The Horatio Alger Association’s Internship Stipend Program provides financial support of up to $5,000 to Scholars in good standing, enabling them to participate in summer internships—whether paid or unpaid—in their chosen field. This opportunity helps Scholars gain valuable work experience and professional development as they prepare for their post-college careers.

ELIGIBILITY:

• Applicants must be in good standing as a Horatio Alger Scholar
• All Undergraduate Scholars may apply
• Minimum GPA requirement of 2.7
• Internship must be a minimum of 100 hours and 6 weeks
• Students with paid internships may still qualify to receive a stipend
• Applicant must provide a resume and internship cover letter. (Please do not begin the application until you have a cover letter and resume ready.)
• If you have previously received an internship stipend from the Horatio Alger Association, you are not eligible to apply.

INTERNSHIP ORGANIZATION REQUIREMENTS:

To be eligible, the internship hosting organization must meet the following criteria as outlined in the National association of colleges & employers (NACE) position statement on US internships:

The Host Organization Must Provide:

• A clear and detailed position description with a clear start and end date.
• Numerous opportunities for students to apply knowledge learned in the classroom.
• The development or enhancement of transferable professional skills.
• Clearly defined learning objectives related to the Scholar’s course of study.
• Regular and direct supervision from a single staff person with significant experience in the field.
• Numerous opportunities for direct feedback provided by the supervisor.
• All equipment and resources necessary to support meaningful learning as well as the completion of assigned tasks.
• A clear connection to your major/ future career paths and interests.

The Horatio Alger Association Internship Stipend Program is a competitive process. The selection committee may have more Scholars apply than available funds. To make your application as strong as possible, please consider the following components:

• Connection to your Major / Career: The committee is looking for well thought out applications that align with your academic and career goals.
• Depth of Proposed Experience and Goal Setting: Whether the internship is meant as a deeper pursuit of a previous internship or experience or as an exploratory experience to help you narrow down your interests and goals, you should provide a thoughtful reflection of why you chose that particular experience.
• Non-Profits/Charities & Government Agencies: The committee wants to learn about the community that will be impacted through your internship experience, as well as how that community will be served.
• Private & Public Companies: The committee is interested in understanding how this opportunity will contribute to your professional growth and future career aspirations.
• Evaluation and Evidence of Support: The committee is looking for clear descriptions of probable tasks and projects you have identified with your supervisor (or found in the job description). Please do your best to accurately reflect what you will be working on; we do recognize that actual projects are likely to change slightly as you begin the internship, and we will not penalize you for those changes.
  

The Horatio Alger Association Internship Stipend Summer Program application is disbursed in two rounds. Round 1 applications are due by March 24, 2026, and Round 2 applications are due by April 15, 2026. Awards are made on a rolling basis until funding is exhausted, so applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.