Internship Requirements
Eligibility Requirements
- Internships must be considered “necessarily unpaid.” An internship is necessarily unpaid if the organization faces a genuine lack of financial resources to pay an intern a stipend, salary or wage. Please see the section below titled “Eligible Organizations” below for additional information.
- Please note: Incidental support such as a minimal stipend for housing, transportation and/or meals does not disqualify an internship from being considered necessarily unpaid.
- To be eligible for support, applicants must demonstrate that they will work a minimum of 160 hours at the internship after the end of the semester preceding the semester for which they are applying and before the start of the semester following the semester for which they are applying.
Non-eligible Internships
- Practicums or internships that are required as a part of a program curriculum are NOT eligible to receive grants from the KACIF fund.
- Please note: If your internship is required and you will be onsite at your internship for an additional 100 hours over the requirement, you can be eligible for the KACIF funding. This must be evidenced in the job offer letter.
- Internships at or connected with the George Washington University, including unpaid research assistantships/opportunities supporting faculty members, are NOT eligible.
- GW faculty/staff can NOT be listed as an internship supervisor.
- Internships with political campaigns are NOT eligible.
- Grants can NOT be applied retroactively to internship hours completed prior to the start of the semester for which they are applying. However, an internship that started prior to and extends into the semester in question may be eligible if 160 hours of it are completed during the latter semester.
Eligible Organizations
Generally, internships at most organizations where financial resources are at a premium are eligible, particularly:
- non-profit
- governmental
- educational
- non-governmental
Internships that are unpaid at for-profit organizations, such as Fortune 500 companies and media conglomerates, will not be considered for funding through KACIF, as these internships should be paid, regardless of the general practices of these organizations.
Post-Award Notes
Security Clearance
Students who have internships that are contingent upon a security clearance are eligible to apply, but the award, if granted, will be contingent on the student eventually obtaining their security clearance. If they do not pass, the KACIF grant award will be rescinded.
Internships Abroad
If the internship meets the other eligibility requirements, international internships are eligible for support through KACIF. Please review the International Travel Policy. Students awarded support through KACIF will be required to complete the International Travel Approval Process and purchase GeoBlue, GW's international health insurance. You must contact your academic department to approve your travel arrangements. All high or extreme risk destinations will require an extra level of review and approval from GW’s Associate Provost for International Programs and may not receive approval or may receive delayed approval.