be virtual, all discussions and activities will occur only with other in-person attendees. There are several sessions that will be virtual and pooled with all CELI participants. This option is available to fellows living in commutable distance to the Bay Area (sessions take place in San Francisco), Chicago, New York City (most sessions take place in Manhattan), and Washington, DC. Individuals living within commuting distance of these locations and who can fully commit to attending the 14 in-person sessions are encouraged to apply. These in-person cohorts function as separate and independent cohorts although there will be opportunities to engage with other fellows from different cohorts.

Virtual cohort fellows will meet on Zoom, virtually, for all 23 sessions. 

IF I LIVE IN A CELI CITY / METRO AREA AND GET ACCEPTED INTO THE VIRTUAL COHORT, CAN I JOIN SOME OF THE IN-PERSON SESSIONS?

Please note that the virtual fellowship is structured such that virtual fellows are not given the option to drop-in to the in-person sessions due to space and other constraints. One of the key fellowship components is community building, and we would like to provide a consistent cohort experience to those in the virtual cohort to get to know each other through each session.

WHAT IF I ONLY WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN AN IN-PERSON COHORT AND DO NOT WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN A VIRTUAL FELLOWSHIP?

On the fellowship application, there will be a specific question that will capture whether you would only like to participate in an in-person cohort, and not be considered for the virtual fellowship acceptance.

WHAT IF I WANT TO BE IN AN IN-PERSON COHORT AND I DON’T LIVE IN A CELI CITY?

Unfortunately, CELI is only able to run in-person cohorts in the cities and metro areas (Bay Area, Chicago, DC and NYC) where we have the most volunteers and the most active and involved corporate sponsors.

HOW MUCH TIME SHOULD I EXPECT TO SPEND ON THE PROGRAM?

In addition to the weekly required Wednesday sessions, optional Tuesday sessions, and occasional Saturday sessions, fellows should expect to spend an additional 2-3 hours a week to stay current on the readings. To prepare their capstone project, fellows spend at least 20 hours (including project development, editing, and practice sessions) to produce a final deliverable. While the fellowship is designed to fit within your current work and personal schedule, you get out of the program what you put into it. The value you receive from the program is directly related to the amount of time you invest in your experience, and, most importantly, in getting to know your peers.

WHAT IS THE INTERVIEW PROCESS LIKE?

If your application is moved forward to the interview process, selected applicants will be invited for a 25-minute online interview during mid-April, 2025, with CELI alumni. The interview process will give selected applicants a chance to talk to CELI alumni about their interest in the 2025 Fellowship, and will open up an opportunity for applicants to ask CELI alumni more about how the Fellowship has supported their leadership journey in the clean energy ecosystem.

Interviews will be offered to select candidates in mid-April, 2025. Fellowship invitations to join a cohort will be extended on May 20, 2025 along with financial assistance awards. (See above for more information about financial assistance.

IF I DON’T WORK IN THE CLEAN ENERGY SECTOR, SHOULD I STILL APPLY?

Yes, we consider candidates with 5+ years of professional experience who are looking to transition into the clean energy industry and who believe that they would benefit and contribute to our program and network. Transition candidates should also clearly articulate their intention to begin and maintain a career in clean energy. We welcome diverse sector expertise from transition candidates, including but not limited to education, communications, non-profit work, STEM, and technical skills.

ARE THERE WAYS I CAN GET INVOLVED IF I AM NOT A FELLOW?

Yes! Throughout the year, CELI hosts educational and social events. Please sign up for our newsletter below and check out our events page for any upcoming webinars or events open to the public! We are also on social media: follow us on X, LinkedIn, and Instagram. 

We highly encourage you to subscribe to our newsletter for future events, as it is the most consistent way that we alert you to opportunities to connect with our community! We hope we can find ways to connect soon!

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