Stipend FAQs
- Who is eligible for a CWS Summer Stipend?
- What type of internship can the stipends be used for?
- Is there an advantage or disadvantage to listing multiple organizations in my application?
- Can I include a mix of domestic and international organizations in my application?
- Can I pursue an internship in my home country or home city?
- How many hours of work are required?
- What type of letters of reference do I need?
- Can I submit a letter of reference that I’ve used in the past?
- Will the letters of reference and the completed CWS Stipend Reference Forms that I handed in be placed in my permanent CWS file?
- The organization has offered to pay me; can I accept this money and still receive a stipend?
- What happens if I am terminated from my internship?
- What if I am unable to complete my internship due to illness or injury?
- Last summer I received a stipend from the Center for Work and Service. Is it possible for me to be funded again this summer?
- Are taxes taken out of my stipend?
- Does the transcript need to be official?
- I will not be returning to Wellesley College following my summer internship. Am I eligible for a stipend?
- What happens if I get funding from the CWS, but am not offered an internship at any of the organizations to which I apply?
- What if I get multiple internship offers?
All Wellesley College sophomores, juniors, and seniors, including Davis Scholars, are eligible for funding from the CWS Summer Stipend Fund. Each year, a limited number of stipends are also made available to graduating seniors interning or volunteering at not-for-profit organizations.
2. What type of internship can the stipends be used for?
The stipends offer students the opportunity to work full-time at an unpaid internship in not-for-profit and public service organizations, and in some for-profit organizations. Awards from the Summer Stipend Fund support work that aligns with Wellesley’s mission: empowering women to make positive difference in the world. Most award recipients pursue internships in not-for-profit and governmental organizations, but work at any organization—as long as it incorporates some social, cultural, or scientific benefit—is eligible for funding. All of the stipends support Wellesley College students who find and procure their own internship.
One source of special funding is designated for students interning for female elected officials. These internships, generously funded by the Class of 1962 Internship Fund and the O'Meara Student Internship Fund, supports Wellesley College students committed to making a difference in their state and/or local community by working directly with a woman involved in any aspect of state or local government in the United States. If you are applying for an internship with a female elected official, be sure to highlight this in your proposal and check the relevant box on the application form. There is no need to submit additional documentation.
3. Is there an advantage or disadvantage to listing multiple organizations in my application?
No. The number of organizations has no bearing on a student’s candidacy.
4. Can I include a mix of domestic and international organizations in my application?
No. Internships must be all domestic or all international.
5. Can I pursue an internship in my home country or home city?
Yes.
6. How many hours of work are required?
Students are required to complete an 8-10 week, 350 hour internship during the summer. These hours must be completed between the end of classes in the spring and the start of classes in September.
7. What type of letters of reference do I need?
Students must submit one letter of reference from a present or past faculty member or former supervisor. Only ONE letter of reference will be read by the selection committee. Please refer to the Guidelines for Requesting References for the CWS Summer Stipend Fund.
8. Can I submit a letter of reference that I’ve used in the past?
Yes. The application form includes a space in which you can request that the CWS pull up a previously submitted letter of reference.
9. Will the letters of reference and the completed CWS Stipend Reference Forms that I handed in be placed in my permanent CWS file?
E-mails or unsigned letters of reference are not considered official references and may only be used for CWS programs. These letters of reference will not be included in your permanent file. Students needing official references for graduate school or potential employers should have their recommender send a signed copy to the CWS.
10. The organization has offered to pay me; can I accept this money and still receive a stipend?
Students cannot receive funding from another source (a stipend from another department, outside source, or pay from the organization) if they accept a stipend from the Center for Work and Service. Organizations can provide travel/transportation costs, room, board, and other in-kind gifts, but they cannot pay the student. Students can have other jobs in the evening or on weekends not related to their internship/community service work.
11. What happens if I am terminated from my internship?
Students who are terminated from their internship before completing the required 350 hours, are required to return the stipend check in full.
12. What if I am unable to complete my internship due to illness or injury?
Students who are unable to complete their internship due to illness or injury will be handled on a case by case basis.
13. Last summer I received a stipend from the Center for Work and Service. Is it possible for me to be funded again this summer?
No, students are only eligible to receive ONE Center for Work and Service Summer Stipend during their four years at Wellesley College, though they may conduct a CWS-Identified Internship the summer before or after they receive a stipend. Stipends may not be combined with any other College funding, and students may not receive funding for work at a host organization that is hosting a Wellesley Identified Internship.
14. Are taxes taken out of my stipend?
Tax information for U.S. citizens:
Fellowship and Scholarship Grants are not payments for services rendered but may still be taxable. The taxability is dependent upon how the funds are used. To help students determine the taxability of these payments the IRS issues Publication 970, “Tax Benefits for Education.” To obtain a copy of Publication 970, go to http://www.irs.gov/publications/p970/index.html. The IRS publication is updated each calendar year.
Tax information for non-resident aliens:
Fellowship and Scholarship payments made to non-resident aliens are subject to a 14% federal tax withholding. Tax treaty provisions may allow non-resident aliens to claim exemption from federal tax withholding on teaching assistantships and fellowships. The IRS requires the college to report fellowship and scholarship payments to non-residents aliens on a 1042-S form. Non-resident aliens are required to file Form 1040NR each calendar year using the information provided on Form 1042-S. To help students determine the taxability of these payments the IRS issues Publication 970, “Tax Benefits for Education.” To obtain a copy of Publication 970, go to http://www.irs.gov/publications/p970/index.html. The IRS publication is updated each calendar year.
15. Does the transcript need to be official?
Transcripts must be submitted as part of the application document uploaded to MyCWS. Access your online transcript for Banner Self Service and save it as a ".doc" document
Note: Your account with Student Financial Services must be cleared before you can access your transcript online.
16. I will not be returning to Wellesley College following my summer internship. Am I eligible for a stipend?
Only students who will be enrolled at Wellesley College after their summer internship are eligible for a summer stipend.
17. What happens if I get funding from the CWS, but am not offered an internship at any of the organizations to which I apply?
You may propose an alternative internship to CWS staff. If the alternative is deemed acceptable, then the funding may be applied to the new placement. Otherwise, you forfeit the funding.
18. What if I get multiple internship offers?
You may accept any of the offers you receive, as long as you notify the CWS of your decision by April 16.
For more information contact Dori Peleg, CWS, dpeleg@wellesley.edu, ext. 2448.