Funding Resources

Note: All summer funding is closed for 2024 due to a significant waitlist

Career Services has been allocated generous gifts from Pitzer Alumni, Parents/Family Members, and Friends to provide funding for unpaid or very low-paid (less than $1200) summer opportunities. The goal of this funding is to support student engagement in meaningful internship, project, and research experiences that facilitate career exploration and the development of professional skills and networks.

General Information

For all funds, a student does not need to have an experience secured by the deadline to apply for funding. If a student has not secured an experience by the application deadline, they must be doing the following:

• Have a targeted experience in mind when preparing application materials.
• Actively pursuing an experience or going through an application and interview process.
• Have a targeted experience in mind when designing an independent project (this is regarding the R.T. Scott Entrepreneurship Award only).

Summer 2023 Funding Amounts

Average Stipend Amount: $2681
*Includes funded amounts from the Pitzer Internship Fund, Science Internship Fund, Ronald T. Scott Entrepreneurial Fund

IMPORTANT: Funding is not guaranteed by the submission of an application or the acquisition of an internship. All of the funding programs are very competitive.

Additional Pitzer College Funding Sources

Please view the following website for additional funding opportunities for Pitzer students. 

For More Information

Contact Teresa Roberts, Senior Associate Director, Career Services

For Summer 2024

• Fill out an online application (5 short answer questions). Career Services Summer Funding Application
• Upload a one-page resume to the online application. Sample Resume Rubric [PDF]
• Download this budget template. Sample Budget [MS Excel]
• Complete, save, and upload your budget to the online application.
• Submit your online application.

Note: Student’s incomplete applications will not be considered. Late applications may be considered after all other applications are evaluated.

Funding is not guaranteed by the submission of an application. All of these programs are competitive, and all applications will be assessed according to the application evaluation criteria described below. Before students begin their application, it is HIGHLY recommended they visit with a Career Services Advisor to discuss their applications and ask any pertinent questions.

For Summer 2024

Funding Information – Please see individual funds below for specific amounts of funding available.

• Due to limited funding, Pitzer students can receive funding for any of the Career Services Funds for one summer during their time at Pitzer College. Rare exceptions can be made for the Poon, Sadava, and SIF due to the specificity of the 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 are required to complete an evaluation and a reflection piece at the end of their experience.

• Generally, if a Pitzer student is receiving funding for internship/research opportunities from a department or office at The Claremont Colleges, they are not eligible for funding from the Pitzer Internship Fund (PIF), Sadava, Scott, Science Internship Fund (SIF), and Poon. If a student is receiving funding from other sources (i.e., fellowships, stipends, salary), they must disclose this amount on their budget.

For funding purposes only, stipends will cover the period on or after Monday, May 13, 2024, through on or before Friday, August 23, 2024.

For the Pitzer Internship Fund

• In summer 2024, a student’s application will be preferenced in the funding process if the student is receiving need-based financial aid. As of spring 2024, only students receiving need-based financial aid will be eligible to apply for funding in summer 2025.
• Students will receive funding according to a combination of the number of hours worked and their budgeted need. 
• For a student to receive any funding above $1200, regardless of the number of hours worked, the experience must be 50 miles or more away from a student’s permanent residence.
  • Applicants must return to Pitzer College for the fall semester after their summer internship 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 below).
     

Student Eligibility

• Applicants must be in good academic standing and not be on academic or conduct probation.

Internship/Experience Eligibility

• An unpaid or very low-paid summer internship/experience (very low-paid is typical $1200 or less if it’s a full-time opportunity).
  
   
• An internship/experience can be in-person, virtual or hybrid.
  
   
• Internships can be U.S. or international opportunities.
  
   
• An 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 Advisory Level 1 or 2 AND that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) qualifies as a Travel Health Notice Watch Levels 1 or 2. Since travel advisories and health notices can change at any time, we reserve the right to change our acceptance of funding applications or funding at any time.
  
   
• Summer research opportunities.
  
   
• Entrepreneurial projects – for R.T. Scott 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 will not be considered unless designated as a possibility by the individual fund.
  
   
• 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 and supervised by a current student at The Claremont Colleges will not be considered.
  
   
• A paid position will not be considered, unless it is very low pay (generally $1,200 or less for a full-time role).
  
   
• Funding will not be available for any experience that violates the Employer Policies & Guideline of the Claremont Colleges 
  
   
• International experiences (internship, research, project) are not generally considered in countries that are at a U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory Level 3 or 4 OR in countries that are at a Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Travel Health Notice Level 3 or 4.

Application Evaluation Criteria

For the most objective evaluation, the Pitzer Internship Fund (PIF) & R.T. Scott applications are anonymized. Two members of the evaluation committee independently review each application. The evaluation committee uses the following criteria to evaluate applications. Students should review the criteria below to make sure that they have addressed all points in their application.

• How this position will impact the students’ career planning and goals
• Ability to articulate what students will learn from the internship/project
• Ability to articulate how students are prepared to participate in this internship/project
• Ability to articulate the importance of funding (through essay questions and a realistic budget)
• Quality of the resume

Note: A student’s application will not be approved or waitlisted based on how much funding a student requests. A student’s application and funding amounts are evaluated separately.

Note: Due to the specificity of the Poon, Sadava, and SIF funds, applications will be evaluated initially according to major, GPA, and financial need.

Pitzer Internship Fund (PIF)
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 or low-paid summer internships. The goal of the Pitzer Internship Fund is to support student engagement in meaningful internship experiences that facilitate career exploration and the development of professional skills and networks. Eligible students must be current first-years, sophomores, or juniors (i.e., rising sophomores, juniors or seniors for fall 2024) Funding for summer 2024 ranges between $1200 to $4000. 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. The amount of funding offered is based on the budget submitted, the total hours worked, and available funding. The application deadline is March 8, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. For more information, contact Teresa Roberts at teresa_roberts@pitzer.edu

The Ronald T. Scott Entrepreneurial Award (R.T. Scott)
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.

Award criteria include the following: 1) Proposals should reflect the academic, philosophical, and career aspirations that emulate the spirit of Ronald T. Scott’s life. 2) Applicants must be Pitzer students who are current first- years, sophomores, and juniors (i.e., rising sophomores, juniors, & seniors for fall 2024) in good academic standing. 3) Funds can be awarded to an individual student or a student team, although funding will only support participation by Pitzer students. 4) Individual students or student teams will be required to have a mentor or mentors to support the development of their project. The award will be given to at least (1) student annually and be determined by the Office of Career Services. Funding available is from $1000 to $5000. Partial funding may be offered. The application deadline is March 8, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. For more information, contact Teresa Roberts at teresa_roberts@pitzer.edu

Thomas Poon Endowed Student Internship Fund (Poon)
Named in honor of Dr. Thomas Poon, Professor of Chemistry at the Keck Science Department, 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. Eligible students must be current sophomore or junior (i.e., rising junior or senior for fall 2024) with a GPA of 3.5 or higher and have an academic concentration in chemistry or biochemistry. Preference will be given to candidates with demonstrated financial need. Awards will be given to at least one student annually and be determined by the Office of Career Services. Funding for summer 2024 is $4,500. The application deadline is February 23, 2024,at 11:59 pm. For more information, contact Teresa Roberts at teresa_roberts@pitzer.edu. 

David Sadava Endowed Student Internship Fund (Sadava)
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. Eligible students must be a current sophomore or junior (i.e., rising junior or senior for fall 2024) with a GPA of 3.5 or higher; have demonstrated financial need; have an academic concentration in biology, and have demonstrated a strong career and/or research interest in medicine or a related field focusing on human health. Awards will be given to at least one student annually and be determined by the Office of Career Services. Funding for summer 2024 is $4,500. The application deadline is February 23, 2024, at 11:59 pm. For more information, contact Teresa Roberts at teresa_roberts@pitzer.edu.

Science Internship Fund (SIF)
Award preference for the Science Internship Fund will be given to Pitzer students majoring in neuroscience, cognitive science, or any of the degree options offered through the Keck Science Department, jointly managed by Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges. Awards will 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 be a current sophomore or junior (i.e., rising junior or senior for fall 2024) Awards will be given to at least one student annually and be determined by the Office of Career Services. Funding for summer 2024 is $4,500. The application deadline is February 23, 2024, at 11:59 pm. For more information, contact Teresa Roberts at teresa_roberts@pitzer.edu.