The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) offers a national internship program for enrolled, degree-seeking students at the undergraduate and graduate level. These paid internships are available at both federal agencies and private corporations in all areas of the US, but predominantly in Washington, DC. Some of the major organizations that participate in this program are the CIA, Department of State, the Treasury Department, and various corporations such as Marriott, McDonalds and State Farm Insurance.

Who Qualifies?

The programs are available during 3 different terms of the academic year (fall, spring, and summer terms) but application deadlines apply to each term. Interested applicants can apply even if their college or university is not part of the HACU network, and you do not need to be Hispanic to qualify. To qualify, a student must have at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, be a US citizen or permanent resident (some internships do require citizenship), and complete an application form, which includes a resume and essay portion. An official transcript is also required.

Placement

Students are not able to choose the particular agency or corporation that they will work in, but HACU will try to place each participant in a program which will enable them to do the work that they want to do which could result in academic credit. For those interested in interning at a federal agency, HACU will pay for your transportation to DC as well as assistance in locating and securing housing. There is also the option of having rent deducted from your pay, which will range from $420-$520 a week (40 hours). Corporations will assist their interns in transportation and housing as well.

Interested students may go to www.hnip.net for more information. A downloadable application is available at www.hnip.net/prointerns/application.pdf 

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