About Internships and Eligibility

Q: What’s an Internship?
A: An internship is a short-term, experiential work experience that is a supervised, in-depth learning opportunity where the interns can more fully explore career interests. It is not meant to simply advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.

Q: Can Non-Profits Apply for the Grant?
A: Yes! Non-profits can apply if they are not government entities or political groups.

Q: Who Can Be an Intern?
A: Interns can be anyone who is looking to gain knowledge and skills in a new industry or occupation through a short term learning opportunity. They must be individuals hired specifically for the purpose of the internship grant. They must be working hourly (not contractors), and they can’t be current employees or have been part of a previous grant-funded internship.

Applying for the Grant

Q: Can I Apply for More Than One Internship?
A: Yes! Please keep in mind that our new application process is one intern per application. If you plan to apply for more than one internship during an open application window, each internship will need to be submitted in separate applications.

Q: When Should I Apply for My Internship?
A: We would recommend applying a month or two months ahead of the planned start date of your internship.

Q: Does the Order of Applications Matter?
A: No. All applications submitted during the first seven days of the month are reviewed equally.

Q: Who Should Fill Out the Application?
A: The primary contact or someone with legal signing authority should complete and sign it. Bookkeeping services can assist with payroll but shouldn’t complete or sign the application.

After Applying

Q: How Will I Know If My Application Is Approved?
A: We’ll email you with next steps once we’ve reviewed and approved your application.

Internship Management

Q: What If My Intern Isn’t a Good Fit?
A: You can replace them if there are enough hours left in the internship to be beneficial. However, the new intern won’t receive additional hours beyond what was already approved.

Q: Can the Grant Cover Hours Worked Before Approval?
A: No. The grant only covers wages after the contract is officially signed by the Director of DWS.

Q: Can I Pay My Intern More Than $18 Per Hour?
A: Absolutely! You’ll just need to cover the extra amount. We’ll reimburse up to the hourly rate approved in the grant.

Q: My intern needs more time to complete their internship, can I extend the end date?
A: Yes. The grant is eligible for a one time amendment. This extension can be requested through your Grant Portal under the Tasks tab as an Amendment Request. Changes are considered on a case-by-case basis. An amendment request must be submitted at least 20 days before the end date of the internship.