Phillips Family Internship Fund

With the help of a generous donation from Dan and Cathy Phillips, the Center for Career Equity, Development and Success is excited to offer the Phillips Family Internship Fund, a new fund supporting access to and engagement with meaningful internship experiences.

Suffolk University's Phillips Family Internship Fund offers a stipend of up to $2,500 available to undergraduate students pursuing unpaid or underpaid internship opportunities. Students typically receive $250 to $1,500 stipends per experience.

Phillips Family Fund Application

Applications for the Summer 2024 cycle are now open. The application deadline is Friday, May 24 at 12 p.m. We strongly recommend reading our application and eligibility requirements prior to applying.

Apply Now

If you have any questions, please contact us.

Students will be asked to submit a completed Online Application Form which includes:

  1. An updated copy of your resume
  2. An official Offer Letter from your internship site*
  3. Contact information for one current Suffolk faculty or staff to act as a reference (a letter of recommendation is not required)
  4. Responses to 3 essay questions in 250 words or fewer

* An official offer letter should be printed on the employer or organization’s letterhead or sent via an employer or organization’s email. Your offer letter should include:

  • Your official position title
  • Anticipated start and end dates for the position
  • Your anticipated weekly schedule
  • Name and contact information for your supervisor(s)
  • Internship modality (Remote/Hybrid/In-Person)
  • Confirmation of internship being unpaid or underpaid (less than $1,000)

Eligible students must meet the selection criteria:

  • Current College of Arts and Sciences or Sawyer Business School undergraduate student enrolled for the Spring 2023 semester
  • Completed at least 6 academic credits at Suffolk University
  • Must hold good disciplinary standing and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 with Fall 2022 grades
  • Must complete the 2023 - 2024 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and have a FAFSA on file with Suffolk’s Student Financial Services
  • Must secure an internship offer before applying—preference may be given to students enrolled in an internship course or to students participating in an internship to satisfy a major requirement

Due to federal financial aid requirements, this fund is only available to domestic students.

The stipend is subject to applicable federal, state, and local income taxes and FICA. Taxes will not be withheld, but they will be reported on a 1099 form, which students will receive for the applicable tax year.

Qualifying internships must provide a meaningful educational experience which aligns with a student’s academic, career and personal interests. Experiences must meet the selection criteria:

  • Must be unpaid or underpaid (student receives a pay schedule or stipend amounting to $1,000 or less)
  • Internship experiences must amount to a minimum of 60 work hours during the semester. Internships that are at least 60 hours are eligible to receive up to $1,000 stipends and internships that are at least 120 hours are eligible to receive up to $2,500
  • Must be supervised by a full-time professional in the company or organization*

*Students cannot be supervised by a family member, nor can the supervisor be in a close or significant subordinate work relationship with a family member of the student.

Recipients of the Phillips Family Internship Fund will be required to:

  • Sign an agreement form
  • Participate in virtual orientation and meetings as needed
  • Complete a program evaluation using SkillSurvey at the conclusion of the internship experience (internship supervisors will also be asked to complete a SkillSurvey evaluation)
  • Conduct an exit interview with Career Center staff
  • Send a thank you note to donors, as well as satisfy other requests as assigned by the Office of Advancement

Interns may also be asked to assist in sharing content for marketing materials such as testimonials, photos and video recordings at the discretion of the Career Center and the Office of Advancement.

All applications will be reviewed according to their:

  • Financial Need: Applicant demonstrates financial need in their 2023 – 2024 FAFSA. Preference will be given to unpaid internships
  • Intentionality: Applicant shows evidence of thought around the quality of their application materials
  • Compelling articulation of why: Applicant provides compelling rationale as to why these types of experiences would be critical to explore or pursue an identified career interest
  • Depth of research: Applicant demonstrates evidence of research and understanding of industry-based, organizational, geographic and/or cultural dynamics of the proposed experience
  • Alignment with academic pursuits: Applicant demonstrates how the internship experience aligns with their academic interests. Preference may be given to students completing a credit-bearing internship
  • Reference: Receipt of this award is contingent on a reference and conduct check

Meet Our Fund Recipients

Contact Us

Please direct any questions about the Phillips Family Internship Fund to the Career Education Team.