Student Veterans & Service Members Internship Grant

To recognize the University’s support of student veterans, a financial grant from the Walmart Foundation will be used to fund internships for student veterans and service members for 2009–2010. Internship grants (in varying amounts up to a maximum of $1,800) will be awarded each term (fall 2009, spring 2010, May/summer 2010) to qualified applicants. Grant preference will be given to students engaged in unpaid internships, although paid internships that pay less than $1,800 throughout the semester will also be considered.

Application deadlines

All application materials must be submitted via e-mail to veterans@umn.edu no later than 4:30 p.m. on the deadline day. Late applications will not be accepted. Grant application deadlines are as follows:

Fall semester: September 23, 2009

Spring semester: February 10, 2010

May/summer term: June 9, 2010

Internship criteria

Your internship must

  • provide no fewer than 100 hours of internship experience during the term.
  • have a supervisor at the internship site who can verify hours and provide help toward a meaningful and productive experience.
  • pay under $1,800 in a semester; no grants will be issued to interns paid $1,800 or more per semester.

Applicants must be:

  • admitted, degree-seeking undergraduates or graduate/professional students in any college or program at a University of Minnesota campus—Twin Cities, Crookston, Duluth, Morris, or Rochester.
  • current members of the military who have completed initial training or veterans as defined by the state of Minnesota.
  • engaged in the majority of internship hours for the semester in which they are applying for the grant.

The grant process

  1. Find the right internship—To be eligible for this grant, you must first find an appropriate internship, practicum, or field experience. If you need help, contact your career services office at career.umn.edu.
  2. Apply for the grant—The grant process is competitive. Recipients will be chosen by a Grant Selection Committee made up of University staff and a student representative. (See the next section, “Completing your application.”)
  3. Grant award notice—After the committee has met and selected award recipients, the grant coordinator will contact all applicants via e-mail. The notification process will occur 2–3 weeks after the application deadline.
  4. Grant award amounts—Grant award amounts will vary and are designed to provide income for you during the time you are engaged in an unpaid or low-paid internship, practicum, or field experiences “Low-paid” is classified as experiences that will yield less than $1,800, the maximum amount of grant support, over the course of a term. For example, if your internship pays a $800 stipend throughout the course of the semester, you could receive a $1,000 grant to bring you up to the $1,800 maximum. You may reapply each term; however, no guarantee can be made that you will receive an award. Preference will be given to first-time applicants.
  5. Grant disbursement—If you are awarded a grant, you will receive it in two payments: the first payment will follow shortly after you receive notice of the grant and after internship parameters have been verified with your internship supervisor.  At the end of the term for which you are awarded the grant, the grant coordinator will again verify your hours and performance with your supervisor. You will also need to write a thank-you letter or e-mail to the Walmart Foundation, articulating how the grant money has helped you succeed in your internship. A copy (hard copy or electronic) of the thank-you letter will need to be submitted to the grant coordinator. At that point you will receive the second half of your award. Please note that funds will be paid as income earned and taxes will be taken out, based on the information you provide on a W-2 form.

Completing the application

To apply, please download the Student Veterans & Service Members Internship Grant Application ).The two-page file must be completed online and saved. The application must be completed in full and include all additional materials or it will not be considered. You will be asked to e-mail file copies of all application materials to veterans@umn.edu. Following are guidelines for submitting a complete application.

Write a statement of purpose. Please write a two to three page (double-spaced) statement to explain how the internship will support your academic and career goals. Electronic or scanned copies are accepted. Your statement will be evaluated according to the selection criteria below:

Develop appropriate and thoughtful connections between your academic work, your career goals, and your internship.

  • What specific academic concepts and/or theories (from what specific classes or professors) will you learn about or test in your internship?
  • How does the “real world” work of your internship enhance/expand/explore what you are learning through coursework in your major or degree program?
  • What is your long-term career objective, or your best guess at what your career will look like in 10 or 15 years? How will this experience help you get there?

Articulate clear goals for your internship and describe realistic strategies for realizing those goals.

  • What specific goals do you have for your internship?
  • What concrete and measurable strategies will you use to achieve these goals?
  • What specific skills would you like to develop / how might you do this in your internship?

Describe the level of responsibility in your internship and the impact your work has on the organization.

  • How would you describe the level of responsibility you have in your internship?
  • What makes you say that? Can you give examples?
  • How will the project/organization/individual with whom you interned be positively changed as a result of having you as an intern?

You will also need to verify your military experience by submiting a copy of your DD214 or proof of initial training completed.

Tips for success

Start early. Completing you application requires time to properly and thoroughly prepare the application materials. Write your essay as carefully as possible. Avoid jargon in your essay. The selection committee will not necessarily be experts in your field.

Work with the grant coordinator. If you have questions, require assistance, or would like feedback on your essay draft, contact the grant coordinator at veterans@umn.edu.

Proofread. Review your completed application materials carefully before submission. Check for spelling and grammatical errors. The committee will expect your essay to be of the same high quality as an academic final paper. Make certain that you have included ALL of the required materials.

Plan ahead. If you are doing an internship out of state or abroad,plan ahead and complete your application materials in advance of the deadline. It is strongly recommended that, if you are completing an internship outside of Minnesota, you e-mail the grant coordinator at veterans@umn.edu to confirm that all of your materials have been completed properly and received in full.