Financial Support

Do you need help traveling to and from your Nashville internship, research, or student teaching opportunity? The Career Center is now offering rideshare assistance through Lyft!

To qualify for the program, students must have a Lyft account (and users must have payment on file). Another factor to consider is any ride taken that meets the established parameters will pull from the user’s Program funds even if the ride is not for their approved internship. The user has 24 hours after the ride to update the funding source to the appropriate account (credit card or another Lyft Program). It is your responsibility to ensure the funds are used appropriately. You are solely responsible for updating rides to correctly charge the appropriate funding source. 

Details of Award:

• Students will be awarded up to $500 in rideshare credits.
• Students must have a Lyft account.
• Rides must be between 5 am and 7 pm. 
• If selected, students will: attend a financial literacy workshop, visit the Professional Headshot Photo Booth located in the SLC, 2nd floor, and take a pre and post-internship survey. 
• Students will be eligible to receive rideshare support once per academic year.

Eligibility Criteria:

• A full-time Vanderbilt student in good academic standing
• Secured an internship, research, or student teaching opportunity for the semester the Lyft Pass is awarded. Applicants must submit an offer and/or acceptance letter.
• Internship or research is within 20 miles of Vanderbilt. Students will submit the internship location on their application. 

Disqualifiers:

• Student traching internship or research outside of the Nashville metro area.
• Have an on-campus internship/research position

Fall Award Cycle/Timeline:

• Application Opens: August 28th to September 29th 
• Review Period Starts: September 30th 
• Award Notifications by: October 4th

How to Apply: 

Submit a full application by Sunday, September 29^th on the Award-a-Dore platform. Search “Lyft” under the “Search Scholarships” Tab for more information and the application.

You will need to submit the following key materials and essay questions with your application (please upload any documents in a PDF format): 

• Resume 
• Essay Question: Brief description of internship/research experience and why the internship will be helpful to your career empowerment journey (300 word count max). 
• Confirmation/Offer letter of internship

Grading Rubric Criteria: 

• Strength of Resume 
• Strength of Statement for Essay Question  
• Internship/Research/Student Teaching Confirmation  
• Career Center Engagement 

The Levy Internship Fund provides eligible students with up to $6000 for un(der) paid summer internships. Recipients may use the funding for housing costs, meals, transportation costs (to/from the internship, commuter travel, etc.), professional attire, and any necessary expenses to complete their internship.

Eligibility Criteria:

• VU Students who have demonstrated financial need. 
• VU Undergraduate: First-year students through juniors are eligible to apply. 
• Secured Eligible Summer Internship.
  • Eligible internships include a minimum of 8-week unpaid or underpaid summer internship experiences. 
  • The Levy Internship Fund requires that your summer experience must be classified as an internship opportunity by the issuing employer. If your research opportunity does not meet this classification, you won't be eligible for funding.

Disqualifiers

• VU Undergraduates may only receive the Levy Internship Fund once.
• Any opportunity that is not a minimum of eight weeks and does not qualify as a summer internship.  

AY 2024-25 Award Cycle/Timeline: 

New this year! We will open one application from late fall through mid-spring. Funds will be disbursed in late May to early June.

Application dates will be added soon!

Pre-Requisite Workshops & Required Post-Survey: 

Students receiving a Levy Internship Fund award will be required to participate in a pre/post-workshop session to maximize their internship experience. 

Levy Pre-Requisite Workshop Offerings (must only attend one): Dates TBD

• Post-Internship Survey - In late August, after your internship, you will be required to complete a post-experience survey to share details about your summer experience. 

Resources:

• Levy Internship Fund Informational Webinar 
• Budget Template

Undergraduate students interested in media-related careers are encouraged to apply for a stipend through the Lovinger Family Internship Fund. Recipients will be awarded up to $5,000 to help offset the costs of low or no-pay internships or programs, regardless of location. Several factors determine award amounts, including financial need, location, weekly hours, and anticipated graduation date.

Applicants may apply before receiving an internship offer but must have secured a written request before processing the award. A complete application includes uploading a resume via Handshake, an internship description, a 200-300 word essay on what you hope to learn through this experience, and a proposed budget (transportation to the city, housing, daily transit). Applicants must be current Vanderbilt undergraduate students returning full-time for at least one undergraduate semester in the fall after their internship or program.

2024-2025 Timelines and application links will be added at the beginning of 2024 Fall Semester.

Resources:

• Budget Template

Undergraduate students who have been accepted into the Vandy in Hollywood Summer Internship Program are encouraged to apply for a stipend through the ViH Internship Fund. Recipients will be awarded an amount within the range of $1,500 – $3,000 to help offset the costs of low or no-pay internships. Award amounts are determined by several factors, including financial need, location, hours per week, and anticipated graduation date.

Applicants may apply prior to receiving an internship offer but must have secured an offer in writing by May 1 before awards will be processed. A complete application includes a resume via Handshake, an internship description (if accepted), a 100–200 word essay on what you hope to learn through this experience, and the proposed budget (transportation to the city, housing, daily transit). Please put all of your answers into a word document and upload it as an additional document.

Applicants must be current Vanderbilt undergraduate students returning full-time for at least one undergraduate semester in the fall after their internship.

2024-2025 Timelines and application links will be added at the beginning of 2024 Fall Semester.

Resources:

• Budget Template