Empowering Students Through Career Exploration and Professional Growth
Spring 2026 application now open.
Overview
The Lalley Fellows Program plans to fund undergraduate students doing unpaid/low paying Internships for a minimum of 160 hours (4 credits). These funds will offer students the opportunity to explore career fields and gain experience. Selected students will receive up to $1,500. Students must secure an internship prior to the submission deadline. Receiving this award will not have an impact on your financial aid package.
Key Benefits
- Financial support up to $1,500.
- Opportunity to explore career fields and gain real-world experience.
- No impact on financial aid packages.
Who Is Eligible?
- Undergraduate students in good standing with the university with a 3.0 GPA or higher.
- Must have an internship secured prior to submission,
- Internship must meet program requirements (160-400 hours, formal supervision, etc.).
- Seniors graduating prior to spring 2026 are not eligible.
Application Process
- Internship posting or position description.
- Up-to-date resume. You may wish to view resume resources in the Virtual Career Center. Students can schedule a career advising appointment through the Virtual Career Center to meet with someone to review documents, including resumes.
- Budget (demonstrating the intended use of internship funds). Please utilize this Budget Worksheet and make sure everything on the worksheet can be read when saving it as a PDF to submit. Provide as many details as possible for your requests.
- Statement of interest (no more than 800 words total) addressing the following points:
- What is the connection between this internship and your career goals? How do you hope to benefit from the internship?
- How has your academic coursework prepared you for this internship?
- In what way would funding help enable you to pursue an internship? Please explain your funding requests here if there isn’t ample space on the budget worksheet.
- List any other sources of funding that you have applied for and/or received whether from Central or external sources. Please note the amount of the funding and when you anticipate hearing about whether you will receive it.
- If you’ve completed any department specific pre-requisites, please indicate that in your statement. This does not need to be done in advance to be considered.
- Proof of the internship offer, such as an offer letter or email, written in English, including the following components:
- the employer’s contact information.
- confirmation that the internship has been offered.
- start and end dates for the internship.
- the total number of hours to be worked.
- modality (in-person, hybrid, or remote), with a schedule of on-site and remote days if it’s hybrid.
- that it is unpaid (or the pay if it is underfunded).
- If the internship is unpaid, the employer also must submit a statement that they have reviewed and will abide by the Department of Labor criteria established in the FLSA.
Applications for Spring 2026 are due by February 2, 2026. Grant decisions will be decided by February 11, 2026. All pre-internship requirements will need to be completed by March 31, 2026.
Selection Criteria
- Evaluation Rubric: Essay responses, learning goals, and resume assessed based on:
- Career alignment.
- Internship quality and growth opportunities.
- Financial aid status considered but not required.
- Selection Committee: Representatives from SES, Academic Affairs, and Career Services.
Internship Outcomes
- Career Exploration: Reflect on interests, skills, and workplace values.
- Accessibility: Align with university goals.
- Connection and Community: Foster belonging and professional networks.
- Career Management: Develop skills for ongoing career growth.
Funding and Accountability
- Funding Distribution:
- Award placed in student account after completing all pre-internship requirements.
- Grant Compliance:
- Students must complete all hours and requirements.
- Requirements include pre-internship information and a Canvas course.
- Failure to comply or termination will result in partial repayment of the grant up to full repayment.
- Students must complete all hours and requirements.
FAQs Section
To be eligible for a grant, your internship must meet the following criteria:
- Internship must total 160 – 480 hours and be completed by the term period end.
- Independent and unsupervised internships will not be considered; students must be interning for a host organization or company.
- Internship must include formal supervision by professional at host site at least once a week. Family members may not be supervisors.
- Internship must be a new experience or position. If you have previously worked at the same site for which you are currently applying for funding, you must clearly explain how the responsibilities of this new internship position are significantly different from your previous position.
- Any domestic internship program where the participant is asked to pay to participate will not be funded, i.e. no multi-level marketing or similar.
Please note: Your internship host organization cannot be owned or run by a member of intern’s family.
If the student fails to complete the grant requirements or if the student is terminated from the internship experience (or quits), grant monies will be returned to the Lalley Fellowship fund via a debit from the student account prior to the next term. Depending on the circumstances, this may mean a return of all funds.
Contact Information
For questions on fellowship please email Cassey Henrickson, Internship Specialist at cassey.henrickson@cwu.edu.
Acknowledgment
Our thanks to the Lalley family for their vision and support.