As summer approaches, many Tufts students look to complete an internship during the break in order to gain professional experience and learn new skills. However, many student internships are often unpaid or underpaid, leaving many students making the difficult choice of either doing work they are passionate about or seeking stability. The Tufts Career Center Summer Internship Grant Program seeks to alleviate this issue by expanding access to unpaid or underpaid summer internships, particularly for students who might otherwise be unable to pursue them due to financial constraints.
The funding itself comes from “university fundraising efforts and the generosity of alumni and donors who want to support students’ exploration of career paths through hands-on experience,” Sheryl Livsey, associate director of the Tufts Career Center, wrote in an email to the Daily. Livsey, who oversees the program, highlighted its emphasis on reflection and personal growth for students.
However, the program’s access also is shaped by its deadline. This year, the deadline for students to apply for the grant was March 16, at which point applicants must already have received an official internship acceptance from an external organization. For some students, this deadline comes before they have received internship offers, making it impossible to be eligible for the program.
Sophomore Greta Steege received a grant through the program, but still acknowledged this frustration.
“The deadline is relatively early, so you do have to already have secured an internship by that time. And I think that leaves a lot of people out of the process,” Steege said.
Junior Mariana Navas Reyes, who received the grant last summer to work at an nongovernmental organization, agreed. “I believe the deadline from last year was around mid-February … and that’s very early to receive an internship offer,” Reyes said.
Livsey acknowledged the misalignment between the grant deadline and internship acceptance dates, noting that recruiting timelines vary widely by industry and employer. Still, she justified this early deadline by stating that it “allows time to review applications equitably, confirm eligibility for students and internship sites, complete required travel reviews and ensure funding is distributed before summer begins.”
Because students have to commit to internships before knowing whether they will receive financial support, Steege suggested the grant may inadvertently prioritize students with greater financial ability.
“It’s hard, because you do have to accept an internship and then just apply to the funding and hope you get it for most cases,” Steege said. “I definitely think it advantages people who can be flexible and who don’t necessarily entirely need [the funding].”
For a student to receive the grant, their internship’s compensation must not exceed $1,500. Should grant applicants hope to earn more over the summer, they must accept the internship without a guarantee of receiving additional financial support. The program also includes other eligibility requirements — internships must be full-time, total a minimum of 300 hours and be completed by Aug. 31. Independent or unsupervised internships, in addition to internships under Tufts faculty, are not eligible.
Students also may only receive a Career Center internship once while at Tufts, which Reyes expressed a desire to change. “I understand why they only offer [the grant] once … [but] I think it would be better if you could … split it [between years],” she said.
Despite these constraints, demand for the program continues to rise. This academic year, the program saw 120 students apply and 68 students — just over half — received funding. According to Livsey, it was the “the highest number of students supported to date,” with approximately $340,000 distributed in total. According to the Career Center’s website, typically only 45-50 students are awarded the grant per year.
Livsey noted that the program is directly designed to prioritize students with the greatest financial need and those pursuing new or first-time internship experiences.
“We’d love for students to understand that the Career Internship Grant Program is designed around access and equity, not gatekeeping,” Livsey wrote.
While the deadline might present challenges, both Reyes and Steege described the application process as relatively straightforward.
“It was a simple form with a few questions … [such as], ‘Why are you applying to this grant?’” Reyes said.
After receiving the grant, the funding is typically distributed during the summer and requires that students submit a written report on their work by the end of the internship.
With the stipend, grant recipients can often commit more time and energy to internships while still having time to take breaks.
“If I didn’t get this funding, I was going to have to work an additional job on the side, which would have made my summer a lot more cluttered,” Steege said.
Livsey expressed that there are many ways to gain professional experience besides internships, and that students often consider several options with Career Center advisors.
“An internship is only one of many ways to explore career interests and strengthen candidacy,” she wrote. “Students consider alternatives such as short‑term or part‑time internships paired with paid work, project‑based roles, volunteer or shadowing experiences.”
Livsey also acknowledged Tufts-specific career opportunities such as Jumbos4Jumbos, which offers flexible micro‑internships hosted by Tufts alumni.
“While funding is limited and deadlines are real, our work doesn’t stop with grant decisions,” Livsey wrote.
While some misalignment remains between the grant’s deadline and internship acceptances, Livsey wrote that the Career Center is working with organizations that commonly recruit Tufts students to try to alleviate these issues. Among the Career Center’s priorities are advocating for paid opportunities and clearer hiring timelines that notify students earlier of decisions.
