Accessing Your Meiklejohn Fellows Program Internship Stipend

The Summer 2024 Meiklejohn Fellows Application is now open!

FINAL APPLICATION DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 2024

Fellows must complete all steps of the process in order to receive their stipend. Please read all the details we have outlined below before you begin filling out your forms. 

Eligibility for Stipend

First-Time Meiklejohn Fellows (Class of 2027)

To request a stipend, a first-time Meiklejohn Fellow MUST:

Previous Enrolled Meiklejohn Fellows (Enrolled Pre-Fall 2023)

To request a stipend, a previously enrolled Meiklejohn Fellow MUST:

  • Have been a Meiklejohn Fellow during the 2022 – 2023 academic year
  • Have accepted an internship for the summer (May-August 2024)
  • Be approaching their first or second summer of enrollment at Amherst
  • Not have received a Meiklejohn Fellows stipend in the past

Qualifying Internships

Eligible students may receive their stipend if their internship is:

  • Entirely unpaid or has a total compensation of less than the maximum qualifying stipend amount (see below chart)
  • With a non-Amherst College employer
  • Be at least 150 total hours and offer no less than 25 hours per week and no more than 40 hours per week.
  • Be hosted by an organization or company that can be verified as legitimate by Meiklejohn Fellows Program staff. This can mean one of the following:
    • Has a working website with a legal name that matches the name on the funding application
    • Has a social media account (Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) that has been updated within a month of the application submission
    • Can be found in a database, such as the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search Tool or a Secretary of State website.
  • Have an individual identified as a supervisor who is available to answer the intern’s questions and provide regular performance feedback
  • Allow the intern to spend the majority of scheduled work hours completing assignments that are meaningful to the organization AND are appropriately challenging for the experience level of the intern

While qualifying internships can be in any industry, the following types of opportunities CANNOT be funded:

  • Student’s own entrepreneurial or personal projects
  • Startup incubator programs
  • Skill-development programs or coursework
  • Academic programs
  • Solely clinical shadowing experiences
  • Language programs
  • Fee-based internship placement programs

Stipend Amounts

The exact stipend amount awarded depends on the duration of the internship and how much compensation a Fellow will receive from the internship site. However, you can refer to this chart for maximum amounts:

Maximum Amount
150 – 210 total work hours $3,875
240 – 300 total work hours$5,000

Process for Requesting Stipend

The Summer 2024 Meiklejohn Fellows Application can be found here.

Although the stipend is guaranteed, a Fellow must submit an application, which will be reviewed before making a final decision regarding whether funds will be awarded. The application is comprised of the following

All application materials must be submitted before the application will be reviewed. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and award decisions are typically communicated 7-10 business days after an application is submitted. The final deadline for submitting an application is May 8. Stipend checks are processed after students attend the required pre-departure meeting on May 8.

Applications may be declined if the internship doesn’t qualify, the Fellow doesn’t meet the eligibility requirements, the application is incomplete or poor quality, or there are serious concerns about the internship site.

If you are completing a local off-campus or remote internship and wish to apply to live on-campus for the summer, complete the summer housing application form through the Office of Students Affairs (OSA) (due May 1st). Please note that if you choose on-campus housing, your student account will be billed for housing and meal costs (currently $200 per week) and you should factor that into the overall budget your stipend provides.

Application Instructions

  1. Accept an internship offer from an organization or company.  Have a conversation with your supervisor to discuss the details of your internship.
  2. Have the most recent version of your resume on hand and ensure it complies with the Loeb Center’s Resume Best Practices. 
  3. Review the application short essay questions found on this handout.  We encourage you to finalize your responses to each essay question on a separate document before working on the application.
  4. Complete the Meiklejohn Fellows Program Funding Application.
    • This application is housed on the SurveyMonkey Apply platform.  If you have not used the platform before, you must create a new account first.
    • Complete and sign the acknowledgment form at the end of the application and then click “Submit.”
    • The application consists of 8 tasks (9 if you must complete the Minor Safety Certification).  After completing each task, click the green “Mark as Complete” button.  You cannot submit your application until you have done this step. 
    • Download the PDF copy of the sponsor confirmation form, send it to your supervisor to complete, and upload the completed form to the application.  There is a link to download the form within the application, or you can download it here.
  5. Upload a PDF version of your resume to the application where requested.
  6. Complete and sign the acknowledgment form at the end of the application and then click “Submit.”

After Stipend Award

Fellows will receive an award letter from the Loeb Center that includes instructions on the required forms and processes to complete to receive a, including a liability waiver form, an internship agreement, and Minor Safety Certification (if working with anyone under 18 over the summer).

Summer and Post-Summer Requirements

Fellows do not have to keep track of receipts and may use their stipends however they see fit.  However, they will be required to complete a final report at the end of the summer and to make themselves available to speak with first-year and sophomore Meiklejohn Fellows throughout the following fall semester about their internship experience.