Internship Funding Overview

internshipfunding2Each spring, the Center for Careers, Life, and Service (CLS) awards internship funding grants to support student participation in unpaid or low-paid* summer internships.  These grants are designed to help offset the cost of food, transportation, housing, and related incidentals.  Please remember that internship funding grants are competitive and awards are not guaranteed.

The summer 2025 application portal will open on February 3, 2025.  Additional information, including funding application deadlines, criteria, guidelines, funding award amounts, and requirements, can be found on the Application Process and FAQs pages.

Considering applying for summer internship funding?

Students MUST be currently enrolled as full-time students at Grinnell for spring 2025 and plan to enroll for fall 2025 at Grinnell (or in an approved off-campus study program for fall 2025). Fourth-year students graduating in December 2025 are eligible to apply as well. Funding may be used to offset the costs of food, transportation, incidentals, and housing. Internship funding selection committees review all submitted grant application documents and interviews and will evaluate funding applications on the following: internship knowledge and expectations, goals and skill development, and overall internship preparation.

Funding Grant Application Dates:

  • Application opens – Monday, February 3, 2025.   
  • Application Deadline Dates:
    • First-round application deadline date (Rosenfield Internship Program Only) – Sunday, March 2, 2025 @ 11:59 pm CST
      • ​​​​​​​Students must meet with Rosenfield Program Director, Edward Cohn, prior to submitting an application for internship funding.
      • Students notified of funding decisions – Tuesday, March 25, 2025 by 5:00 pm.
      • Note: Applicants not chosen by Rosenfield in the first application period will be moved to the second round for possible funding consideration.
    • Second round application deadline date – Wednesday April 2, 2025 @ 11:59 pm CST
      • Students notified of funding decisions – Friday April 25, 2025 by 5:00 pm. 

Internship Funding Application Requirements:

For the student: For the internship site/organization:
  1. Students MUST be currently enrolled as full-time students at Grinnell College for spring 2025 and fall 2025 or accepted into an approved off-campus study program for fall 2025. Fourth-year students graduating in December 2025 are eligible to apply.
  2. Students on leave at the time of the application deadline are ineligible to apply.
  3. On-campus experiences, including MAPS, are NOT eligible for a grant or endowed funding.
  4. The internship MUST be secured (meaning offered and accepted) at the time of application.
  5. The internship MUST be a minimum of 30 hours per week for 6 weeks (or longer) during the summer.
  6. The internship can be virtual/remote or in-person/on-site.
  7. Internship MUST be unpaid or low-paid*.
  8. Students MUST be in good conduct standing with the Office of Student Affairs.
  9. For F-1 students, if the internship is in the U.S., it MUST be related to your academic major. Review the F-1 Pre-Completion Internships resource from OISA for more information.
  1. The internship can be virtual/remote or in-person/on-site.
  2. The Supervisor Intern Memorandum of Understanding/Confirmation Form must be completed and signed by the internship supervisor at the time of funding submission. Applications will not be considered until all application materials have been fully completed and submitted by application deadlines.
  3. The student MUST be provided with a job description that includes clear expectations and deliverables, states whether the internship is virtual/remote, in-person/on-site or hybrid, the length of internship, and the commitment of time and technology/tools required of the intern.
  4. The internship MUST be 30 hours per week for a minimum of 6 weeks (or longer) during the summer.

Funding Awards: 

Summer internship funding grants will be awarded in one of three flat amounts to students identified as having demonstrated financial need by the Grinnell College Office of Financial Aid. Questions on your financial aid status should be directed to the Office of Financial Aid at 641-269-3250.  See below:

Very High / High Need

$6,000

Moderate / Low Need

$4,000

No Financial Need

$2,000
  • Summer internship funding grants awards will not differentiate between virtual and in-person internships and/or locations.
  • Internship funding preference will be given to first-time recipients with the class year considered.
  • Internship funding grants are competitive and not guaranteed. 
  • Awards may be used for all incidentals needed to complete the internship.
  • No additional funding will be available or awarded.
  • Internship grants are flat awards and are non-negotiable. Budgets are required to help students anticipate, prepare for, and assess the expenses they will incur.
    • Note: While extremely rare, the CLS reserves the right to adjust final internship grants to ensure the funding process remains equitable.

Funding Guidelines:

  • Students must be the “primary beneficiary” of an unpaid/low-paid internship. Many unpaid/low-paid experiences may be labeled an internship but do not sufficiently meet the definition of an internship and are unable to confirm the student is the “primary beneficiary” of the experience.
  • Generally, internships with a participation fee are not eligible for internship funding. The exception to this is summer internship programs through off-campus study partner providers such as IES Abroad, SIT Abroad, and ACM. Even then, some partner provider OCS programs may not be eligible for internship funding.
  • Internships with organizations owned,  operated, or managed by Grinnell College employees (faculty or staff) and/or immediate family members are ineligible for internship funding.
  • Organizations where a Grinnell College faculty and/or staff member holds a significant leadership role–such as president, vice president, treasurer, secretary or similar executive role–within the organization may be ineligible for internship funding pending a review of potential conflict(s) of interest(s).
  • Internships where the internship supervisor is a Grinnell faculty/staff member, classmate, peer, family member, or friend, are ineligible for internship funding.

Internship Grant Funding Non-Compliance Notice: 

All students will receive clear notification of requirements they must satisfy upon receipt of their summer internship grant, in addition to multiple reminders throughout the summer of these requirements from the CLS staff member serving as their summer adviser. One week before all requirements are due, the CLS summer adviser will send a final notice via email to students who have not completed/satisfied summer internship funding requirements stipulating their non-compliance and reminding students of the requirements, consequences, and upcoming deadline. The day following the deadline, students failing to comply with summer internship funding requirements will receive a notice via email from the Assistant Director of Employer Engagement & Internships indicating they are ineligible for CLS funding for 12 months. Depending on the student’s class year, the student may lose access to the following grants: professional attire, professional development, senior interview, summer internship, and CLS-funded trips such as externships and treks. 

*Low-paid definition: the financial support (wages, salary, stipend) a student receives from an internship site equates to less than minimum wage at the location of the internship.

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OTHER QUESTIONS?

Please review these FAQs and contact your Career Community or Exploratory adviser for assistance.