Thanks to generous donations from UM alums and supporters, the LSA Internship Scholarship can help make these life-changing internship opportunities a reality for all students, regardless of their circumstances. We've previously awarded more than $1 million to LSA students participating in internships. Read on to learn more about the LSA Internship Scholarship, including new eligibility criteria for this year's virtual and in-person internships. All eligible students are strongly encouraged to apply!
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for the LSA Internship Scholarship, a student must:
- Be an undergraduate currently enrolled full-time and pursuing a degree program (or MDDP) in the College of LSA
- Be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident (i.e. possess a green card)
- Apply for and receive need-based support through the Office of Financial Aid
- Have a FAFSA and CSS profile on file with the Office of Financial Aid (OFA) and must renew their FAFSA annually
- Register for ALA 225: Undergraduate Internship Course offered by the LSA Opportunity Hub
- Return to LSA as an enrolled undergraduate student in the fall term following their internship.
In order to be considered for the LSA Internship Scholarship, your virtual or in-person internship experience must:
- Require you to work at least 6 weeks in with at least 25 hours of work per week
- Begin no earlier than May 3
- Conclude no later than August 29
Note: You must register for ALA 225 before the first day of your internship.
To determine whether the experience qualifies as an “internship”, we evaluate it based on the following criteria developed by NACE:
- The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for applying the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
- The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
- The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications.
- There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework.
- There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience.
- There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor.
- There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.
Your internship may be in-person or virtual, domestic or international, paid or unpaid, for-credit or not-for-credit. In-person international internships to U-M Travel Restricted or COVID-19 High Risk destinations are not eligible for funding.
If you’re not sure whether your experience qualifies for the LSA Internship Scholarship, you may send an email to us at lsa-opphub@umich.edu to discuss. We will assist you in registering your internship which is the first step to being considered for the LSA Internship Scholarship.
How do I apply?
To apply for the LSA Internship Scholarship, you will need to complete these three steps:
Step one: Register your internship on the LSA Opportunity Network.
This step must be completed before the LSA Scholarships Office can review a student's LSA Internship Scholarship application, though you can complete both at the same time. We advise all LSA Internship Scholarship applicants to register their internship on the LSA Opportunity Network as soon as they secure it.
From the Home page, click "Hub Programs" > "Hub Programs" and select "Register an Opportunity". Fill out all the fields, including “Yes” for LSA Internship Scholarship and ALA 225, and select Spring/Summer Term for ALA 225 enrollment. Then click "Submit" once you are finished. If you have questions about these instructions, please email us at lsa-opphub@umich.edu and we will help you register your virtual or in-person internship.
Once registered in the network, the LSA Opportunity Hub will evaluate your internship for eligibility. You will be emailed a decision within one week after submitting your internship.
Step two: At the same time, complete the general application through the LSA Scholarships application portal. Click on the “apply here” button below. When asked which scholarship program you are applying to, click the box for "LSA Internship Scholarship."
Note: If you have already completed the general application—this is common for students who apply for multiple scholarships each year—simply check the box for the LSA Internship Scholarship and save your application. Do not uncheck any of the other boxes or change any of your previous responses, as doing so may impact other active applications you currently have in the portal.
Step three: Once the general application has been completed and submitted, you will then be directed to complete the LSA Internship Scholarship application. Submit this application for full consideration.
If you have any questions about steps two and three of the application process, please visit the LSA Scholarship’s website or contact them directly at lsascholarships@umich.edu
Application Deadline
The LSA Internship Scholarship application is open December 1 – May 6. Completed scholarship applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with awarding continuing through the first week of June. Scholarship applications will not be reviewed until the student has registered their internship in the LSA Opportunity Network, registered for the ALA 225 course and the Hub has approved the student’s internship for funding consideration.
NOTE: While the final deadline is May 6, students are advised to register their internship well ahead of this date as the LSA Scholarships Office cannot begin reviewing a student's scholarship application until their internship has been approved by the LSA Opportunity Hub. Students completing in-person international internships are highly encouraged to register their internships ASAP, as there may be additional steps required to receive internship approval.
What does the scholarship cover?
The LSA Internship Scholarship supports LSA students pursuing a spring or summer in-person or virtual internship experience. It is awarded to help offset or cover the expenses to participate in an internship and the tuition and fees associated with the required ALA 225: Undergraduate Internship Course.
Examples of eligible expenses include:
- Tuition and fees for the 1-credit course ALA 225: Undergraduate Internship Course
- Relocation expenses
- Commuting on work days
- Housing
- Food
- Professional clothing
Examples of ineligible expenses include:
- Personal travel, vacations or entertainment
- Car payments, auto insurance, medical expenses, credit card bills, etc.
If you aren’t sure whether your expenses are eligible or not, go ahead and include them on your application. The LSA Scholarships office will evaluate each application individually and will make a determination of your expenses based on the information provided.
Amounts and Duration
LSA Internship Scholarship awards vary depending on the cost of a student's virtual or in-person internship experience, ALA 225 course tuition and fees, and their financial need. Award amounts can range anywhere from $500 to $7,500. Higher award amounts are typically reserved for students with higher internship expenses such as those who are interning abroad.
Scholarship Requirements
Some of these activities must be completed before LSA Scholarships will disburse scholarship funding to recipients. Others will be required of students either during or after their internship experience.
1. Health and Safety Requirements—INTERNATIONAL ONLY
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students requesting to intern internationally must follow the guidance on Global Michigan’s website depending on their destination country. This includes submitting a safety or travel plan at least 3 weeks prior to planned departure, and ideally as soon as possible.
All scholarship recipients interning abroad must complete U-M mandated health and safety requirements via the M-Compass Internship/Work Registry, including purchasing (and providing proof of enrollment for) GeoBlue U-M Travel Abroad Health Insurance for the entire duration of the internship. After accepting their scholarship, recipients will receive an email from the LSA Travel Office outlining their next steps in this process. These steps must be completed before the LSA Scholarship Office will disburse scholarship funds.
2. Writing a Thank you letter: After accepting their scholarship award within the LSA Scholarship Office's application portal, some students will receive a prompt from the system asking them to complete an additional form. This form serves as a thank you letter that will be shared with the donor of the scholarship. If a student is selected to write a thank you letter, this form must be completed before the LSA Scholarship Office will disburse any scholarship funds to the student. If a scholarship recipient is not prompted to complete this form after accepting their award, that means a thank you letter is not required.
4. Enrollment in and successful completion of ALA 225: Undergraduate Internship Course.
Again, for any questions about this process, please email us at lsa-opphub@umich.edu and we will respond as soon as we can.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will my scholarship disburse?
Scholarship funds are disbursed once a student accepts their award and completes the necessary requirements listed above.
If, after you have accepted your award and completed all pre-disbursement requirements, you have specific questions about when your scholarship funds will be disbursed, you may contact the LSA Scholarships office at lsascholarships@umich.edu
What if I do not qualify for this scholarship? Is there anywhere else I could look for support?
If you do not meet the qualifications for this internship scholarship, we encourage you to check out our list of additional funding sources. If you have declared a major, we recommend checking in with your home department to see if they have any funding options.
Are placement fees for international internships eligible for the LSA Internship Scholarship?
Yes, they are an eligible expense. We encourage students to apply for scholarship funding for their internships with third party providers. We work closely with IES Abroad and Sage Corps, but we’re open to reviewing applications from other third-party providers as well on a case-by-case basis. What we’re looking for is that the organization providing your internship placement is reputable, has your well-being and safety in mind, and will provide a worthwhile learning experience.
