Career Services Summer Funding

Our largest and oldest internship fund, The Pitzer Internship Fund (PIF) is the result of generous gifts from Pitzer Alumni, Parents/Family Members, and Friends to provide funding for unpaid summer internships or research experiences. 

The goal of the Pitzer Internship Fund is to support student engagement in meaningful experiences that facilitate career exploration and the development of professional skills and networks.

Funding is intended to support expenses incurred as part of a student’s summer experience, such as lodging, transportation, and food, and is not intended to provide compensation.

Application Deadlines:

• March 30, 2026: for students on need-based financial aid
• April 15, 2026: All other students. Priority will be given to students with demonstrated financial need.

Note: We are ONLY accepting Pitzer Internship Fund (PIF) applications from students who have secured an internship or research opportunity.

Apply for the Pitzer Internship Fund

For more information, contact Teresa Roberts at teresa_roberts@pitzer.edu

Pitzer Internship Funding (PIF) Stipends

Internship awards are funded up to the following maximums:

PIF Funding Information 

• Since Career Services funding is limited, students may receive Career Services funding only once during their time at Pitzer College.
  • Students are not eligible to receive Career Services funding if they are already receiving internship or research funding from another Pitzer College department or office during the same summer.
  • Rare exceptions may be made for the R.T. Scott, Poon, Sadava, and Science Internship Funds due to their specific application requirements.
• If a student is funded, taxes will not be taken out of the award. It will be the responsibility of the recipient to report the funding appropriately to state and federal agencies.
• If for any reason a student is unable to complete their experience, funding must be returned to Pitzer College. This may include pro-rated funding.
• Students who are funded are required to complete a pre- and post-evaluation and a reflection piece at the end of their experience. 
• Students who are funded are required to attend a pre-internship orientation prior to funds being distributed. 
• For funding purposes only, stipends will cover the period on or after Monday, May 18, 2026, through on or before Friday, August 28, 2026.
• Career Services summer funding is not intended to provide compensation. It’s intended to cover expenses while a student is participating in a summer experience.
• 50-mile rule: Measured from permanent home to internship site. 

This award will fund student-driven entrepreneurial summer projects that add to the education of the award recipients and their anticipated career path. 

The fund was created by Pitzer alumnus and Director of The John and Carrie Santangelo Foundation, John T. Scott ’87, to honor his late father, Ronald T. Scott, a Pomona College alumnus. Majoring in Philosophy, Ronald studied Aristotelian ethics and was devoted to incorporating the values of Aristotle’s 12 virtues into his personal and professional endeavors.

Funding available ranges from $1000 to $5000. Partial funding may be offered.

The award will be given to at least (1) student annually and be determined by the Office of Career Services. 

Award criteria

• Proposals should reflect the academic, philosophical, and career aspirations that emulate the spirit of Ronald T. Scott’s life.
• Applicants must be Pitzer students who are current first- years, sophomores, and juniors (i.e., rising sophomores, juniors, & seniors for fall 2026) in good academic standing.
• Funds can be awarded to an individual student or a student team, although funding will only support participation by Pitzer students.
• Individual students or student teams will be required to have a mentor or mentors to support the development of their project. 

Application Deadline

• April 15, 2026 by 11:59 p.m. 
• For more information, contact Teresa Roberts at teresa_roberts@pitzer.edu

Apply to the The Ronald T. Scott Entrepreneurial Award

Named in honor of Dr. Thomas Poon, Professor of Chemistry at the Department of Natural Sciences, and former Interim President of Pitzer College, the Poon Endowed Student Internship Fund supports the engagement of one Pitzer student in a summer internship/research experience. 

Funding for summer 2026 is up to $5000. 

Awards will be given to at least one student annually to be determined by Career Services. Preference will be given to candidates with demonstrated financial need.

Award criteria

• Be current sophomore or junior (i.e., rising junior or senior for fall 2026)
• Have a GPA of 3.5 or higher and an academic concentration in chemistry or biochemistry.
• Must work in-person or hybrid at least 280 hours to receive the full stipend amount.

Application Deadline

• February 23, 2026 by 11:59 pm
• For more information, contact Teresa Roberts at teresa_roberts@pitzer.edu

Apply to the Thomas Poon Endowed Internship Fund

Named in honor of Dr. David Sadava, Emeritus Pritzker Professor of Biology at the Keck Science Department, the Sadava Endowed Student Internship Fund supports the engagement of one Pitzer student in a summer internship/research experience. 

Funding for summer 2026 is up to $5,000. 

 Awards will be given to at least one student annually to be determined by Career Services.

Award Criteria

• Be a junior or senior with an academic concentration in biology or a related field, which includes but is not limited to neuroscience, human biology, chemistry and biochemistry
• Have a strong career and/or research interest in medicine or a related field focusing on human health (as opposed to plant or environmental science).
• Preference will be given to candidates with demonstrated financial need and to candidates with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
• Must work in-person or hybrid at least 280 hours to receive the full stipend amount.

Note: The Selection Committee may take into consideration the trajectory of an applicant’s academic record (i.e. approaching the GPA preference) and/or evidence of academic ability in other activities, such as research, that demonstrate an applicant's potential in a related field of study.

Application Deadline

• February 23, 2026 by 11:59 pm
• For more information, contact Teresa Roberts at teresa_roberts@pitzer.edu

Apply to the David Sadava Endowed Student Internship Fund

This award is indented to support student internships in the sciences, which can include placement in a student/faculty science-focused research project in coordination with the proper academic staff. Eligible students must meet the following criteria.

Funding for summer 2026 is up to $5,000. 

Awards will be given to one student annually to be determined by Career Services.

Award Criteria

• Major in neuroscience, cognitive science, or any of the degree options offered through the Department of Natural Sciences.
• Must be a current sophomore or junior (i.e., rising junior or senior for fall 2026)
• Must work in-person or hybrid at least 280 hours to receive the full stipend amount
   

Application Deadline

• February 23, 2026 by 11:59 pm
• For more information, contact Teresa Roberts at teresa_roberts@pitzer.edu

Apply to the Science Internship Fund

For Summer 2026 

• To apply visit one of the following links:
  • Pitzer Internship Fund
  • Poon, Sadava, Science Internship Funds
  • Ronald T. Scott Entrepreneurial Award
     
• Answer short response questions & other questions if prompted.
• Upload a one-page resume. See our Sample Resume Rubric [PDF] for how your resume will be evaluated.
• Only for the Pitzer Internship Fund (PIF) Upload your employer documentation. 
  Documentation must be in the form of a letter or email from employer stating the following:
  • internship/research experience start and end dates.
  • number of hours and days per week you will be working.
  • if the position is in-person, hybrid or virtual
  • verification that the position is unpaid 
  • supervisor's contact information (name, email, phone number)
• Submit your application.

Note: Incomplete applications and those submitted beyond the deadline will not be considered for funding.

Student Eligibility

• Applicants must return to Pitzer College for the fall 2026 semester after their summer internship/research/project experience to be considered for funding. Thus, typically first-years, sophomores and juniors are eligible to apply for funding, unless specified for a particular fund (see specific funding descriptions).
• Applicants must be in good academic standing and not be on academic or conduct probation.

Internship/Research Experience Eligibility

• Unpaid summer internship & research experiences.
• Summer internship or research experience can be in-person, virtual or hybrid.
• Summer internships or research experiences can be U.S. or international experiences.
• A summer international internship, research experience, or project must take place in a country that the U.S. Department of State (DOS) qualifies as a Travel Advisory Level 1 or 2 AND that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) qualifies as a Travel Health Notice Watch Level 1 or 2.
  • Please note the U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories and U.S. Centers for Disease Control Travel Health Notices can change at any time.
  • We reserve the right to modify or revoke our acceptance of funding applications or funding decisions accordingly. Exceptions may be made when the country is a student’s home country.
  • Students will be required to submit additional information and take additional steps if awarded funding.
• Can be entrepreneurial projects – for R.T. Scott Entrepreneurial Award only.

Internship/Experience Ineligibility

• A tuition-based program without a significant experiential learning component will not be considered.
• A position supervised by a Pitzer College faculty or staff member unless designated by the individual fund (ex: Poon, Sadava, Science, or R.T. Scott) will not be considered.
• A position arranged, facilitated, or credited through a Pitzer College program (e.g., study abroad, academic department, research center).
• A position at an organization owned or supervised by a member of the applicant’s immediate family will not be considered.
• A position at an organization owned or supervised by a current student at The Claremont Colleges will not be considered.
• A paid position will not be considered.
• Funding will not be available for any experience that violates the Employer Policies & Guidelines of The Claremont Colleges.
• International experiences (internship, research, project) are not considered in countries that are at a U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory Level 3 or 4 AND in countries that are at a Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Travel Health Notice (THN) Level 3 or 4. Exceptions may be made when the country is a student’s home country. 

Application Evaluation Process

Evaluation Process

The evaluation committee consists of faculty and staff from Pitzer College. For the most objective evaluation, applications are anonymized, and two committee members independently review each application.

Fund-Specific Considerations

• Poon, Sadava, Science Internship Fund: Applications are evaluated initially according to major, GPA, and financial need.
• Ronald T. Scott Entrepreneurial Award: A Pitzer alum participates in the application evaluation process as part of evaluation committee.

Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation committee uses the following criteria to assess all applications. Students should review these criteria to ensure they have addressed all points in their application:

• Ability to articulate what students will learn from the internship/project
• How this position will impact the student's career planning and goals
• Ability to articulate how students are prepared to participate in this internship/project
• Quality of the resume using the Resume Rubric as a guide