Funding an Internship

Interested in funding for an unpaid internship? The application process is now open!  Applications are due April 1.

Changes to the funding process this year!  CCI will be offering three types of grants for students:

  • Summer Internship Funding Grants of $2500
  • First-Year Explore Grants of $1000 (resume review required prior to submission—see FAQs below)
  • Dance Festival & PTP Grants ($1000 or $500)

We are here to help you in the process, but please start by reading the FAQs below first.

If you still have questions about the funding process, how to use CCI resources to find an internship, or need advice on your resume or cover letter, drop by Quick Questions Monday-Friday from 1:00-3:00 pm or first-years can also visit First-Year Fridays from 3:00-5:00 pm on Fridays.  No appointments necessary.  If you need more targeted advice about which type of internship might be best for you or help in refining your proposal, make an appointment with the appropriate CCI adviser in your interest area.

What kinds of experiences do we fund?
The definition of a “Middlebury internship” is both flexible and broad. Here are some common characteristics of an internship that could be eligible for funding:

  • Connects to your career exploration, academic pursuits, and/or personal passions and interests.
  • Provides “real world” experiences beyond the classroom.
  • Affords a rewarding and beneficial experience for both the student and the internship provider.
  • Includes supervision and/or mentoring.
  • Includes a substantive time commitment to the experience (a minimum of 100 hours).
  • May be domestic or international.
  • May be a volunteer service experience.
  • May be a self-directed project, created on your own, not necessarily through an established organization.

Eligibility to Apply
Currently enrolled Middlebury College students in good academic and judicial standing who have at least one remaining summer before graduation in which to complete an internship are eligible to apply for funding. You cannot apply if you are on leave not related to Study Abroad the semester prior to or after the summer internship. Some exceptions may apply.

You must also have been offered the internship and accepted it. If this is a self-designed project, your plans should be solidly in place. We understand that accepting the internship may depend on receiving funding. Discuss our funding process with the organization; it is our experience that most are flexible regarding your decision timeline. If it is essential that you receive a decision prior to formal notification, please set up an appointment with Cheryl Whitney Lower to discuss.

The Application Process
A strong proposal demonstrates that you have researched the opportunity carefully and that the organization has agreed to host you as an intern. In addition, you have clearly made the connection to your career exploration, your academic pursuits, and/or your deep personal interests and passions. Be sure to address all the questions asked in the internship description. Make the potential for the experience come alive for your reader. Another critical component is a thoughtful, practical, and realistic budget. In past years, we have typically received almost twice as many applicants for funding as awards.

Funding may not be transferred–if you receive a funding award, it may be used only for the internship designated in your application.