50. Provide scholarships for students of color, first-generation students, and students with lower incomes who seek to participate in internships and fellowships.
Here’s what the federal government can do:
- The U.S. Department of Education should collect, conduct, and disseminate research on models for increasing participation rates of students of color, first-generation students, and students with lower incomes in internships and fellowships.
Here’s what state government can do:
- State legislatures should establish state partnerships between higher education institutions, government entities, and businesses to provide scholarships for students of color, first-generation students, and students with lower incomes who seek to participate in internships..
Here’s what institutional leaders can do:
- Higher education institutions should provide scholarships for students of color, first-generation students, and students with lower incomes who seek to participate in internships, especially those that are unpaid.
- Higher education institutions should ensure that scholarship information for students who seek to participate in internships is shared in recruitment materials, catalogs, student handbooks, and on public websites.
Higher education institutions can support students of color, first-generation students, and students with lower incomes in their access to internships and fellowships by providing scholarships that allow them to explore their interests and build meaningful careers.
All students should have access to internship and fellowship opportunities that support their academic and professional learning, equipping students with skills and networks essential for growing careers. However, research shows that 74 percent of paid internships go to white students, while 6 percent go to Black students, 5 percent to Asian American students, 8 percent to Hispanic students, 0.5 percent to Native American students, and 0.1 percent to Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students.[i] More than 56 percent of children under the age of 18 in the United States live in a household where no parent has a college degree,[ii] however, first-generation students account for 25 percent of students who never intern and just 19 percent of paid interns.[iii] In comparison to continuing-generation students (41 percent), only 27 percent of first-generation students participated in internships.[iv]
[i] “Open The Door: Disparities in Paid Internships,” National Association of Colleges and Employers, November 1, 2020. https://www.naceweb.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/trends-and-predictions/open-the-door-disparities-in-paid-internships/#:~:text=However%2C%20just%206.0%25%20of%20paid,who%20identify%20as%20multi%2Dracial.
[ii] Hamilton, Ilana. “56% of All Undergraduates Are First-Generation College Students,” Forbes, April 2, 2024. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/education/online-colleges/first-generation-college-students-by-state/.
[iii]“First-Generation Students Underrepresented in Internships,” National Association of Colleges and Employers, August 1, 2020. https://www.naceweb.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/trends-and-predictions/first-generation-students-underrepresented-in-internships/.
[iv]Marken, Stephanie; & Curtis Drew. “Four in 10 College Students Have Had Internship Experience,” Gallup, August 16, 2023. https://www.gallup.com/education/509468/four-college-students-internship-experience.aspx.