How I Turned an Unpaid Internship Into a Funded Opportunity
There’s a point in the internship search where you find something you actually want to do, and then realize it’s unpaid or in a city you probably can’t afford.
That was my situation when I came across a Sales and Marketing internship on Handshake. What stood out immediately was that the role was being offered through the Derby Entrepreneurship Center Internship Program at Tufts. I hadn’t really thought much about funding opportunities before, but seeing that made me look into it more seriously.
After I secured the internship, which I’ll be doing this summer, I applied for the Derby Center grant tied to the position. The process itself was pretty straightforward, but definitely required some thought. Most of the application centered around a few essays where I had to explain what I would be doing, what I wanted to learn, and how the experience connected to my longer-term goals.
I also had to think about the financial side of things. While I could have made the internship work without funding since I was located in the same city, the grant would make it much easier to fully commit to the experience and focus on the work itself.
In the end, I was able to secure both the internship and the grant.
What I didn’t realize at first is that this kind of funding isn’t limited to just one program. The entrepreneurship grant I applied for is just one option; Tufts actually offers a range of internship grants through the Career Center and other programs. These can support unpaid or low-paid internships across different fields, including nonprofit, public sector, sustainability, and even finance-related roles.
The general process is similar across most of them. First, you secure an internship that meets the requirements (usually full-time and unpaid or low-paid). Then, you apply for funding by submitting your resume, transcript, and a few essays about your goals and what you hope to gain from the experience. The key is being clear and specific about how the internship fits into your overall path.
The biggest takeaway from this experience for me is that you don’t have to limit yourself to only paid roles. If you find a position you’re genuinely excited about, it’s worth looking into whether Tufts can provide funding for you to access that experience. In many cases, you can take that opportunity first and then apply for a grant to support it, which opens up a much wider range of internships than most people initially consider.