Bright Futures Scholarship

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. Scholarships are generously funded by the Eisen Family, the University Career Center & The President’s Promise, and individual donors through Maryland Giving Day.

If you are an undergraduate student who has secured an unpaid summer 2027 internship with a non-profit organization or government office, you are eligible to apply when the application becomes available in spring 2027. Check back here for more details.

Eligible Candidates

All registered University of Maryland, College Park undergraduate students returning to campus for the fall 2027 semester, who have an unpaid internship for summer 2027, 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:

1. Unpaid on-campus or off-campus internship with a non-profit organization or government agency.
2. New internship experience during summer 2027 and completed by the start of the fall 2027 semester.
3. Supervised by a professional in the field.
4. Along with your completed Bright Futures Application (available in spring 2027), our Supervisor Agreement Form (available in spring 2027) 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.

The Bright Futures Internship Scholarship Fund was created in 2009 to provide need-based scholarships for University of Maryland undergraduates participating in unpaid internships. Internships are crucial for students, as employers increasingly value work-related experience. To address the financial challenge of unpaid internships, the University Career Center initiated the Bright Futures program, which collaborates with donors to offer direct funding to students. This funding allows students to take advantage of essential and transformative opportunities.

Donations

If you want to contribute financially to the Bright Futures Initiative, please visit brightfutures.umd.edu