What is the summer internship funding program?

You must first accept an unpaid or low-paying internship* before applying for funding through the Houston Program. 

The application requires start and end dates for the internship, a position description and a confirmation form completed by your internship provider.

*We define a low-paying internship as compensation below $5000 total. Students receiving payment or other compensation from their internship host (including housing, transportation, and meals) may request partial stipends. The total employer compensation and the partial stipend cannot exceed the Houston Program’s maximum award of $5,000.

The chart below shows the value assigned to non-monetary compensation when calculating partial stipends:

There are two stipend amounts available, determined by the total length of the internship and the number of weekly hours you’ll be working.

Stipend Award Amounts

Funding is not guaranteed.  The money used for the Loeb Center’s internship stipends comes from endowed funds established by donors who have outlined restrictions on what types of internships their funds can be used for. Even if an application meets all eligibility requirements, it may not receive funding if no funds are available.

Due to the limited nature of these funds, applicants are prioritized in the following order:

• Financial aid recipients
• International students
• Juniors
• Students completing internships for the first time
• Students who have never received an internship stipend from the Loeb Center (excluding Meiklejohn Fellows)

You are not permitted to combine multiple part-time internships to meet the minimum hourly requirements for funding. The Houston Program only funds singular internships that meet our hourly and weekly requirements. 

You are not permitted to receive funding from another Amherst College department while completing a Houston-funded internship. While you cannot overlap experiences and funding, you can spread experiences across the length of the summer. 

You are eligible to receive internship funding for multiple summers while enrolled at Amherst. This does not apply to graduating seniors who are not eligible for summer funding. 

Plan ahead to meet eligibility requirements, even if you haven’t secured an internship yet. Houston Program workshops and resume reviews are available throughout the academic year. These resources can help you secure an internship and meet the requirements for summer internship funding.
Be mindful of the timeline for application deadlines, funding decisions, and stipend disbursements. Applications usually open in early spring with deadlines in March, April and May. Funding decisions are typically communicated three to four weeks after each deadline. If awarded funding, students will receive information about any tasks that need to be completed before their stipend is requested. Once requested, it may take an additional two to three weeks for the student to receive it. Please plan ahead accordingly since you may incur internship-related costs prior to receiving your stipend if awarded.

Currently enrolled First Year, Sophomore, Junior and Seniors graduating the following December may apply

You must complete the following requirements before applying for summer funding: 

• Conduct a resume review appointment with a Loeb staff advisor or Peer Career Advisor (PCA) either 1-1 or at a weekly PCA Resume Review Drop-In. 
• Attend a Houston Program internship preparation workshop or an Early Career Exploration Resume or Cover Letter workshop 

Additionally, the following Loeb Center Programs can also fulfill the above requirements: 

• Sophomore Summit 2025 fulfills the workshop requirement 
• Arts & Humanities in Action (AHA) fulfills both the resume and workshop requirement 
• Sophomore Summit 2024 fulfills both the workshop and resume requirements 
• Students who completed the Meiklejohn Fellows Program 2023-2024 fulfills both the workshop and resume requirements

NOTE: Students only need to complete these requirements once during their time at Amherst and they can carry over to subsequent years

How to look back into Handshake to Find Past Appointment and Workshop Attendance

• To view Past Appointments: Click ‘Career Center’ → ‘Appointments’ 
• To view Event Attendance: Click ‘Events’ → ‘Check-Ins’ on the upper righthand corner

To be considered for funding, an internship must:

• Be unpaid or low-paying*.
• Take place during the Amherst College summer break, from May 7, 2025, to September 1, 2025.
• Offer at least 25 hours per week and a minimum of 150 total hours, with a maximum of 40 hours per week.
  • Examples
  • 6-week internship x 25 weekly hours= 150 total work hours
  • 6-week internship x 40 weekly hours= 240 total work hours
• Be hosted by an organization or company that can be verified by Houston Program staff through one of the following:
  • A working website with a legal name matching the name on the student’s application.
  • An updated social media account (Instagram, X, LinkedIn, etc.) within a month of the application submission.
  • A listing in a database, such as the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search Tool or a Secretary of State website.
• Have a designated supervisor who can answer the intern’s questions and provide regular performance feedback.
• Allow the intern to spend most of their work hours on assignments that are meaningful to the organization and appropriately challenging for their experience level.
• Note: hybrid and remote internships can be eligible for summer internship funding

*Students receiving a salary or other compensation from their internship host (including housing, transportation, and meals) may request partial stipends. The total employer compensation and the partial stipend cannot exceed the Houston Program’s maximum award of $5,000.

To be eligible for funding, the internship may not fall into any of the following categories:

• Internships, jobs, or research positions with Amherst faculty/staff that take place on campus
• A student’s own entrepreneurial or personal projects
• Startup incubator programs
• Skill-development programs or academic coursework
• Solely clinical shadowing experiences
• Language programs
• Fee-based internship placement programs

Begin your funding application well in advance of the due date to ensure all components, including the sponsor confirmation form, are completed. Starting early also allows time for any necessary corrections. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered in the current round but will be reviewed in the next round of funding. 

1. Accept an internship offer from an organization or company. Discuss the details of your internship with your supervisor.

2. Ensure you have completed the prerequisites to qualify for funding. Your application will be declined if these steps are not completed.

3. Complete the Houston Summer Internship Funding Application on SurveyMonkey Apply via Amherst College Single Sign On (SSO). Only complete applications submitted by the deadline will be reviewed. A completed application includes:
   • Submitted Houston Internship Program Funding Application: This includes short-answer and essay questions about your internship, goals for the experience, and logistics plans both in and out of the internship.
   • Thoughtful Essay Responses: Review the application’s short essay questions. We recommend drafting your responses in a separate document before copying/pasting them into the application.
   • College-Level Resume: Submit a PDF copy of your most recent resume that meets the Loeb Center Resume Review Checklist. Work with an advisor or Peer Career Advisor until your resume meets the checklist requirements.
   • Sponsor Confirmation Form: Ensure your supervisor completes this form in advance of the deadline and confirm that your internship details align with what you’ve agreed upon. Upload the completed form to your application. Note that applications that do not include a completed Sponsor Confirmation Form will not be considered.

4. After completing each section, click “Mark as Complete”. Sign the acknowledgment form at the end of the application and then click “Submit”.

Be patient and check your email. After submitting your application, it will be reviewed and may be sent back to you for clarifications from internships@amherst.edu. Please respond to these inquiries within 48 hours to ensure timely processing. Award decisions typically take three to four weeks to be released.

Round 1 Deadline: Wednesday, March 26, 2025 at 11:59 PM

Round 2 Deadline: Thursday, April 24, 2025 at 11:59 PM

Round 3 Deadline: Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 11:59 PM

1. Eligibility Review: All funding applications undergo an initial review to determine if both the applicant and the internship meet basic eligibility requirements. Applicants will be notified if their application needs clarification (a response is expected within 48 hours) or if it has been withdrawn due to ineligibility.
2. Committee Review: After each application deadline, eligible applications are reviewed by the funding review committee according to specific criteria. The quality of the application, including short essay responses and the resume, is crucial. Applicants should ensure their applications are well-written, well-developed, and error-free. 

Committee members evaluate applications based on:

• Quality of the internship (i.e., whether it is well-developed, substantive, and appropriately challenging for a college student)
• Knowledge of the organization and internship responsibilities
• Strength of the applicant’s summer learning goals and how the internship will help achieve them
• Enthusiasm for the internship opportunity
• Planning for overcoming foreseeable challenges
• Evidence of discussion between the applicant and supervisor about supervision and performance feedback
• Alignment of the internship with the applicant’s stated career path

3. Fund Matching: If granted funding, applicants’ internships are matched to available funds.
4. Decision Release: Applicants are notified if their internship has been approved or denied funding based on the quality of the application and the availability of funds.

All applicants will be notified of their application status within 3-5 weeks after the deadline. Students awarded funding must complete a series of pre-departure requirements before a stipend check can be requested. These include:

𝤿Read and complete the Houston Internship Program Summer Internship Agreement
𝤿Sign the Travel Waiver
𝤿Complete the Amherst College Travel Registry, even if staying at home or on campus for the summer
𝤿Complete the Internship Preparedness Survey
𝤿Attend the Pre-Departure event (if studying away, there is a remote option)
𝤿Review resources and information on the College’s “Health and Safety While Traveling” page

Additional Requirements (if applicable):

𝤿Become Minor Safety Certified if the internship requires you to be involved in the care, supervision or control of minors before the internship begins (this requirement is waived if completed within the last three years).
𝤿Complete a Travel Petition if the internship is in a Level 3 travel advisory country, even if this is your home country, according to the U.S. Department of State.

Once a stipend request has been submitted, it may take up to three weeks to receive payment. Ensure direct deposit details are updated in Finexio; otherwise, payment will be sent as an e-check to your Amherst email address.

You are required to complete a Summer Internship Reflection at the conclusion of your internship. You’ll be asked to reflect back on the goals you articulated in your funding application, demonstrate skills you’ve honed through examples and describe how learnings from this experience may inform next steps in your career journey. The reflection form is shared with students in July and should be completed at the end of the internship.

I’m studying abroad. How can I meet the resume and workshop requirements?

1. Watch one of the pre-recorded workshops in its entirety.
2. Complete the assessment for the workshop you watched  

To receive credit, you must score at least 80% on the assessment, with a maximum of three attempts allowed. If you don’t achieve 80% by your third attempt, you will need to watch a different workshop and complete a new assessment.

Resume review requirement: Request an appointment with a PCA through Handshake, specifying that you need to conduct your review via Zoom since you’re studying abroad.

Both requirements must be fulfilled before your summer funding application can be reviewed.

How do I know if I need to be Minor Safety Certified for my internship?

Review the College’s Youth Protection Policy to determine if your interactions with minors require Minor Safety Certification. If certification is needed, you must complete the process before receiving your stipend.

If you’ve been certified by Five College Risk Management within the last 36 months and your certification covers the entire internship period, you don’t need to recertify!

If I receive summer funding for an Amherst-area off-campus internship, can I live on campus during the summer?

You are eligible to apply to live on campus during your local, summer internship if you receive funding through the Houston Program. This process is managed by  the Office of Residential Engagement & Wellbeing and is not guaranteed. Applications for summer on-campus housing are due by May 1, 2025. See the housing portal for more information. 

Note that students receiving a summer internship stipend are responsible for paying for their own housing and meals (about $200/week). You will be billed for your summer housing through Student Accounts. 

Is there an appeals process if I didn’t receive funding? 

We understand that not receiving funding is disappointing and impacts your summer plans. Our review process is comprehensive and considers multiple factors. Please know that we try to fund as many students as possible every year given our available resources. While there is no appeals process, Houston Program director Emily Tareila is available to discuss your application and/or discuss appropriate next steps. 

I’ve been awarded funding. How do I actually receive my stipend? 

The easiest and quickest way to receive your stipend once you’ve completed all pre-departure requirements is through Finexio’s direct deposit feature. Please ensure that your direct deposit information is correct to avoid delays in your payment. If your information is incorrect, your stipend will be sent via check to your AC email address. You must print and sign this check and deposit it into your account to access the funding. Find more information here about this process.

I received funding through the Houston Program, but my internship situation has changed. What should I do?

We understand that, on occasion, the nature of an internship changes or issues arise that impact your ability to complete your internship. These things happen! On rare occasions, students asked to return a portion or all of their Houston stipend but we try to avoid this if at all possible. Our priority is to make sure you can engage in a meaningful, substantive experience and we’re here to help. 

Contact us right away if your internship changes and we will work with you to determine the best way forward: internships@amherst.edu

Do I need to declare summer internship funding on my taxes? 

The Houston Program internship stipend is considered an educational grant. The College is not required to report fellowship/internship awards for tax purposes for U.S. citizens or residents, so it does not generate W-2 forms for them (or 1099s). The College is required to report fellowship/internship awards for tax purposes for non U.S. citizens or residents on a 1042-S form which may include federal income tax withholding. Every student’s individual tax reporting requirements are different. While we are not allowed to give you specific tax or account advice, we encourage you to review the IRS website, specifically Publication 970 – Tax Benefits for Education, or Publication 519, U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens and/or the Department of Revenue of the state you are filing under to determine whether and how you need to report your Houston Program grant. 

If you have questions about the amount you’ve received or if you are a non-US resident and have questions about your 1042-S form, please contact accountspayable@amherst.edu