Internship+ Program

The Participation Agreement documents your program involvement and is the initial step in the program process. This agreement must be submitted in order for Career Exploration and Development (CED) to determine eligibility for participants when the funding application opens in January 2025.

The 2024 - 2025 Participation Agreement

After CED confirms eligiblity to participate, you must complete the required program steps to become eligible to apply for Internship+ funding. Funding requests will not be reviewed until all requirements are met.

College of Arts & Sciences Student Requirements:

• Complete a Resume Review appointment with a Career Advisor,
• AND Join a Career Community in OberLink,
• AND Conduct two (2) career conversations with an industry expert or Oberlin alumnus in your chosen field.

Conservatory & Dual Degree Student Requirements:

• Complete a Resume Review appointment with a Conservatory Professional Development Staff,
• AND Complete a Professional Biography review appointment with Conservatory Professional Development Staff,
• AND conduct two (2) career conversations with an industry expert or Oberlin alumnus.
• OR complete one (1) of the following options:
  • PROF 200: Professional Development for Musicians (4 credit course offered every fall semester)
  • LEAD 375: Career Readiness for Musicians (2 credit course offered every spring semester)

ALL INTERNSHIP+ PARTICIPANTS: 

Participants will receive communications to attend a Summer Success Session in the spring that will provide information to complete the required end-of-experience assignments including:

• Create an E-Portfolio (Digication) which includes uploading your career conversations, ongoing reflection on professional development and goals that must be completed,
• AND a self-evaluation of their summer experience.

By participating in the Internship+ program, students will:

• articulate how their liberal arts and artistic education contribute to their future career path;
• gain insider knowledge of a professional field of interest and have the opportunity to bridge academic study and real-world application;
• network with alumni, parents, and prospective employers from their career fields of interest; 
• gain insight into workplace culture on topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion; self-efficacy; and performance management;
• develop NACE competencies, skills employers are looking for in candidates; and
• develop professional skills related to interviewing, resume, and cover letter writing.

Upon completing the program requirements AND securing a summer experience, students may apply for Internship+ funding. Please note, that this is a separate application from the Internship+ Participation Agreement. If you have not submitted this agreement, please submit it first.

• Funding request application opens early 2025 (Date coming soon!)
• Funding request application closes: Friday, April 25, 2025.

The following materials will be required for the application:

1. Detailed description about the organization, including:
   • Organization name, city/state or country, and website or social media page
2. Name of direct supervisor (or program coordinator if the direct supervisor is not known at the time of application)
3. Direct supervisor’s email address and phone number
4. A detailed description of the summer experience, including:
   • Internship, research, or performance description
   • Expectations/goals for the student during the experience
5. Copy of acceptance/confirmation letter or email that must include:
   • Duration of the experience: Specify the total length of your summer experience.
   • Weekly Hours: Indicate the number of hours you are expected to work each week.
   • Start and End Dates: List the start and end dates for your summer experience.
   • Compensation: Specify any wages or stipend from the organization, or indicate if the experience is unpaid.
6. Career Exploration & Development (CED) Career Advisor reviewed Résumé
7. Signed copy of Summer Internship Waiver form
8. Budget Request Information (detailed and reasonable)
   • 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 Fee(s): Include any fees directly related to your program or experience, such as for musical performances, festivals, fee-based programs, or research opportunities. Cite your sources for these fees by hyperlinking to the program's cost breakdown or providing email confirmation from the program director or coordinator.
   • Income: How much income (ONLY hourly wage or host organization's stipend), if any, will you receive from the host organization
   • Other Scholarships or Grants: list the amount and the department/external source providing the amount, if applicable

All completed funding applications are reviewed continuously by a review committee. Students will be notified of the decision within three (3) weeks of submitting an accepted funding application.

Internship+ funding is available to Oberlin College juniors who:

• Are in good academic and personal conduct standing
• Submitted the Internship+ Participation Agreement and received confirmation from CED
• Have secured (accepted) a eligible unpaid or low-paid*, off-campus summer experience by Friday, April 25, 2025.
  • Internship must be full-time, 6-12 weeks with a minimum of 240 hours total.
  • Undergraduate Research must be at least 6 weeks with a minimum of 240 hours total.
  • Performance-based experiences must be a minimum of 4 weeks and can include multiple experiences. Please Note: music competitions are NOT eligible experiences for this program
• Have completed all required components of the program by the program deadline.

* low-paid is the total compensation (wages, salary, stipend) less than the funding a student is eligible to receive through Internship+. 

To receive their funds, all award recipients must:

• Attend a mandatory information meeting to discuss the end of summer assignment requirements.
• Set up direct deposit through OberView by searching for Direct Deposit Allocation and updating the accounts payable section (not the payroll section) of their student account.

CED will reach out, via email, to the organization contact listed on your application to receive confirmation that you have been accepted for the experience, prior to funding being released.

This information is presented for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for the advice of a qualified tax professional. 

For international students, funding awards through the Internship+ program are subject to taxation. Only some students will be taxed at the same rate (or at all), so international students must complete tax forms in a web-based software called Sprintax Calculus.

Awarded international students will receive an email notification from Human Resources regarding their Sprintax account and required forms. The information provided in these forms will determine the taxability of the requested award amount.