Career Center Summer Internship Grant

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

• Undergraduate first-years, sophomores, juniors, and seniors are eligible to apply for professional development 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 $5000/AY for the student. 
• Please see Application Rubric for specific details
• 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. 
• 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).

Question: How do I provide proof of Labor Law Compliance for unpaid or low-paying internships? 

Answer: Please upload evidence that you have received and accepted the offer to complete this summer internship. Make sure it includes start and end dates of the experience and confirmation that it is unpaid or low-paying. Evidence of this can be a screenshot of email communication between you and your employer. If your internship is unpaid, please also include evidence that your future employer acknowledges and will abide by the US Department of Labor’s criteria for internship experiences. Evidence of this can be a screenshot of an email from your employer acknowledging this.

APPLICATION & ELIGIBILITY 

What is required to submit an application? 

An application will be considered complete when all required documents are uploaded to Blackbaud Award Management platform. The application materials must include the internship employer confirmation letter or email, budget worksheet, and supplemental documents. 

Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered, so you are encouraged to secure your internship and request the confirmation letter or email well before the deadline. 

Can I apply if I have not secured an internship and a confirmation letter or email by the application deadline? 

No, unfortunately we are not able to accept incomplete applications. You are encouraged to begin your internship search as early as possible and to request the confirmation letter or email at least a week or two before it is needed. 

Am I eligible to receive the Summer Internship Grant every year? 

Yes. A student is eligible to apply for the award each academic career at Villanova University. 

What criteria will the selection committee use when determining which applications to select for a grant award? 

Applications will only be considered if they meet all of the requirements described on the website. The goal is to be able to support all applicants that meet the requirements and demonstrate a direct connection to career goals. 

GRANT FUNDING 

If I receive an award, how much funding can I expect? 

The maximum grant award is $5,000, but depending on the number of qualified applicants, it is likely that students will receive a percentage of their request. 

Can I apply for an internship grant award to support a fall or spring semester internship? 

At this time we are only able to offer funding for summer internships due to available funding. 

When will I be notified if I am selected for the award? 

You will be notified approximately three to four weeks after the deadline. 

If I am awarded funding, when will I receive payment? 

Students who are awarded funding and submit the required materials as requested will receive the award via direct deposit approximately four weeks after the deadline. 

If I am awarded funding, how will the funds be disbursed? 

If your application is approved, the funds will be transferred to your Bursar’s Office tuition account, pending that you do not have any financial holds on your account. Once the funds are there, you can apply for an e-refund via www.bursar.villanova.edu to receive them. 

What if I do not have direct deposit? 

You may setup direct deposit refunds by enrolling through MyNova.  If you do not want  Electronic Refunds, go to MyNova to request the refund as a check refund. 

GENERAL QUESTIONS 

What if I have any additional questions about the application process? 

If you have a question that is not addressed on the website, please email the Career Center at studentfunding@villanova.edu.