Summer Experience Funding

Funding through Career Exploration and Development (CED) is available for students who have accepted an offer for an unpaid or low-paid, full-time, off-campus experience sponsored by a nonprofit organization, for-profit employer, or government agency. These experiences may include internships, music training programs, festivals, or other pre-professional opportunities.

• Eligibility: Students who receive a stipend from their host organization or other financial assistance are eligible for funding consideration. However, if the host stipend exceeds the maximum award amount of $4,000, funding may not be granted.

Career-Related Summer Experiences Eligible for Funding:

• Internships: Must be full-time, lasting at least 6 weeks totalling a minimum of 240 hours.
• Pre-Professional Experiences: Including off-campus research, field work or training studies (theater or dance performance), must be substantial in intensity, lasting at least 6 weeks totalling a minimum of 240 hours.
• Tuition or Fee-Based Programs: Programs such as academic immersion programs, theater, language study, volunteer abroad, or writing institutes must include a clearly defined experiential component with at least 200 hours spent on internship-related activities.
• Music Festivals: Must be noted both for a high-level of concert programming and musical training offered primarily to pre-professional music students.  Can include participation in a concurrent music competition requiring significant preparation and practice to include additional extra-curricular activities such as master classes, professional development workshops, etc.
  • Standalone music competitions without significant extra-curricular activities will not be considered.

Funding Note: Available funding is limited, need-based, and competitive. Applying for funding does not guarantee approval.

A well-crafted resume is crucial for showcasing your skills, experiences, and potential to future employers. Career Exploration and Development Career Advisors are ready to meet with students to discuss career readiness, explore career paths, and help revamp their resumes.

As a new requirement, students must schedule an appointment through Handshake to meet with a career advisor and refine their resume before their Summer Experience Funding application can be processed by the review committee.

Schedule My Resume Review Appointment

To ensure you make the most of your funding, start by researching and identifying potential expenses related to your internship or professional experience. Funding can be used to cover only the following costs:

• Travel: Costs associated with getting to and from your internship location: plane, train, bus, etc. 
• Local Transportation/Commuting: Daily commuting expenses such as public transit or fuel.
• Housing/Rent: Accommodation costs for the duration of your experience: use credible websites to estimate housing or landlord estimates.
• Food Expenses: Ranging from $100/week in lower-cost areas to $135/week in higher-cost areas.
• Program Fees: Any applicable fees related directly to the participation in the program or experience (musical performances or festivals, fee-based programs, research opportunities at a field school, and other educational experiences).

Ensure your budget is comprehensive and includes only the eligible costs mentioned above. Cite sources for your expenses where applicable. Review committees will evaluate your budget items, and it's important to include only those that meet the eligibility criteria to avoid denial of any items.

Housing is often one of the highest expenses during the summer. To help reduce this cost, visit the Career Exploration and Development's website for tips on finding low-cost or even free housing options. Starting your search early can substantially lower your housing expenses.
Tips For Housing

Review summaries from previous summer funding recipients to gather ideas and inspiration for your own summer opportunities. These insights can help you identify potential experiences and better understand how to make the most of your internship or professional development experience.

Previous Recipients:

• 2023 Summer Recipients
• 2022 Summer Recipients
• 2021 Summer Recipients
• 2019 Summer Recipients 
• 2018 Summer Recipients 
• 2017 Summer Recipients 
• 2016 Summer Recipients