For an internship to be eligible for a SELF Award, it must abide by the Fair Labor Standards Act. It is the applicant’s responsibility to confirm that their internship meets the legal criteria.

Internships, experiences and study abroad should be relevant to students’ educational goals and career interests; students should be able to explain the educational benefits that will be gained from participating in the internship or experience.

Funding is available for external academic or experiential internships, conferences, workshops and other academic related experiential learning opportunities including study abroad. Internships affiliated with Nichols College are not eligible. Internships must be on site or a hybrid of in-person and remote work. Virtual only internships are not eligible for SELF.

The experience should allow students to:

• Engage in work and learning related to possible career interests
• Create substantial learning opportunities to connect class work to the real-world experience
• Advance in the direction of a possible career or future education
• Confirm or adjust career plans

Internship opportunities not eligible for funding include:

• Internships hosted through Nichols College
• Nichols College Research Associate Internships (RAI) or Teaching Associate Internships (TAI)
• Pay-to-participate programs
• Fully Virtual Internships
• Independent or unsupervised experiences; a host organization is required
  • The host organization cannot be owned or managed by a member of the intern’s immediate family.

The Washington Center

Students studying away at the Washington Center can apply for SELF to assist with expenses related to travel and commuting while in the program. Students may not apply for SELF to assist with tuition for The Washington Center.

Study Abroad Requirements

• Students who are studying abroad my apply to SELF for travel related expenses, including airfare and passport expenses.
• In order to apply for SELF, students who are studying abroad must be enrolled in a traditional semester/summer long study or intern abroad program.
• Acceptance letters from the institution the student is studying with are required for the SELF Application.

Any currently enrolled Nichols College undergraduate or graduate student who is eligible to work in the U.S. may apply for SELF. International students who are permanent residents or who have received OPT/CPT authorization may apply. For questions about OPT or CPT contact Kristen Malinowski-Paine.

Students who have graduated are not eligible to apply for funding from SELF.

• Student must have secured an internship or experience admittance before applying for funding
• Students must be registered for, and complete, the semester following the SELF experience at Nichols College (undergraduate or graduate) or
• Students must be eligible and planning to graduate the semester their experience occurs
• SELF applicants must be in good academic and community standing

Students are eligible to receive funding once per academic year. Students may only apply for SELF one time per experience. Students may apply for SELF for multiple experiences but are not guaranteed approval.

Allocations are made on an individual basis to help supplement unpaid or underpaid internships and experiential opportunities, including study abroad. Applying for SELF does not guarantee funding.

Maximum Award (within the United States): Up to $2,000

Maximum Award (International Experiences): Up to $3,000

Examples of under-paid internships include stipends or hourly wages that do not sufficiently cover cost-of-living expenses.

Students may apply for SELF after they have been offered and accepted an internship or experiential learning opportunity or have received admittance to a study abroad program. Students may apply for SELF one time per experience, and may only receive one SELF award per academic year.

How do you apply to SELF?

Complete the following:

• Fill out the application form HERE.
• Answer all required questions on the application form
• Upload the following materials to the application form:
  • Current resume
  • Official offer letter for your internship or experience or an official acceptance to a study abroad program
  • Job description or experience description
  • Completed budget form found HERE | Example Budget Form 
• Report your internship experience in Handshake as an Academic Internship – for Credit OR as an Experiential Internship – Not for Credit.
  • Non-Internship experiences are not required to be reported on Handshake.

SELF applications are accepted on a rolling basis and will remain open if funding is available. Retroactive funding will not be issued; students must apply prior to starting their experience.

The SELF committee will review applications in the second week of each month during the Academic year and twice during the summer months. Notifications will be made by email within two weeks of the funding meeting.

Application Deadlines:

Academic Year
September – April
Applications received by the 1st of the month will be reviewed in that month
Example: Applications received on or before September 1st will be reviewed in September.

Summer Months
Applications will be reviewed in May and July
May Review Deadline: May 15
July Review Deadline: July 1

Applications will not be reviewed if all materials are not submitted by the deadline. Please review the application checklist to ensure you have submitted all required materials.

Funding awards are based on the following criteria from the student’s application:

• Learning benefits gained through the experience
• Explanation on how the experience fits with the student’s learning goals
• Demonstration of financial need and impact of the award
• Resume

If you receive funding, you will be required to provide a thank you letter, photos of your experience and a written testimonial at the conclusion of your experience.

Once funds are awarded, all recipients will receive a SELF agreement which must be signed and returned prior to funds being distributed. Recipients are also required to have a short meeting with a SELF Administrator to go over next steps and expectations.

Funding will be withheld if an experience falls through. If the experience ends prematurely, funding will be prorated accordingly and may be required to be returned.

Students who receive funding are required to supply receipts and mileage forms for expenses.

Can I receive funding for past experiences?

• No, SELF is only for future experiences.

Can I apply for funding if I have already graduated?

• No, you must be a current undergraduate or graduate student during the time of your experience to apply for funding.

Are international students eligible for funding?

• Yes, but F-1 visa students must have OPT or CPT granted. Reach out to Kristen Malinowski-Paine with questions about OPT/CPT.

What experiences are not funded through SELF?

• Entrepreneurial or personal projects
• Academic Programs
• Fee-based programs
• On campus jobs
• Internships hosted by Nichols College
• Fully virtual internships

Are Washington Center experiences eligible for funding?

• Students studying away at the Washington Center can apply for SELF to assist with expenses related to travel and commuting while in the program.
• SELF cannot be used to pay for tuition to The Washington Center.

Is funding guaranteed?

• No, funding is not guaranteed.

When will I hear about my funding request?

• The SELF committee meets in the second week of each month during the Academic year and twice in the summer months. Notifications will occur by email within two weeks of the committee meetings

If Accepted, when will I receive the funds?

• Funds will be received approximately two weeks after your meeting with a SELF Administrator when funding is granted.

What if I leave or fail my experience?

• If the experience ends prematurely, funding will be prorated accordingly and may be required to be returned.