WIG Information for Employers
If you are a student who is interested in applying for the WIG to fund an unpaid internship opportunity, please visit the main Whitman Internship Grant (WIG) page for instructions on how to apply.
What is the Whitman Internship Grant?
Nonprofit organizations, government and public offices, and certain for-profit businesses (approved on a case-by-case basis) that may not be able to offer paid internships may instead create opportunities that are eligible for funding through the Whitman Internship Grant (WIG).
The WIG is a competitive grant that provides funding to students who secure or build an unpaid internship opportunity. A Whitman Internship Grant may be provided for a semester or for a domestic or international summer experience. Students first secure an internship offer, and then apply for the WIG; they must secure the internship before the application deadline, and no deadline extensions are offered. Students may apply for a grant if they are eligible to work in the U.S. and are enrolled at Whitman full-time during the term of their internship or the term following a summer internship.
The number of awards available during each cycle is limited, and preference is given to students who are seeking their first grant. Students may receive up to $1,300 for a fall or spring semester internship, up to $4,000 for a domestic summer internship, and up to $5,500 for an international summer internship. Funds for the WIG program are allocated by the Career and Community Engagement Center based on review of student applications. The grant is considered an educational award and is therefore taxable income. WIG recipients are not considered employees of Whitman College, and thus are not covered under the college's liability insurance.
Students will complete an application that includes multiple short-answer questions about the internship goals, organization details, evaluation criteria of the internship, training period, and supervision model. As a supervisor, you may assist your intern in strengthening their application by providing specific details about the organization, the intern's responsibilities, training methods, criteria for evaluation, and mode of feedback. Supervisors are expected to provide necessary safety training and orientation to the intern, as well as regular feedback and performance evaluation(s). Supervisors will be required to sign a Whitman Internship Grant Student-Supervisor Contract in order to indicate their support. Applicants will receive this contract and be able to share it once they are selected and notified of their grant.
How do I create and share a WIG-eligible internship opportunity?
Please refer to the instructions on our Recruit at Whitman College page for complete information about recruiting at the college and instructions for posting internship listings to our job and internship platform, Handshake.
To qualify for the grant, internships must be unpaid and must abide by the U.S. Department of Labor Fair Labor Standards Act. Internships should be high-impact and relevant to the student’s educational goals and/or career interests; also, WIG-eligible internships cannot involve religious work or political work that benefits a political party or candidate. Relatives cannot supervise applicants.
Internships must last the duration of the grant timeframe the applicant is pursuing (Fall Semester: September to December; Spring Semester: January to May; Summer: May to August). During the fall or spring semester, interns must work a total of approximately 80-100 hours. Students should work approximately 200 hours in total for a summer internship.
What are the WIG application timelines?
WIG deadlines for student applications are typically in mid-September for fall semester grants, late January for spring semester grants, and mid-March for summer grants. Please refer to the current timelines on our main WIG webpage for the latest application cycle and deadline information.
Students must have secured their unpaid internship before they are allowed to apply for the WIG. We encourage organizations who are looking to host a WIG recipient to post their openings early - by at least the opening date of the most current WIG cycle - so that students will have sufficient time to prepare their WIG application after securing their position. We recommend closing your position two weeks before the WIG deadline.
Resources for Employers
- Review Whitman College’s Recruitment Policies and Practices
- If applicable, consult our Guide to Hiring International Students
- Please visit the U.S. Department of Labor Fair Labor Standards Act fact sheet to ensure that your unpaid internship meets its required criteria
- Read our Whitman Internship Grant Information for Supervisors page for details about hiring and hosting a Whitman student as an intern at your organization or office
- Refer to our general Information for Internship Supervisors for additional guidance
- Please send any questions to Nadine Stecklein, Associate Director for Employer Engagement and Internship Programs, at stecklen@whitman.edu.