Learn more about funding eligibility and the process through which funding is awarded.
Below you will find information regarding eligibility to apply for summer funding, and policies and procedures around the process. Please also refer to the Summer Funding Sources page to learn more about the different available funds and their donors, or to the Summer Funding Application Process site to better understand the process through which to apply.
Student Eligibility
Only students who have completed all components of the Summer Funding Application before the deadline are eligible to be considered for funding.
Applicants must have completed at least one semester at Colgate, and intend to enroll in at least one remaining semester at Colgate. Students who are graduating December 2019–May 2022 are eligible to apply for funding during the 2019 application cycle. Funding is not available for May 2019 graduates. Students must be in good academic and behavioral standing to be eligible to apply.
Student resumes/CVs must be certified by Career Services during the 2018–2019 academic year.
If an applicant seeks funding for an internship outside of their home country, it is the student’s responsibility to secure proper work documentation and visas to pursue the opportunity prior to the start date listed on the Internship Confirmation Form.
Other Eligibility Requirements
Funding is available to help cover unpaid and underpaid experiential education opportunities: internship, research (including field school), volunteer work, and well-designed independent projects.
The experience or the combination of experiences must be a minimum of 8 weeks in duration. Exceptions for extenuating circumstances such as military service or an early study abroad departure will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Funding may be available to assist with program fees associated with internships or academic experiences. However, these awards are subject to the maximum grant amounts, which will also include funding for living and travel costs. For students considering experiences that include a significant program fee, we highly encourage you to consider whether your goals can be achieved without partnering with a fee-based organization. If you are interested in pursuing a business bridge program, we encourage you to enroll the Harvard Business School Online program, for which Colgate maintains a partnership.
International internships are subject to additional review to evaluate risk and to ensure the student’s safety and preparedness. Career Services and Colgate will not sponsor grants for travel to international destinations that currently or at any point during the application process have heightened associated health and/or safety risks. Please conduct adequate research via the U.S. State Department and International SOS (member number: 11BSGC000073) to assess if the experience you are considering and the location to which you’re proposing travel currently has any travel, health, or safety advisories or warnings. If so, before advancing your application, please consult with career services at 315-228-7380 or internship@colgate.edu to determine the eligibility of your proposal. When reviewing funding proposals for international experiences, Career Services will consider: U.S. Department of State advisories, International SOS ratings, a student’s experience with international travel, and the nature of the proposed experience (with a group, on the ground support, etc.). International funding support will not be given to experiences where the international component is less than 6 weeks in duration.
Applicants cannot access funding from multiple Colgate sources. If you have committed to receiving funding from the Lampert Institute, Upstate Institute, student- or faculty-initiated summer research, TIA, Colgate summer employment, or another Colgate source, you are obligated to withdraw your funding application through Career Services. Likewise, if you commit to accessing Career Services’ funding, you must withdraw your application for other on-campus funding sources’ application processes.
Awards and Payment
Maximum grant amounts for summer 2019 are $5,000 (domestic) or $6,000 (international). The total award is contingent upon multiple criteria, including the duration of the experience, the geographic location, and the student's actual expected expenses.
Once students are notified that they have been awarded a summer funding grant, they are expected to advise Career Services immediately upon accepting an offer for the summer. Career Services must receive confirmation that the student has accepted an experience for the summer and all other required paperwork before any grant funding will be released.
Funding is not intended to replace wages for one’s experience and cannot, in fact, replace lost wages. Instead, it is meant to help cover supplemental costs associated with pursuing an unpaid or underpaid internship including, but not limited to, living (housing and utilities), transportation (travel to city of employer, daily tolls/commuting costs), and food. Funding toward other expenditures will be considered on an individual basis (e.g. workplace attire, dry cleaning, immunizations for international trips, etc.).
Payment will be made upfront in one lump sum once all required paperwork is completed. Career Services reserves the right to demand payback from the student if recipient does not comply with all requirements and deadlines.
In compliance with IRS regulations, the funding granted by Career Services in support of one's internship or experience is considered taxable income. Funding recipients are responsible for reporting this award on their 2019 tax returns. Please consult your tax advisor for additional information.
Upon completion of all paperwork, please expect a minimum 2 week turnaround for funding to be released.
As a condition of receiving funding, short assignments are required at the completion of the student experience. Award recipients must comply with all set deadlines and requirements. Should a recipient default on his/her contract, Career Services will revoke the funding award AND the student will become ineligible for future Career Services funding and recruiting opportunities. Career Services reserves the right to inform a student’s internship provider of his/her non-compliance and violation of Summer Funding policy.