Summer Internship Funding

Summer Internship Funding provides monetary support for undergraduates who obtain a summer internship to investigate career options, develop skills, and link classroom learning to the world of work. Summer Internship Funding is available thanks to the generous gifts of University of Rochester friends and alumni who believe in the importance of experiential opportunities.

APPLICATIONS FOR 2025 SUMMER INTERNSHIP FUNDING ARE NOW CLOSED.

Eligibility

• Undergraduate students who will continue enrollment in Fall 2025 (including Dec 2025 graduates).
• Enrolled in the School of Arts & Sciences or the Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences for at least one degree program (including those in the dual degree program at the Eastman School of Music).
• Can document a cost-of-living financial need exceeding that of internship wages, university or other funding supports
• See the overview page for questions on whether your experience qualifies as an internship.
• Both domestic and international travel expenses can be included in the application and will be subject to university review if necessary.

Not eligible for funding

• Programs that include a fee or tuition to participate, including study abroad and faculty-led programs, Washington Center Internships, summer business accelerators, etc.
• Service trips of less than 28 days do not qualify as internships.
• If you receive funding from another UR internship/funding program (e.g. Bond Family Scholars Internship), you’re not eligible to receive additional funding.
• Summer research opportunities mentored by a UR Faculty member UR Faculty mentor/PI/lab/department – UR summer research projects are eligible for funding under the Office of Undergraduate Research’s Summer DISCOVER Fund.
• Entrepreneurial projects should connect with the Ain Center for Entrepreneurship for a variety of different financial supports. 

Applying

• Search for and secure an internship. If you need assistance, meet with a staff member or peer career advisor in the Greene Center. The opportunity must be secured before applying for funding, and you will need to upload a copy of your internship offer letter or confirmation as part of your application.
• Application Deadline – April 7, 2025. Please submit your application for consideration by April 7th. There is no benefit to submitting your application early, so please take your time to craft a strong application and put yourself in the best position to receive funding.
  • PLEASE NOTE: Even though the deadline has passed, you are still more than welcome to apply. However, while you may still apply, the application may not be up for consideration.
• WARNING: You are encouraged to fill in and complete your application in one sitting. You will receive a confirmation email after you submit, with a link to return to your application if needed. If you have the tab open for multiple days, your application may not register when you submit it, as the application may log you out.

Still have questions about whether you can/should apply? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions

Creating a Strong Application

As with any application, we encourage you to put reflection, time, and effort into your funding application. The following tips can help you prepare a strong application.

• • • Use the application checklist worksheet to compile all the information you need to input into the online application. Please complete the application in one sitting, as you cannot save and return to it mid-way.
    • We encourage you to take advantage of the Writing, Speaking, and Argument Program as well as drop-in hours at the Greene Center to review your budget justification and career impact statements prior to the deadline. Be concise but complete with your statements.
    • Check the application scoring rubric to understand how applications are evaluated.

In addition, applications with the following have a higher likelihood of receiving funding:

Budget justification:

• • • Clearly describes how each budget line was researched and estimated
    • Describes how you will maximize your budget for the summer
    • Explains how receiving summer internship funding is important to your ability to complete the internship

Career impact statement:

• • • Describe your motivation for undertaking the internship
    • Make strong connections between the internship experience and your academic or career goals
    • Give concrete examples of how the internship activities will help you further develop college competencies

Application Workshops & Drop-In Hours

Join our workshops and drop-in hours to strengthen your summer internship funding application.

Workshops

• Tuesday, March 25th from 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm | 4-200 Dewey Hall, Greene Center
• Friday, March 28th from 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm | 4-200 Dewey Hall, Greene Center

Drop-In Hours

• Tuesday, April 1st from 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm | 4-200 Dewey Hall, Greene Center
• Friday, April 4th from 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm | 4-200 Dewey Hall, Greene Center

Evaluation and Payment Process for Internships

Applications are evaluated based on the funding requested, the completeness and quality of the application, the budget justification, and career impact statements. Please see the application scoring rubric to craft a competitive application.

Award amounts are based on the budget submitted. They typically range from $1,000 to a max of $3,500.

If awarded funding, there are multiple steps you will need to take for us to process your award. They are broken down by a variety of factors here.

In most cases, payments are made by the end of May and the middle of July. All Summer Internship Funding recipients should know that tax withholding MAY be taken out of your check, depending on your primary citizenship and any applicable tax treaties.

Questions?

See the Funding FAQs for more information.