Crusader Internship Fund 2024

Policies & Application Instructions

The Crusader Internship Fund exists to help offset the cost of accepting an otherwise unpaid opportunity. Our goal is to provide funding for as many students as possible given the current landscape. Matriculating sophomores and juniors are eligible for funding once during their time at Holy Cross. Assignment of funds to recipients will be determined by the Center for Career Development.

Application for Summer 2024 Funding Closes June 6, 2024.

Student Eligibility

  • Matriculating Sophomores and Juniors are eligible to receive summer internship funding once during their time at Holy Cross.
  • Students must have an unpaid internship offer in hand in order to apply for funding.

Qualifying Criteria for Funded Internships:

  • Take place during the summer
  • Be unpaid
  • Provide exposure/experience to a career field of interest
  • A dedicated supervisor who oversees the learning and growth of the student.
  • Weekly (at a minimum) meetings with the supervisor
  • Be at an organization for which you haven’t already worked/interned (*See note below)
  • A platform for communication and flow of work (FOR REMOTE: Zoom, Skype, Google Meets, etc.) free of charge
  • Student/Employer mutually agreed upon Learning Outcomes, based on the NACE Career Competencies, for the internship
  • Employer to complete a final written evaluation of the student
  • Students cannot be supervised by a family member, nor can the supervisor be in a close or significant subordinate work relationship with the family member of the student. Additionally, all intern supervisors should have 3+ years work experience
  • Cannot be a part of an internship program that charges for participation
  • Cannot be part of summer coursework and/or academic research either at Holy Cross or another institution 
  • Cannot be at a startups run by students
  • Cannot be an on-campus internship. Alumni donors provide funding to support students in unpaid internships at organizations outside of Holy Cross so they can apply what they've learned in the classroom in an environment beyond the Holy Cross community 

*The one exception, which would need to be carefully reviewed on a case-by-case basis, would be where the duties and responsibilities of the new summer internship are substantially different and at a higher level than those of the previous experience.

Crusader Internship Fund Stipend Award Amount:  

The Crusader Internship Fund offers two funding options for internships, full-time or part-time. Assignment of funds to recipients will be determined by the Center for Career Development.

Full-Time Funding Option - Estimated Stipend Range: $3500 - $6000

  • Internships that are 250-300 hours (students will not be funded for hours beyond)

  • $3500 base

  • $1000 demonstrated financial need

  • $500 commuting (in-person)

  • $500-$1000 relocation (in-person)

Part- Time Option - Estimated Stipend Range: $2500 - $3750

  • Internships that are 200 to 249 hours (students will not be funded for fewer hours)

  • $2500 base

  • $500 demonstrated financial need

  • $250 commuting (in-person)

  • $250-$500 relocation (in-person)

Expenses not covered by the Crusader Internship Fund include (but are not limited to): the purchase of a vehicle; clothing; test prep courses (LSAT, GRE, etc.); insurance; internship programs that charge for participation, summer coursework and/or academic research, startups run by students, personal travel; and entertainment.

How To Apply for Funding – Once you have been offered an unpaid Summer 2024 internship, enter your internship employment details and identify 2-3 Learning Objectives, based on the NACE Career Competencies, in your Handshake account using Request An Experience (select Career Center tab, then Request an Experience, then the Crusader Internship Fund Experience Type). 

These instructions will walk you through how to complete each section of the Experience questionnaire in Handshake. 

Application Review Criteria: Crusader Internship Fund requests are approved based upon the student having an internship offer in hand, quality of submitted application materials, benefit to student, and internship meeting qualifying criteria.

Crusader Internship Fund Request Timeline: Summer 2024 Funding Closes June 6, 2024.

Once the portal is open and you have secured an unpaid internship, you can Request an Experience through Handshake to get into the application queue. Your application will be reviewed and you will receive confirmation of receipt within 5 business days (Monday-Friday). Application approval is not considered final until internship details have been verified by the employer via Handshake, at which point your funding amount will be communicated. Generally, the funding award amount will be communicated within one week of confirmation that your application has been received, contingent on the prompt response from your employer.

Funding is awarded on a rolling basis and funding is limited. Funding is not guaranteed. 

*Please note, funding is limited and as summer approaches your application may be put on hold until a determination can be made.  

Recent Funding Sources: Crusader Internship funding is available through a number of specific funding sources from alumni and other Holy Cross affiliated groups. Recent funding sources include: Holy Cross Leadership Council, Holy Cross Alumni Association and Regional Clubs, J.D. Power Fund, Atchinson Family Fund, William F. McCall, Jr. '55 Summer Internships Fund, Daniels Fund, McKay Fund and Beale Fund. Students need not apply for individual funding sources. If awarded funding, the Center for Career Development staff will determine the most relevant funding source.

McKay Opportunity Fund
Students with financial need may be eligible for supplemental funding through the McKay Opportunity Fund if the full-time internship is underpaid or unpaid. The McKay funds are intended to offset the many costs associated with internships, including professional attire, transportation, meals, etc.

You should apply to the Crusader Internship Fund via Handshake if you have secured an unpaid internship that you intend to accept.  Eligibility for McKay funding will automatically be calculated from your Crusader internship fund application.  

If you have secured a summer internship that is underpaid, please complete this form so that we may determine your eligibility for McKay funding.

Please note: only full-time internships are eligible for McKay Opportunity Funding 

Requirements for Funded Students

  • Once funds are awarded, all recipients will receive an agreement, which they must sign electronically. This agreement will provide information about the terms of the award and the timing of the distribution of funds to the recipient. Funding will be withheld from any recipient whose internship falls through. Likewise, if the internship ends prematurely, funding will be prorated accordingly. Failure to comply with other terms as stated in the agreement may result in the cancellation of the award, nonpayment of the first and/or second disbursement, or in the recipient being billed by the College for any or all amounts already received.
  • Attend a summer send-off workshop materials, which cover tips and requirements for your summer internship
  • Students must complete a short midpoint and final evaluation during the course of their summer internship.
  • Students must receive credit and transcript notation through the Experiential Learning Partial Credit (ELPC) program at the College
  • At the completion of the internship, students will send a thank you note to the donor(s) of their internship as well as to their internship supervisor and any others at the organization they want to thank for their assistance
  • Attend a virtual 'Concluding your Internship on the Right Foot" workshop to learn about next steps and how to capitalize on your experience
  • Serve as a CIF Intern for the next academic year and provide the CCD a headshot photo for the intern spotlight campaign
  • Contact Employer Supervisor to obtain evaluation, if needed

How do I Find a Summer Internship?

Start by looking on Handshake. Filter by Labels: use career community labels to view alumni connected and Holy Cross partner employer roles.  You can also research prior internship opportunities by seeing where summer 2023 funded students have interned on the Crusader Internship Fund Directory. 

Questions?

Please email careers@holycross.edu if you have any questions.