Thanks to generous donations from U-M 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 25
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.
Domestic internships may be in-person or virtual, paid or unpaid, for-credit or not-for-credit.
International internships MUST be a CGIS enrolled program, AND meet the internship eligibility requirements. All other international internships, including those posted in LSA Engage, are not eligible for this funding opportunity.
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.
Application Timeline and Important Considerations
December 1 - Application Opens
April 1st by 11:59 PM - Early Deadline
Students who apply by this deadline and whose internships are approved for ALA 225 must enroll in the course by April 5th in order to be considered for the LSA internship scholarship.
Students who apply by the deadline will hear back from the scholarship office regarding their application before April 30th.
Students who are awarded the scholarship will receive funds before tuition is due for spring/summer term (April 30th).
Students who are not awarded the scholarship will be able to drop ALA 225 without being charged disenrollment fees, as long as they do so before the first day of spring/summer term on May 7th.
Students who choose to drop ALA 225 after the first day of class (May 7th) will be responsible for paying fees associated with the course ($50 disenrollment fee and $80 registration fee). The reason for disenrolling from the course will not impact these fees.
May 20th by 11:59 PM - LATE Deadline
Students who apply by the late deadline and whose internships are approved for ALA 225 must enroll in the course before the start of their internship and no later than May 24th, in order to be considered for the LSA internship scholarship.
Students who enroll in ALA 225 on or after the first day of class (May 7th) will be charged a late enrollment fee ($50) that won’t be reimbursed by the scholarship.
Students who apply by the late deadline will hear back from the scholarship office regarding their application on a rolling basis, and no later than June 7th.
Students who are awarded the scholarship will receive funds on a rolling basis, and no later than June 15th.
Students who choose not to pay their tuition before the April 30th deadline will be charged a $30 late fee per month that won’t be reimbursed by the scholarship.
Students who choose to drop ALA 225 after the first day of class (May 7th) will be responsible for paying fees associated with the course ($50 disenrollment fee and $80 registration fee). The reason for disenrolling from the course will not impact these fees.
Other Application Considerations:
We strongly advise students who apply after the April 1st deadline to meet with the scholarship office for a consultation about their eligibility before proceeding with their application. To do so, please schedule an appointment with Becki Chottiner by clicking HERE.
The LSA Opportunity Hub will collaborate with employers to verify students' internship completion.
Students who do not complete all ALA 225 course assignments will not receive credit for the course and will receive a No Credit (NC) on their student transcript.
Students who do not complete their internship to its entirety will not receive credit for ALA 225, will receive a No Credit (NC) on their student transcript AND may be required to pay back the scholarship funding in full.
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 LSA Engage.
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 LSA Engage as soon as they secure it.
1. Log in to LSA Engage and then select “Experiential Learning” on the left hand side vertical menu.
2. Select “New Experience” in the top right hand corner.
3. Choose “Internship & LSA Internship Scholarship” for the “Experiential Learning Type", fill out the form, and then click “Save” at the bottom of the page.
4. On the next page, click “Documents and Forms.” DO NOT CLICK “SUBMIT.”
5. Select “Upload File” to attach the proof of internship document from your employer. The document must meet ALL of the following requirements:
- Be on official company letterhead
- Contain exact start and exact end dates
- State the number of hours per week you will be interning
- Provide a brief job description detailing specific duties, tasks, goals, etc.
- Specify the address where the internship will take place (street, city, state, and zip code). If you will work remotely, the letter should specify this and list the company’s physical address.
- Include the name and contact information of your internship supervisor
If the document does not meet all of the requirements detailed above, please reach out to your internship site to request an edited letter before proceeding. Then, click “Save.”
6. Click “Submit” in the upper right hand corner. A pop-up window will now appear. Click “OK.”
7. Click “Submit for Approval,” then click “OK.” Your application should now have a yellow box at the top that says “Pending Final Approval.” This box means that your application is now in our approval queue.
Once registered in LSA Engage, the LSA Opportunity Hub will evaluate your internship for eligibility. You will be emailed a decision within one week after submitting your internship.
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.
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.
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
STEP THREE (international internships only):
As a reminder, International internships MUST be a CGIS enrolled program, AND meet the internship eligibility requirements. 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.
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.
Other 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. 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.
2. Notification of Additional Funding: LSA Internship Scholarship recipients who receive additional funding (grants, scholarships, etc.) towards their internship must inform the LSA Scholarships Office immediately. LSA Internship Scholarships are tied to an assessment of a student's financial need and failure to disclose anticipated changes to a financial aid package may result in negative impacts to a student's overall aid. Informing them in advance of any anticipated aid you might receive will help them ensure our scholarship award does not exceed the funding allowed by your financial aid package, preventing unexpected charges on your student account.
Again, for any questions about this process, please email us at lsa-opphub@umich.edu and we will respond as soon as we can.
