Career Center Summer Internship Grant

About this Fund: The Villanova University Career Center (VUCC) is excited to offer Summer Internship Grants to eligible undergraduate and graduate students pursuing unpaid or underpaid summer internships. The maximum award amount is $6,000 per student. Applicants will be judged on need, the experience and how closely the experience fits with career goals. Applicants will be notified of decisions by early May. Disbursements of funds is managed by the Bursars Office and should be completed early to mid-May. See full Eligibility Guidelines below.

NOTE: Summer Internship experience grants cannot be applied to tuition balances or other expenses i.e. education abroad, professional school admission exam preparation, medical bills, or certification/license fees. Summer Internship experiences occurring after a student graduates will not be eligible.  

Application Period: February 17 through April 6, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.  

VUCC Summer Internship Grant applicants must meet the following basic criteria. 

  • Undergraduate first-years, sophomores, juniors, and seniors are eligible to apply for summer internship experiences that occur prior to their graduation date.  
  • Enrolled graduate students are eligible to apply for summer internship experiences that occur prior to their graduation date/degree conferral. 
  • Fundable experiences include: unpaid or low paying summer internships. 
  • Student must have an employer offer letter for a supervised internship. 
  • Request is not for expenses related to: professional development other than a summer internship or other expenses – i.e. tuition, education abroad, professional school admission exam preparation, medical bills, or certification/license fees. 
  • Internships occurring after a student graduates will not be eligible. 
  • Students completing internships or research on-campus or where the employer would be Villanova University are not eligible for funding and should inquire with Human Resources about student employment. 
  • Minimum of 180 hours should be spent in the internship spanning at least 6 weeks and during the summer. 
  • Applicants who receive 50%+ from other Villanova sources may not be eligible. 
  • Amount requested does not exceed $6000 for the student. 
  • Students may submit one application during the application period. 

The following criteria serve as automatic disqualification for internship funding:

  • Incomplete application at time of deadline or submission of materials after the deadline
  • Unsupervised internships
  • Internship site or organization is owned or managed by member of intern’s family
  • Inaccurate representation of internship or employer information
  • Current, significant academic or disciplinary conduct violations
  • Transferring or withdrawing from Villanova before or during the internship, or intent to transfer or withdraw from Villanova after the internship is completed

It’s easy as 1, 2, 3! 

Step 1 | Secure A Summer Internship 

Secure an internship that meets the described criteria.  You are encouraged to schedule coaching sessions with Career Center Advisors well before the internship application deadline to increase the likelihood of securing your job. 

Request an offer letter or offer email from your internship site including: 

  • Your name as the addressee (the intern) 
  • Your internship supervisor’s name and title 
  • Brief description of the internship role/responsibilities (bullet points are sufficient) 
  • Expected time commitment, including:
    • length of internship (start to end date) 
    • weekly schedule (i.e. Mon-Wed, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.)
    • total number of weeks 
    • total number of hours per week 
  • Confirmation of payment – how much per hour or unpaid 
  • Must appear on the employer’s letterhead or be sent directly from the site supervisor’s work email 

Step 2 | Complete Internship Grant Application Materials 

  • Complete and save supplemental materials. (Only typed responses will be accepted. Handwritten forms will not be reviewed.) 
  • Personal Statement 
  • Resume/CV 
  • Budget 
  • Employer Offer Letter

See the Required Application Materials section for details.

Step 3 | Upload Application Materials to Blackbaud Award Management (BAM) 

  • Login to BAM
  • Complete the online application questions before the deadline. 
  • Upload your application materials to BAM before the deadline. Preferred file formats include .pdf** or doc. **

Note: You will be notified via email within three weeks of submitting your application whether your application is complete. 

  • Completed application questions and materials submitted through Blackbaud Award Management (BAM) before the deadline.
  • Personal Statement – Prepare a personal statement that is well‐written, thoughtful and focused answers to the prompts provided on the application portal, Blackbaud Award Management (BAM). The statement should clearly support your financial need for the grant and not restate the expenses that are included in your budget. 
  • Resume/CV – Schedule a coaching session with a Career Center Advisor (Register via Handshake) to receive guidance on creating or improving your resume/CV. 
  • Budget – Include supporting documents as proof of expense such as airfare receipt/confirmation, room and board or apartment rental agreement, etc. Please use the Sample Budget Worksheet to help you determine the amount of funds you need for your experience (provided below).
  • Offer letter or email from your internship site including: 
    • Your name as the addressee (the intern)
    • Your internship supervisor’s name and title 
    • Brief description of the internship role/responsibilities (bullet points are sufficient) 
    • Expected time commitment, including:
      • length of internship (start to end date) 
      • weekly schedule (i.e. Mon-Wed, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.) 
      • total number of weeks 
      • total number of hours per week
    • Confirmation of payment – how much per hour or unpaid 
    • Must appear on the employer’s letterhead or be sent directly from the site supervisor’s work email 
  • Fair Labor Standards Act completed by employer
    • Both U.S. and international internships should follow applicable employment laws in the host country. Villanova cannot determine whether any internship satisfies employment law criteria. Review committees may, in their discretion, require students who participate in this program with US-based internships to have their employer certify that they have reviewed and will abide by the US Department of Labor criteria established in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).