Internship and Other Funding
Internships are an integral part of many students’ Cornell experience as they provide significant hands-on learning in a professional work environment. Typically, internships take place during the summer when most employers offer formal internship programs. However, it may be possible to arrange block internships with advance notice. These are usually arranged directly with the employer, not posted online, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to inquire about availability and make arrangements with potential employer sites.
Internships may offer a paid salary (which is typical of formal programs), while other internships may be unpaid. For unpaid internships, funding to cover some expenses is available through Ingenuity in Action (InAct), but you should plan ahead to save enough of your own money to cover initial expenses before that funding comes through. You can choose to do your internship for academic credit and/or InAct transcription, but if receiving funding, you must receive academic credit for your internship. The details for applying for funding, credit, and/or InAct transcription are listed below and are also explained in this how-to document.
Although the majority of this funding is awarded to students pursuing internships, research opportunities, and off-campus study; there are many activities that could be approved for funding, including conference attendance where students have been asked to present or share research, as well as certifications that provide professional credentialing.
Check out previous and current Cornell student internship experiences.
Apply for funding through the InAct Portal.
- Please note that funding will not cover the cost of summer academic credit ($600 per credit). Please work with your academic advisor and faculty sponsor to determine the appropriate amount of credit for your internship.
- You may request 1/2, 1, or 2 credits for your internship. You are required to receive academic credit if applying for internship funding.
- Paid internships will not be considered for funding.
- If your internship is fewer than 30 hours per week, your funding will be prorated based on the number of hours you are working.
- Internship expenses considered for funding include travel, food, and housing. The attire and supplies necessary for the experience will not be considered.
- Funding amounts are determined based on a budget of anticipated expenses that you will provide to us. Once approved and disbursed, funding amounts will not be adjusted.
- If you receive funding for your internship, you will be required to provide photos and a written testimonial at the end of your experience as well as write 3-4 blog posts throughout the course of your internship.
If you are applying for a for-credit internship, select the "InAct Portal" button above, then click "Apply for an internship" under the Internships accordion to complete the application that allows you to apply for funding, academic credit, and InAct transcription. Once complete, the appropriate departments will receive and consider your request.* You will be notified by the Ingenuity in Action committee for a decision on funding and the Registrar's Office for academic credit.
If you are requesting funding for an experience where you are not seeking academic credit, such as conference participation where you are presenting, professional certification that also adds value to Cornell College, or another activity, please see instructions further down the page for how to apply.
*We do not guarantee that we will provide funding to help cover the costs of participating in a fee-based internship program.
- Find a faculty sponsor. You must have a faculty sponsor agree to award credit for the internship and complete a syllabus outlining their expectations.
- Secure an internship site. You need to be selected by your chosen site at the time you complete your application for funding. Funding will be contingent upon acceptance by the internship site. See our Internship Search Tools or schedule an appointment with a career coach if you'd like help securing an internship.
- Prepare a resume. A resume outlining your experiences is necessary to help the funding committee review your credentials and was likely part of your application to secure this internship. You are strongly encouraged to have your resume reviewed by a Berry Career Institute staff member prior to application submission. Make an appointment.
- Write your personal statement. The personal statement should provide background on the site, your qualifications, and how it relates to your career goals. The required length is 600-900 words. Your proposal must be reviewed by a staff member in the Writing Studio or Berry Career Institute and must include the following elements:
- An overview of the organization and how you found out about it.
- Why the internship interests you and the projects you might be working on.
- Skills and experience you have that will allow you to contribute to the organization. Be specific.
- What you hope to gain from the experience and how it helps you work towards your academic and career goals.
- Create an Excel budget. Create a budget using our budget worksheet to estimate food, transportation, and housing expenses. Here is a sample budget to guide you through it. Then attach that as an Excel spreadsheet totaling the expenses after income is received. Contact Andrea Lohf with any questions about filling out your budget.
- Complete the internship application (InAct Portal button above). This form will serve as your request for funding, academic credit, and InAct transcription. Be prepared to submit the following documents if applying for funding:
- Budget for food, transportation, and housing.
- Resume.
- Unofficial Transcript.
- Job description.
- Personal statement.
- If your request for funding is approved, you will need to complete and submit the Berry Career Institute Funding Agreement, and that proposal form is due before funds can be disbursed.
- Students will also be required to meet with Andrea Lohf or Sydney Meeker to go over the internship checklist before funding is approved.
- In order to expedite the disbursement of funds, we encourage you to have a current ACH form on file in the business office. See resources for funded internships for a link and more info.
If you are requesting funding for conference attendance (where you will be presenting), a professional certification that also gives back to Cornell, or another activity, please select the "Other Experiences" button above to complete the application and include the following:
- A personal statement that should provide background on the site, your qualifications, and how it relates to your career goals. The required length is 600-900 words. Your proposal must be reviewed by a staff member in the Writing Studio or Berry Career Institute and must include the following elements:
- An overview of the organization you will be working with (or conference history/certification purpose) and how you found out about it.
- Why pursuing this opportunity is important to you.
- Skills and experience you have that will allow you to contribute to the organization or how your certification will help you contribute to Cornell College. Be specific.
- What you hope to gain from the experience and how it helps you work towards your academic and career goals.
- Provide information from the conference or certifying organization with more details of the experience.
- Excel Budget. Create a budget using our budget form to estimate food, transportation, and housing expenses. Here is a sample budget to guide you through it. Then attach that and an Excel spreadsheet totaling the expenses after income is received.
- Resume.
- Unofficial transcript.
- If your request for funding is approved, you will need to complete and submit the Funding Agreement to the Berry Career Institute.
- In order to expedite the disbursement of funds, make sure to have a current ACH form on file in the business office. You can find a link on our Resources for Funding page.
Deadlines for funding requests:
- Blocks 1-8: Day 15 of the block prior to your block internship or other experience (e.g. if you start your internship Block 6, you must submit your application by day 15 of Block 5). Note: if you are requesting funding, you will likely not receive this funding until the middle of your internship block if you submit it on or after this date. We strongly recommend that you submit your application 30-60 days before your internship begins.
- Summer: Day 1 of Block 8. Note that Dimensions competitive internships usually have priority deadlines in Blocks 5 and 6. If you apply for internship funding after the deadline, your application will be considered, but you are not guaranteed to receive funding.
Maximum award amounts:
- U.S.-based experiences: An average of $3,400. Note that exceptions may be made for higher awards on a case-by-case basis, up to $5000.
- Internationally based experiences: An average of $4,100. Note that exceptions may be made for higher awards on a case-by-case basis, up to $5o00.