Internship Funding
Policies and application information have been updated for summer 2023. Please review all policies prior to submitting your application or intent to apply. All questions must be sent to sif@hamilton.edu.
Students must have a secured opportunity in order to apply for funding, but students who have not yet secured an opportunity should submit an intent to apply. An intent to apply is not required but is encouraged, so we have a sense of how many applicants we may have. Also, we will use your intent to apply to send you opportunities based on your interests and provide support to help you with your search. We recommend you use Google Chrome to access the form.
Students on financial aid may be eligible for an additional supplemental stipend. Those students will not need to submit any further documentation. The committee will review all eligible applicants. If awarded, the supplemental amount will be distributed when all required final reports are submitted at the end of the summer/opportunity.
UPDATE 5/26/23: WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING NEW APPLICATIONS. STUDENTS WHO HAVE SUBMITTED AN INTENT TO APPLY PREVIOUSLY CAN STILL BE CONSIDERED FOR FUNDING IF FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE.
Summer 2023 Policies
- Funding is available to first-years, sophomores, and juniors. We do not provide funding to graduating seniors.
- UPDATE 5/26/23: WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING NEW APPLICATIONS. STUDENTS WHO HAVE SUBMITTED AN INTENT TO APPLY PREVIOUSLY CAN STILL BE CONSIDERED FOR FUNDING IF FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis as long as funds remain and the opportunity conforms to required dates and the number of hours required to complete the opportunity. No retroactive funding will be issued. Students must apply prior to starting the opportunity.
- Students are eligible to receive funding more than once during their time at Hamilton College as long as there are available funds.
- Opportunities (including remote) must take place after classes have ended and conclude by the time classes resume in August. The funding period will be between May 22 and August 18. You may be funded for a maximum of 12 weeks, and we will not approve or include weeks/hours that occur during the academic year. The committee will not accept applications or additional requests for funding after the funding period or once the internship has concluded.
- Students cannot receive funding to work for a family business or be supervised by a family member or other person sharing a significant relationship with the student.
- COVID-19 and International restrictions: If you are considering international opportunities, the college does not allow travel to State Department Level 4 destinations. The committee will review international opportunities for any travel restrictions regarding terrorism, civil unrest, or country-specific COVID-19 restrictions prior to approval.
- Students are not eligible for funding while personal on leave from the college during spring prior to or fall following the funding period. Students participating college approved off campus study still qualify. If you are unsure, please email sif@hamilton.edu.
- Funding cannot be provided for Hamilton College’s on-campus research projects or departmental positions. Additionally, students can only accept one form of funding. Example: A student who has accepted an Emerson grant or Levitt funding is not eligible to receive internship funding or participate in both opportunities.
- The organization must provide supervision and training, and provide exposure to a career field of interest.
- Unpaid or minimally paid. Examples of minimally paid internships include stipends or hourly wages that do not sufficiently cover cost-of-living expenses. Wages, stipends, or other forms of compensation must be included in your application and will be verified with your internship contact. The committee may deduct any compensation from the potential award. Students may receive “gap” funding if the compensation does not exceed the award amount. Internship Funding is intended to assist with cost-of-living expenses only (e.g. housing, food, transportation, moving expenses, internet, utilities, required uniform) and is not intended to provide an income. While we do not require a detailed budget or receipts, students are expected to use their funding to maximize their cost-of-living expenses throughout their experience. Tips: get a roommate, pack your lunch, car pool/rideshare, etc.
- Proposals to participate in a tuition-based or fee-based program will be considered only if there is an internship component to the program. Summer Internship Funding can be offered to cover those expenses related to the internship component of such a program, including transportation, training, housing, and food.
- All applicants are required to provide an employer confirmation form from their internship contact. The Google form is included in the application. No funds will be distributed without the appropriate confirmation. This form must be submitted by the employer. Any forms completed by the student will be rejected.
- Requirements for opportunities that are remote or commuting from home:
- The organization must provide supervision and training.
- The minimum number of hours for remote opportunities or commuting from home is 80 hours over a minimum of 2 weeks.
- Total stipends can range from $300-$1800 depending on the number of weeks/hours and if there is compensation.
- Requirements for opportunities away from home — in a location that requires moving to another city or not commutable from your home address. (COVID-19 college policies will be considered prior to approval):
- The organization must provide supervision and training.
- The minimum number of hours for opportunities away from home is 240 hours. Opportunities can be arranged in a variety of ways:
- A combination of 2 or more internships.
- Work fewer hours per week for a greater number of weeks
- Work more hours per week for a shorter period
- Total stipends can range from $2500-$6000 depending on the number of weeks/hours and whether you receive a stipend or compensation for your work.
- Requirements for opportunities that are remote or commuting from home:
The following timeline is to serve as a general guide for the selection process. We receive hundreds of applications each year and give each application the same attention in order to consider as many students as possible. Review, notifications, and decisions will be made on a rolling basis. Therefore, we request your patience throughout the process.
Timeline (approximate)
February 1: The application process opens. Students must submit their application or intent to apply. Students can update their intent to apply once their opportunity is secured.
March 27: Application review begins. The committee will review all submitted applications to this point. The process will continue on a rolling basis.
April 10: The notification process begins. Applicants will receive a notice of:
- Award — Students who are offered an award based on an internship from an organization designated in their original application, but then accept an internship from a different employer not detailed in their proposal, must submit an updated application. Based on a review of the updated application which provides details of the new internship, the committee will either: 1) alter the award; 2) make a new award; or 3) withdraw the award.
- Declined — The most common reasons for a declined application are things such as not enough hours, compensation exceeds the award amount, opportunity does not align with the policies, or the opportunity is with an on-campus department/research.
The Internship Funding committee uses a standardized system for reviewing applicants. The following factors are considered when reviewing applications. The criteria correspond to the questions asked in the application:
- Financial need — Financial aid levels are obtained from the Financial Aid office. We assess extenuating circumstances if they are not reflected in an applicant’s reported financial aid level. The Financial Aid office provides the committee with an aid level: 3=high, 2=medium, 1=low, 0=none. We do not review aid documents such as guardians’ taxes, scholarships, etc.
- Quality of proposal — Is the proposal well written & did the applicant clearly and adequately answer the questions?
- Fit with career, academic & personal interests.
- Effort in identifying & securing an internship.
Please see our FAQ section for answers to commonly asked questions. All inquiries must be sent to sif@hamilton.edu.
Other Funding FAQ’s
Funds are distributed via Accounts Payable direct deposit (different from payroll direct deposit). Instructions can be found on the Accounts Payable webpage. Students do not have to re-register if they have received funds in the past.
You can expect to see the direct deposit around two weeks after we receive the signed contract.
Note: A paper check will be mailed to your home address on record if you do not register for Accounts Payable direct deposit.
The funding you are receiving is to assist you in pursuing your summer internship with the primary purpose to further your personal education and training. The funding is not part of the regular curriculum and is not associated with obtaining your degree from Hamilton College.
This funding may be considered taxable income if you are a U.S. Citizen or Resident Alien. This funding is excluded from gross income only if you are a candidate for a degree at an eligible educational institution and if the funds are used for qualified tuition and related expenses (not including room and board).
If you are a U.S. Citizen or Resident Alien, Hamilton College will not report your funding on a Form 1099 or a Form W-2, nor withhold any amount towards the payment of federal, state, or local income taxes. You may or may not have taxes due depending on your other income, tax withholding, and filing status. For more information, U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens may wish to refer to IRS Publication 970 “Tax Benefits for Education” which is available at https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p970.pdf.
If you are a Nonresident Alien for tax purposes, Hamilton College is required to report your funding on Form 1042-S. Unless you are eligible for tax treaty benefits and claim them using the College’s Glacier tax software, the College is required to withhold 14% of your scholarship/fellowship payment and forward to the IRS as your tax payment. Nonresident Aliens are required to report such scholarship/fellowship on a 1040-NR. More information is available by reviewing IRS Publication 519 “U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens” available at https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p519.pdf.
Any questions regarding tax information should be referred to the business office:
Non-Resident Aliens should contact Amanda Gleasman at agleasma@hamilton.edu
US Citizens & Resident Aliens should contact Gary Carrock at gcarrock@hamilton.edu
All recipients are required to complete a contract, submit a mid-way progress report, end of internship self-reflection report, and supervisor report. These reports are intended for the student to reflect and set goals for their opportunity. We find the reports are just as valuable to a student to assess the things they did not like about an industry or internship as much as what they enjoyed. The supervisor report form must be forwarded to your internship contact. We use the report to confirm that the internship was completed as anticipated and address any concerns, if any.
No. Since the funding is a cost-of-living stipend (not based on an hourly wage), students are not required to submit receipts or other budgetary documentation. The funding is calculated in order for students to manage expenses such as food costs, transportation, rent, utilities, etc. We evaluate standard cost-of-living expenses and utilize a tiered funding model to determine the maximum amount we are able to offer.
Awarded students can use this budget form as a resource for determining how to best utilize the funds. You can also talk to your career advisor about budgeting options.
If you feel the amount of the award is not enough to sufficiently cover cost-of-living expenses, please contact the committee immediately so we can properly review your award. We perform an annual review of standard cost-of-living expenses, inflation, and other factors to be sure we are offering sufficient awards. Our goal is to fund as many students as possible.
Many students have not had to create a budget before. Students can use this budget form as a resource for determining how to best utilize the funds. Your assigned career advisor can also assist with budgeting resources and advice.
While uncommon, students occasionally experience difficult work environments, personal issues, or even fraudulent situations during their experiences. We strongly encourage any student who is not sure how to manage a particular experience to reach out to the funding committee or to their assigned career advisor.
Remember, the Career Center will never share your personal or Hamilton email credentials with an outside company. Never provide information such as your birthdate, social security number or banking information with any outside source. If you receive an email or think you may be involved in fraudulent activity that you just are not quite sure about, report it immediately to the Career Center and to the Hamilton College LITS department at helpdesk@hamilton.edu.
Recipients will be matched to the appropriate funds by the selection committee. A list of available funds is listed below. The assigned fund will be indicated on the recipient's contract and recipients will be able to write a thank-you message in the final reflection report at the end of the summer.
Available Funds
General Funds
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The Joseph F. Anderson '44 Internship Fund
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The Hamilton College Internship Fund
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The Class of 1965 Career Center Innovation Fund
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Summer Internship Support Fund
The recipient(s) must be on financial aid.
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The Class of 2006 Internship Fund
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Scott Stephen Morris '86 Internship Fund
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The Allen Family Internship Fund
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Class of 1964 Internship Fund
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Christie Bell Vilsack K '72 Internship Award
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Jeffrey H. Long '05 Internship Award
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The Teles Family and Goldman Sach Gives Internship Fund
Specialized/Restricted Funds
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The Jerome Gottlieb '64 Internship Fund
Sports and entertainment industry
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The Jeffery Fund Science Internship
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The Monica Odening ‘05 Student Internship & Research Fund in Mathematics
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George & Martha Darcy Internship Support Fund
Communications, advertising, PR, writing
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Kevin W. Kennedy '70 Internship Fund for the Arts
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Katharine C. Eckman ’09 Internship Fund
Public policy or animal welfare or Children/child psychology
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Eleanor Walsh Wertimer Internship Fund
Non-profit
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Sandra Solomon Summer Internship Fund
Medical
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The COOP Summer Internship Fund
Summer internship in the local community. This fund is coordinated through the COOP Service office.
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Diversity & Social Justice Project Fund
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The Richard and Patsy Couper Grant
Museums and libraries.
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The Frank K. Lorenz Career Exploration Fund
Writing and journalism, broadly defined.
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The David K. Nichols '77 NYC Internship Fund
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The Castelblanco Engelhardt Internship Fund
Arts, cross-culture
2022 Funding Recipients
From real estate to art museums to physical therapy, our students were able to participate in a variety of opportunities. See our list of recipients and what they were able to do with the help of internship funding.
2022 Recipients
Additional funding offered and administered through other departments:
