As the academic year reaches its midpoint and students pack their bags, the downtime ahead offers a perfect chance to think about summer internships. The biggest hurdle to a great internship can often be funding – both what’s offered as pay by a host and what’s economically feasible to a student to pursue an opportunity. University of Vermont hopes to alleviate some of that financial burden through the Summer Internship Scholarship Program.

The Career Center and the Office of Engagement are pleased to announce the opening of the Summer Internship Scholarship Program Application on Wednesday, January 17, 2024. The application window runs through April 11, and applicants do not need to show proof of applying for an internship to be considered for the scholarship. Students can be awarded up to $4,000 to help fund their experiential learning in their field of interest. To qualify, students must undertake internships between May 1 and August 31, 2024, with a commitment of at least 200 hours of work, all while earning less than $3,000 during that span.

The scholarship program was conceived to support a student’s learning beyond the classroom. Students can explore opportunities that might not otherwise be feasible due to financial constraints, encouraging them to delve into meaningful, career-related experiences.

UVM has championed experiential learning for decades through specific concentrations and colleges, according to Kristen Andrews, UVM’s Internship Coordinator. "About five years ago, there was a shift to centralize the internship scholarship application process,” says Andrews. “Students can now apply in one place and be eligible for multiple awards."

The program underscores UVM's ongoing commitment to supporting students in experiential learning endeavors, while also fulfilling its obligation to the state of Vermont as its land grant institution.

The Internship Scholarship Program has a simple focus to bridge the financial gap between students and their transformative internship experiences. "We give the student money, and they use it for their living expenses so they can pursue an internship that might be low paying or unpaid,” says Andrews, noting the success of the program and its access; “In 2023, Every student applicant who landed a qualifying internship received some funding."

Experiential Learning Driving Career Exploration

Over 100 students were awarded internship scholarship funding last summer alone, helping build experiential knowledge and invaluable personal and professional experiences. Ann Haas (‘26), an environmental science major in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, interned over the past summer at Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge in Medford, New Jersey, a wildlife hospital that sees over 6,000 animals a year.

“I learned a lot about environmental education, as well the ecology of my home state…there is something extremely special about working with wildlife and plant species native to your home,” says Haas. “I got the opportunity to share this knowledge with hundreds of children as well, helping them to foster their love of nature. I learned how to be a more effective communicator, how to form lesson plans, and how to help kids enjoy the outdoors. This internship also helped me to think about my future career. Environmental Science is a very broad major, and this gave me some experience in one aspect of the field, which could help me decide what path I want to take career-wise as I continue in my major.”

Application Process and Criteria

Eligible candidates must be current, degree-seeking undergraduates in good standing and planning to continue their studies in the Fall 2024 semester. The application process involves providing internship details like learning goals, project expectations, growth insights, and lived experiences. Application evaluations will take place April 12-24, and awardees will be alerted of their status by May.

CAS Students

This year, students in the College of Arts & Science must complete a separate scholarship application with more specific questions. CAS students should apply for the scholarship on the CAS website. Student internships that aren’t funded through CAS will still be considered through the Career Center’s selection process without having to reapply.

Looking Ahead

As the application window approaches, UVM students are encouraged to pursue this opportunity to help fund their experiential learning, and to begin the process now to be ready to go in the summer. “We want to make accessing an internship as simple as possible for any student,” says Andrews.