PCIP Summer: Domestic
PCIP: Summer Domestic provides financial support for students to build upon their academic pursuits with experiential learning and career development opportunities. The funding helps alleviate financial barriers for living expenses for a minimum of 6-week summer experience associated with unpaid or low-paid opportunities. Students who successfully complete their internship and required assignments also receive a transcript notation.
- In-person, remote, and hybrid internships will be considered for PCIP funding.
- Students can apply through Handshake to “PCIP-eligible” listings or secure their own eligible opportunity.
- Participating students will need to complete at least 240 hours over the course of the summer.
- Internships must be unpaid or low-paid (compensation valued at $1500 or less in wages, stipends, housing, travel stipends, or other forms of compensation)
PCIP Summer: Domestic is for opportunities that are within the United States, or within your home country, if that is outside of the US.
Priority consideration is granted to:
- Students who have not previously received a PCIP: Summer award
- Students who have made a shift in career direction, either through a change of major and/or though the identification of a new path for which they lack experiential learning
- Students who would not be able to pursue the proposed opportunity without an award
- Rising seniors who have not yet engaged in a significant experiential learning opportunity necessary for a successful launch upon graduation
Undocumented & DACA-mented students are welcome to apply.
Students receiving PCIP funding are expected to represent Pomona College with integrity in all off-campus conduct. This includes abiding by the regulations and expectations (e.g. dress code, modes of communication, office conduct, etc.) set in place by your employer.
Per campus policy, students may participate in a stipend-based program (i.e. PCIP, SURP, Mellon-Mays, Humanities Studio, Beckman, departmental funding) OR work an on campus job (i.e. teaching assistants). If a student is offered both a PCIP stipend and another funded opportunity, they must make the necessary arrangements to select only one source of funding.
Funding decisions are at the discretion of the Career Development Office.
New Internship Experience Each Cycle
Students must have secured a new internship experience each cycle they apply for funding.
- Students returning to the same employer, in the same position/role will not receive funding.
- Students returning to the same employer, but in a new position/role or with increasing responsibility will be considered.
Hour Requirement
Students receiving PCIP funding are required to complete at least 240 hours at their internship over the course of the summer. Students & supervisors are encouraged to keep a log of hours completed. Students and their supervisors may choose to use this template to track internship hours.
- Students should also account for holidays and any other planned absences when creating their internship schedule with their supervisor(s).
- Failure or refusal to complete the 240 hour minimum will result in termination of funding, loss of transcript notation, and will be considered in any future application for PCIP funding.
Assignments in Canvas
Students awarded PCIP funding must complete all required program assignments (available via Canvas).
Failure or refusal to submit timely, quality, PCIP assignments will result in the termination of funding, loss of transcript notation, and will be considered in any future application for PCIP funding.
- Enrolled full-time at Pomona College for Spring 2025 and returning in Fall 2025 (graduating seniors are not eligible to apply)
- Good academic and judicial standing (3.0 GPA or above and should not be on academic probation)*
- CPT eligible (applicable to F-1 International Students only); see International Student FAQs for additional information
- Secured a PCIP-eligible internship (PCIP-eligible means the internship must be unpaid or low paid, withing the eligible industries, and that you aren’t receiving credit for it via a major/program).
- Minimum of 240 hours of supervised work, for a minimum of 6 weeks
*These items will be verified by the respective offices.
Undocumented & DACA-mented students are welcome to apply.
For PCIP Summer, internships must be unpaid or low-paid (compensation valued at $1500 or less in wages, stipends, housing, travel stipends, or other forms of compensation)
The CDO uses the definition of internships provided by the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE):
Internships should:
An internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting.
- Provide “real-world” experience beyond the classroom.
- Involve reciprocity, i.e., a mutually beneficial experience for both the student and the internship provider.
- Include a high level of supervision, training, and mentoring.
Opportunities being considered for PCIP must either be labeled as “PCIP Eligible” on Handshake or be an opportunity with a company in an eligible industry.
Eligible industries include: Education (K-12 and Higher Education), Government (Local, State, and Federal), Healthcare (non-pharmaceuticals), Journalism, Law, Library Services, NGO, Non-Profit Organization, Performing and Fine Arts, Politics, Religious Work, and Research (non-7C affiliated).
Ineligible industries include: Private, for-profit consulting, finance/accounting, engineering, tech (including bio-tech/fin-tech, etc.), pharmaceuticals, and retail companies or organizations are not eligible. This includes start-up companies or organizations within these specified industries.
Eligibility Clarification: A company’s industry is a classification that groups organizations with similar activities together and within that company they may have a variety of job roles.
Example:
- Not eligible – A finance intern role for a private, for-profit company in the finance industry.
- Eligible – A finance intern role for a non-profit organization.
Ineligible Opportunities
The following opportunities are ineligible for PCIP Summer: Domestic funding:
- Paid opportunities that offer compensation valued at $1500 or more, including wages, stipends, housing, or other forms of compensation.
- Opportunities that fulfill the criteria of SURP (Summer Undergraduate Research Program)
- If your opportunity fulfills the criteria of SURP, then you should apply for SURP
- PCIP: Summer Experience will consider opportunities (like research experiences) that are INELIGIBLE for SURP
- Pre-thesis research without a significant experiential learning component
- Opportunities that are a requirement of a major/program (i.e. mandatory PPA internships for seniors in the fall semester)
- Opportunities where you’ll be receiving Pomona College course credit
- Opportunities where you’ll be receiving additional funding support (i.e. CDO Pre-Health Transportation Subsidy)
- Opportunities with any fee component (tuition, room/board, etc.)
- Independent projects with no supervision, program, or structure in place
- Non-credit courses or training programs
- Shadowing experiences
- Pomona College or other 7C-based opportunities (opportunities must be external & organized/administered by the employer/company/organization)
- Organizations run by members of students’ immediate family, or current undergraduate students
Finding PCIP Eligible Internships in Handshake
To find opportunities that have been pre-approved as eligible for PCIP consideration, visit Handshake and navigate to the jobs page and filter for the label “pcip eligible”.
To filter, select “All Filters” and at the bottom of the dialogue box, under “Labeled by your school” select “pcip eligible”.
Please Note: While these opportunities have been labeled as eligible for consideration, it is not guaranteed that your application will be awarded.
Sourcing Your Own Internship:
If you are looking to find your own opportunity, it must with a company in an eligible industry, please see above for eligibility requirements.
Unsure of where or how to start?
Make an appointment with an advisor in Handshake or attend regularly scheduled drop-ins.
You can also check out the interactive map of previous employers that have hired students in past semesters, visit the student opportunities dashboard.
- Wednesday, February 26 – Application OPENS via SurveyMonkey Apply
- Sunday, April 13 @ 11:59 pm (PT) – Application CLOSES
- Friday, May 2 – Decision Notifications
- Sunday, May 11 @ 11:59 pm (PT) – Deadline to accept PCIP offer and submit funding documents
- Monday, May 19 – First day for summer internship hours to begin
- Friday, August 22 – Last day of summer internship hours to count (minimum of 240 hours required)
The application can be accessed via SurveyMonkey Apply and requires the following items:
- Résumé (the one used to apply to your internship opportunity)
- Cover Letter (the one used to apply to your internship opportunity)
- Video Interview
- How did you find this opportunity and why did you choose to pursue it?
- Explain what your major responsibilities during this opportunity will be. What will supervision look like?
- How does this experience fit into your career goals?
- How do you anticipate applying your liberal arts education to this experience?
- Official Offer Letter from Employer (not negotiable; internships must be secured at time of application)
Refer to the How-to Use SurveyMonkey Apply guide for step-by-step instructions.
Students who are awarded PCIP will be required to submit the following funding documents to accept the award:
- W9/Sprintax form
- Pomona College Direct Deposit Form
- Bank Documentation for Direct Deposit
Please note:
- All materials must be submitted through SurveyMonkey Apply
- All applications & associated materials will be reviewed by CDO staff
- No late applications or materials will be reviewed
- Students will be notified of funding decisions within 1 week from the application deadline
- Payments tend to be delayed by mistakes in funding paperwork: incorrect SSN, no bank documentation, missing account/routing numbers. When submitting an application, please ensure all forms are correctly and completely filled out.
- Submission of an application does not guarantee selection to receive a PCIP award stipend.
Students stipend awards will be determined by modality:
- $4,000 for remote
- $4,500 for hybrid
- $5,000 for in-person
All PCIP funding is disbursed via direct deposit and contingent on students completing required internship hours & assignments. Please note that PCIP funding is not intended to replace wages. Instead, the funding is meant to help alleviate supplemental costs associated with pursuing an unpaid internship.
Important: Students must commit to working a minimum of 240 internship hours during the summer.
- Please note: Recipients may not participate in both PCIP and any other Pomona College employment or stipend programs during the Summer.
Tax Implications: Based on the size of your stipend and the items you spend the money on, there may be tax implications. The IRS considers the award as income to the recipient. When filing tax returns, it may be required to report the amount of the award. Please consult a tax professional with any questions or assistance. Visit the Financial Aid website to learn more.
Students with a demonstrated financial need, as determined by the Office of Financial Aid, may be eligible for additional funds.
Students must first secure an opportunity in order to apply to PCIP, as an offer letter is a required part of the application. Your offer letter should:
- Be on official letterhead
- Be signed & dated by a company representative
- Include your full name (first and last name)
- State your start date and end date
- State the expected number of internship hours to be completed during this time
- State that your internship is unpaid or the total amount of compensation you will receive (including in the form of wages, stipends, housing, etc.)
- Clearly indicate whether your experience will be remote or in-person (For in-person internships, we ask that employers offer you the flexibility to work remotely, if needed. This option should be indicated in your offer letter.)
If you do not have an official offer letter at this time, we will accept an email screenshot/PDF containing the same information above.
- PCIP Summer: International is for opportunities that are outside of the United States, as well as your home country, if that is outside of the US.
- PCIP Summer: Domestic is for opportunities that are within the United States, or within your home country, if that is outside of the US.