Location: go.umd.edu/brightfutures26
The Bright Futures Unpaid Internship Scholarship awards students with need-based scholarships ranging from $100-$1,000 to help offset expenses incurred during unpaid internships in the summer with government agencies and non-profit organizations. Scholarships are generously funded by the Eisen Family, the University Career Center & The President’s Promise, and individual donors through Maryland Giving Day.
The Bright Futures Summer 2026 Application opened on Mon, Mar 30, 2026 and will close on Mon, May 4, 2026.
If you are an undergraduate student who has secured an unpaid summer internship with a non-profit organization or government office, you are eligible to apply.
ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES:
All registered University of Maryland, College Park undergraduate students returning to campus for the fall 2026 semester, who have an unpaid internship for summer 2026, are eligible to apply. Graduating seniors are not eligible. Preference will be given to juniors and seniors graduating in December. Preference will also be given to those who have not previously received this scholarship.
In order for your internship to qualify for funding support, it must satisfy the following criteria:
- Unpaid on-campus or off-campus internship with a non-profit organization or government agency.
- New internship experience during summer 2026 and completed by the start of the fall 2026 semester.
- Supervised by a professional in the field.
- Along with your competed Bright Futures application, our Supervisor Agreement form is also completed and submitted by your internship supervisor. Download & save this document onto your computer - do not fill out in the web browser or it will not save properly.
If you want to contribute financially to the Bright Futures Initiative, please visit brightfutures.umd.edu