Allegheny College Internship Funding
***This is the application page for Allegheny College Internship Funding through the Center for Career & Professional Development***
Important information
Allegheny College is fortunate to have multiple partnerships with generous alumni, their families, and other donors. These partnerships support an internship funding program to help students intern in variety of places and industries. Funding is not intended to replace, pay, or fully fund internships; rather, this funding is meant to offset the costs associated with housing, transportation, and food for the duration of an internship.
What qualifies as an internship?
The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) offers a widely accepted definition of an internship: An internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting. Internships give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths; and give employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent.
Guarantees: Funding is not guaranteed. After a student accepts an internship and they determine that they are in need of financial support, they are encouraged to submit an application for funding as soon as possible.
Rolling Application: The internship funding program accepts applications on a rolling basis (usually between October and May), and summer experiences are prioritized due to the academic schedule and budget limitations.
Approach to Funding: In order to support as many students as possible through this program, the following rules are necessary:
- Total funding should not exceed $5,000 per student from this program.
- If a student was awarded $5,000 from this program in a previous year, they may not be eligible for additional funds.
- When requesting the same amount, someone with financial need at the College will qualify for more funds than someone with no need.
✨Complete the following for full consideration:
- (A) Meet with a Career Coach
- (B) Create/Revise/Submit a Resume
- (C) Create/Revise/Submit a Cover Letter
- (D) Develop/Submit the Budget Worksheet
- (E) Submit an Employer Verification Letter (can be submitted later)
(A) A meeting with a career coach should be set up in advance of a student's application. During this meeting, a career coach will seek initial information on a student's internship plans, provide additional insights on the funding process, guide the student on the Budget Worksheet, etc.
(B) Effective resumes are most likely one page in length, are free from spelling or grammatical errors, and follow general recommendations for undergraduate resumes. Since applicants' resumes are submitted electronically, it is important to avoid use of templates and to think about how best to create or revise a resume so that it is Applicant Tracking System (ATS) friendly.
(C) Effective cover letters are most likely one page or less in length, are free from spelling or grammatical errors, and follow general recommendations. Additionally, cover letters for internship funding should include:
✔ Your college ID number at the top of the page.
✔ A brief description of the internship, including name of the company/organization, job title/department, any noteworthy persons, places, responsibilities, and hopeful outcomes.
✔ Referenced faculty member(s) who could advocate for how internship funding would assist you in meeting your learning and life goals. You'll want to communicate your interests with them before applying.
✔ Information on affiliated wages and other forms of compensation (such as housing) that you will earn from the employer. Additionally, account for other funding available to you, including other Allegheny funding programs or external grants/scholarships.
(D) Effective budgets adhere to the directions and guidelines provided in the Budget Worksheet (attached). It is important that funding requests are specific, reasonable, well-researched, and that appropriate citations or sources are referenced (e.g. a link to roundtrip airfare information, or a link to summer housing options at another college).
(E) Employer verification letters should be sent electronically to Autumn Parker (aparker@allegheny.edu) and can be sent after the application is submitted. Note that students must complete this step before they can receive funding - if awarded. Employer verification letters include:
✔ Student's name
✔ Company/Organization name
✔ Estimated number of internship hours
✔ Compensation information, including any large non-monetary benefits (like housing)
Limitations: In order to ensure support for as many students as possible when considering available funds, there are some limitations to consider:
- Students must be enrolled full-time to be eligible and must be enrolled full-time for at least one semester after the applicable internship occurs.
- Students who choose to pay tuition at another institution or for third-party services that secure or place a student at an internship are not permitted to use funding from this program to offset such costs.
- It is rare that internship funding will be used to support on-campus Allegheny experiences or Allegheny residential costs.
- Students with no financial need at Allegheny are limited in what they can be awarded through this program. Students can connect with financial aid if unsure about their levels of need. Only after May 1 can students with no financial need be considered for upwards of $500 each - based on budgeted need and availability of funds.
- Students who have been awarded previously are welcome to reapply; however, there is a maximum amount of funding available per student and students cannot be awarded internship funding more than twice.
ALL internship funding applications should be submitted through this posting in Handshake. Be sure to include all required materials for full consideration. If an error is made, connect with Autumn Parker (aparker@allegheny.edu) immediately.