Summer Experience Funding: FAQ

Limited, need-based funding is available from Career Exploration and Development. Students have the opportunity to apply for this competitive, need-based funding for any student who has fully accepted a summer internship, music training program/festival or pre-professional experience that is unpaid or low-paid* and off-campus.

*”Low-paid” refers to any host organization’s compensation below $4,000 for the entire experience.*

Applying does not guarantee  requested funding will be approved, and students should plan for the possibility of not being awarded funding. Funding is accessible to first years, sophomores, or seniors who are currently enrolled and will return to Oberlin College for the next academic year.  Graduating seniors are not eligible to apply for the funding.

Juniors* completing funded internships through the Internship+ Program are not eligible to receive additional funding through the Summer Experience Funding program.

As a new requirement, students must schedule a Resume Review appointment type through Handshake to meet with a career advisor and refine their resume before their Summer Experience Funding application can be processed by the review committee.

Schedule my Resume Review

Yes, F-1 visa students are eligible for all funding opportunities. For information about Curricular Practical Training (CPT), please visit the International Student and Scholar Services website.

Yes, Career Exploration and Development offers limited, need-based funding through a competitive program. Priority consideration is given to students with high or very high financial need, as determined by the Office of Financial Aid.

Career-related summer experiences allowable for funding include: Experiences must be in-person or hybrid. Fully remote experiences are not eligible.

• Internships: Must be full-time, lasting at least 6 weeks totalling a minimum of 240 hours.
• Pre-Professional Experiences: Including off-campus research, field work or training studies (theater or dance performance), must be substantial in intensity, lasting at least 6 weeks totalling a minimum of 240 hours.
• Tuition or Fee-Based Programs: Programs such as academic immersion programs, theater, language study, volunteer abroad, or writing institutes must include a clearly defined experiential component with at least 200 hours spent on internship-related activities.
• Music Festivals: Must be noted both for a high-level of concert programming and musical training offered primarily to pre-professional music students.  Can include participation in a concurrent music competition requiring significant preparation and practice to include additional extra-curricular activities such as master classes, professional development workshops, etc.
  • Standalone music competitions without significant extra-curricular activities will not be considered.

CED will consider funding students who receive a stipend from their host organization or financial assistance from another source. (Please contact internships@oberlin.edu with questions about Summer Experience Funding and host organization hourly wages or stipends.)

Summer experiences NOT allowable for funding include:

• Tuition or fee-based program (i.e. theater program, language study, volunteer abroad, writing institute, etc.) without an experiential component that includes at least 200 hours spent on activities that classify as an internship 
• Independent  or fully remote projects
• Standalone music competitions without significant extra-curricular activities will not be considered
• Internships+ participants are not eligible for additional funding through the Summer Experience Funding program. For additional information, visit the Internship+ page.

While we are able to provide funding for in-person or hybrid experiences. Fully remote experiences are not eligible. 

It is recommended that students fully accept a summer experience prior to applying for funding. Your application will be flagged for additional information that is needed before it can be fully processed and reviewed.

The application process requires students to upload the job or program description and an official acceptance or confirmation letter that includes the number of hours to be received, start and end dates, and if the opportunity is unpaid or paid with the compensation listed.

Rather than selecting particular funds, students will be required to answer a series of screening questions on the funding application. The answers will help staff determine which fund(s) are the best fit for each particular summer experience.

We realize that a number of organizations may provide a student with the career-related experience they want for the summer, but it is best to focus on one organization in the application.

Students will need to have fully accepted a summer experience before applying for funding. The funding application will require a student to upload the confirmation/offer letter and a job description in order for the application to be considered. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Specific questions about Summer Experience Funding can be sent to internships@oberlin.edu.

You may also schedule a "Funding Your Summer Experience" appointment via Handshake.

Ensure your budget is comprehensive and includes only the eligible costs mentioned above. Cite sources for your expenses where applicable. Review committees will evaluate your budget items, and it's important to include only those that meet the eligibility criteria to avoid denial of any items.

• Travel: Costs associated with getting to and from your internship location: plane, train, bus, etc.
• Local Transportation/Commuting: Daily commuting expenses such as public transit or fuel.
• Housing/Rent: Accommodation costs for the duration of your experience: use credible websites to estimate housing or landlord estimates.
• Food Expenses: Ranging from $100/week in lower-cost areas to $135/week in higher-cost areas.
• Program Fees: Any applicable fees related directly to the participation in the program or experience (musical performances or festivals, fee-based programs, research opportunities at a field school, and other educational experiences).

If your internship involves a tuition- or fee-based program, you must provide a detailed breakdown of what the program fee covers. This may require you to contact the program directly, as such details are often not available on websites.

Since Oberlin does not cover tuition costs for other institutions, it is crucial to specify how much of the tuition/fee is allocated to housing, food, transportation, and other eligible expenses. Failure to provide this detailed breakdown could result in your funding application being denied.

Funding does not cover the following ineligible expenses:

• Professional Clothing: Any costs associated with purchasing work attire.
• Software or Hardware: Expenses for computers, software, or other technical equipment.
• Rentals: Fees for renting cars, equipment or tools needed for the internship.
• Lost Wages or Compensation: Compensation for wages lost while participating in the internship.
• Other Personal Living Expenses: Personal expenses not directly related to the internship, such as utilities, entertainment, or personal care items.
• Tuition to Other Institutions: Summer Tuition for courses or classes provided by other academic institutions.

Make sure to exclude these items from your budget to ensure your application meets the funding criteria.

Due to the complexity associated with the required award payment processing steps; in order to ensure we can get students their funds in a timely fashion CED will not consider late applications.  Students must complete the online application (including uploading all required documents) by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Friday, April 25, 2025.

Regardless of when you apply, your application will be reviewed based on the funds' eligibility criteria.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis from the beginning of February through the April 25th deadline or funding is exhausted

For help in completing your Summer Experience Funding application, in-person and virtual appointments are available with our career advising staff via available appointment times through Handshake.

To learn more and ask questions about the application process, attend one of our 2025 Summer Experience Funding Application Information sessions:

Info Sessions coming soon!

Students may be eligible for funding if they receive an hourly wage or stipend from the host organization or financial assistance from another source. 

We define ”low-paid” as any host organization’s hourly wage or stipend that is below the total maximum funding award of $4000 for the length of the experience.

Any compensation that totals more will be reviewed on a case by case basis.

Please note that funding is limited, need-based, and competitive, and applying does not guarantee approval.

In order to apply for funding, students must have fully accepted a summer experience. Students are required to upload their job description and official acceptance/confirmation letter to support the summer opportunity and will be unable to complete the application without these items. 

Applying does not guarantee the requested funding will be approved, and students should plan for the possibility that they may not be awarded funding.

Selection committees will begin the review process of Summer Experience Funding applications on a rolling basis beginning February 3 and through the deadline of Friday, April 25, 2025. Students will begin to receive notification of award decisions 2-3 weeks beyond the application submission and continue until funding has been exhausted. 

Funds will be disbursed by direct deposit to students beginning mid April and continuing through the end of the Spring semester.

Selection committees will make funding decisions based on:

• Financial need
• Eligibility criteria listed for each fund
• Quality of application materials
• Eligible expenses listed in the application budget

Students will be notified via email of their application status within two to three weeks after the review committee receives the completed submission. 

Please note: Award recipients are required to attend a meeting to discuss funding requirements and related assignments. Additionally, written confirmation from the organization accepting the student for the experience is required before the award is disbursed.

To receive their funds, all award recipients must:

• Attend a mandatory information meeting to discuss the end of summer assignment requirements.
• Set up direct deposit through OberView by searching for Direct Deposit Allocation and updating the accounts payable section (not the payroll section) of their student account.

CED will reach out, via email, to the organization contact listed on your application to receive confirmation that you have been accepted for the experience, prior to funding being released.