A funded internship before senior year is an integral part of the Career Action Program at Connecticut College. It is one of the things that makes the Connections Curriculum unique and is a common reason students choose Connecticut College.
The Hale Career Center, with its staff members and student Career Fellows, helps students look for internships and access the Career Fund. Each student can earn up to $3000 from the Career Fund to help subsidize the cost of their internship, including the travel and living expenses (if the internship is in-person).
Approximately 150-170 students apply for funding every summer. To be eligible, students need to take the LA 103: Career Preparation course, during their freshman or sophomore year; and complete the Advanced Career Engagement (ACE) requirements: Alumni Engagement, Employer Engagement, Professional Skill Development, and Campus and Community Integration. The Hale Career Center, with its staff members and student Career Fellows, helps students look for internships and access the career funds.
In an interview, staff members Persephone Hall, Kevin Finefrock, and Deb Brunetti stated that the College’s program is structured to guide students into the professional world while providing flexibility. The journey begins with LA 103, a half-semester course, which is aimed at first-years and sophomores. The syllabus for LA 103 is designed to teach students basic professional skills, and familiarize them with resources at the career center. The Hale Center frequently organizes events that meet the ACE criteria-with employers and alumni to provide the students with experience in networking.
After completing LA 103, students are eligible to apply for $500. Thereafter, students can apply for $500 on fulfilling each ACE requirement (consisting of two experiences) and an additional $500 after completing and reflecting on all of the ACEs. This fund can be used to apply for internships, career-related programs, training, or courses not available at Connecticut College.
To receive funding, students need to submit a proposal via Google Forms, explaining their interest in the internship and rationalizing their budget. In addition to completing the form, international students also need to satisfy legal requirements and apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) that is any internship or practicum, related to coursework, which is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperation with the College. “Applications are processed once a week and usually, the students receive funding within 10 days of applying,” stated Finefrock. When the application is approved, the requested amount is either directly deposited in the bank account or it is sent as a check to the applicant’s permanent address.
As a rule, the Career funds can fully subsidize an internship only if a student is paid $0-$2000 by the internship site. If the student is paid $2000-$4999 by the internship organizer, then they may be partially funded by the College. In the case that a student is paid $5000 or more by their organizer, then they cannot receive funding.
Though most students wait until the summer before their senior year, the Career Fund can be used at any time of the year as long as the requirements are completed. The Career Funds cannot be accessed in the senior year. “Start early, enroll in LA 103, read the Career Newsletter and meet the career staff by either making an appointment through a handshake or using the drop-in hours,” advised Hall.
