Summer Funding Scenarios

Students in the Sheedy Family Program may apply for competitive funding to offset travel, housing, and food costs as they participate in summer internships and other career-aligned summer experiences. See our Summer Funding page for more information about the program, eligibility criteria, and how to apply.

The following scenarios are intended to help students understand how some funding scenarios could look. We recognize every student's personal circumstances are unique. If you have any questions please email the program directors Paul Blaschko and Chris Hedlin at pblaschk@nd.edu and chedlin3@nd.edu before beginning the application.

Upfront costs

We recognize that some students have good-paying summer internships, but they do not have the financial means to pay for upfront costs like housing deposits and airline tickets. We can help you explore how to navigate these situations.

• Alex will make $5,000 over the summer at his internship, and his expenses (housing, food, transportation) add up to $4,000. Alex does not have $500 right now to book his airfare to get to his summer experience site, and he will not get paid until after he starts his internship.
• Since Alex's income exceeds his expenses, he is not eligible for Sheedy summer funding. However, Alex should contact the program’s directors to discuss options to help with purchasing his airfare.

 

• Alex will make $10,000 over the summer at her internship. Her expenses (housing, food, transportation) add up to $6,000. Alex does not have $2,000 right now to pay the first month's rent and security deposit; that payment is due before Alex receives her first paycheck from the employer.
• Since Alex's income exceeds his expenses, he is not eligible for Sheedy summer funding. However, Alex should contact the program's directors to discuss options to help with her first housing payment.

Financial aid & other funding

Sheedy summer funding is intended to help students who have demonstrated financial need. Every student's financial situation is unique. If you receive financial aid and you have questions about how Sheedy summer funding or other summer experience funding may impact your aid package, please contact the Office of Financial Aid.

• Alex has an unpaid internship and expenses totaling $3,000. She has applied for funding from a departmental grant, which has already awarded her $3,000 in funding.
• Alex is not eligible for funding from the Sheedy summer funding since her $3,000 in expenses are balanced by the $3,000 award she already received from another funding source.

 

• Alex will earn $7,000 at her internship. Her expenses (housing, food, transportation) total $6,500. Alex is requesting funding to help offset the costs of her fall tuition bill.
• Since Alex's income exceeds her expenses, she is not eligible for Sheedy summer funding. Sheedy summer funding is only available to balance a student's summer experience budget.

 

• Alex has an unpaid internship and expenses totaling $3,500. She has been applying to various funding programs at Notre Dame. Alex received notification from the Sheedy program that she has been awarded $3,500. Three weeks later she received notification that another funding source has granted her $2,000 to help offset expenses at her unpaid internship.
• This happens from time to time. Alex should contact the Sheedy program’s directors for guidance on how to navigate this.

Unpaid internships & experiences

• Alex has an unpaid internship in New York City. Alex's expenses for housing, transportation, and food total $2,000. Alex noticed Sheedy summer funding for unpaid internships can receive up to $3,500 in support. Alex is requesting $3,500.
• Alex is eligible for Sheedy summer funding up to the amount of her expenses ($2,000).

 

• Alex has an unpaid internship that provides housing and food. Alex has travel expenses totaling $750.
• Alex is eligible for up to $750 in Sheedy summer funding.

 

• Alex has secured an internship through a program in Washington, DC, where she pays a $4,000 program fee to participate. As part of the program, she takes a class and is placed into an unpaid internship. Housing is paid for through the program.
• Alex may apply for Sheedy summer funding for transportation and food expenses; however, the program fee is not an eligible expense for Sheedy summer funding.

Paid internships & experiences

If you have a paid experience where your summer expenses will exceed the compensation you receive, you may be eligible to receive Sheedy summer funding. Keep in mind that the directors will also consider your demonstrated financial need.

• Alex has a summer internship where she will earn $4,000. Her expenses (food, travel, and housing) to live in Springfield total $4,800.
• Alex is eligible to receive up to $800 in Sheedy summer funding.

 

• Alex has secured a paid internship in Los Angeles and will be earning $8,000. His expenses (including $600 roundtrip airfare from/back to his hometown) total $7,000. Alex is only requesting funding for the flight.
• Alex is not eligible for Sheedy summer funding because Alex's income exceeds his total summer expenses.
• If Alex does not have $600 to book his flight, he should contact the Sheedy program’s directors to discuss options.

 

• Alex does not want to be a financial burden on her family. She wants to pay part of her fall semester tuition by saving money over the summer. Alex has an internship where she will earn $6,000. Her summer expenses total $3,500. Alex is requesting $3,500 in Sheedy summer funding to pay for her summer expenses so that she can save all of her money to pay for her tuition.
• Alex is not eligible for Sheedy summer funding because her income exceeds her summer experience expenses.

 

• Alex has an internship in San Francisco, where she will earn $7,000. When considering the high cost of living in San Francisco and her desire to live in downtown San Francisco, her estimated housing, travel, and expenses total $9,500.
• Alex is eligible to receive up to $1,000 in Sheedy summer funding since she is participating in a paid internship.

 

• Alex has a low-paying internship in South Bend, where she will be provided a $750 payment from the organization she is working for. Alex's estimated travel, food, and housing expenses total $5,000.
• Alex is eligible to receive up to $2,500 for Sheedy summer funding since she is participating in a low-paying internship.

 

• Alex has a paid internship where she will make $4,000. She is living with an aunt this summer. Alex has travel expenses totaling $1,000. She is requesting $1,500 for food.
• Alex is not eligible for Sheedy summer funding. The Sheedy program does not provide funding to pay a family member for housing, and her summer income will exceed her summer transportation and food expenses.

Remote internships & experiences

Sheedy summer funding is designed to help with in-person experiences. Due to the nature of remote internships, students are able to live at home. As such, they do not incur food or transportation costs at an internship site. The Sheedy program does not fund remote internships.

• Alex has an unpaid, remote internship. He wants to stay in his off-campus apartment in South Bend over the summer. Alex is requesting funding to help offset the cost of his rent.
• Alex is not eligible for funding since the internship is remote.

 

• Alex has a part-time job in her hometown at a local restaurant to make money. She also has a remote, unpaid internship.
• Alex is not eligible for funding since the internship is remote.

Personal situations

We recognize that every student has unique personal, family, and financial circumstances. Please know that we will consider any information you submit in your application. However, the funding our program allocates to students was donated by benefactors of the University with the condition that it is used to fund summer internships and experiences.

• Alex wants to live at her sister's apartment in Chicago to save money. Alex is requesting $3,000 to help defray her sister's rent.
• Alex is not eligible to receive Sheedy summer funding to pay for housing since the housing is with a family member.
• Alex may apply for funding for transportation and food costs.

 

• Alex wants to make money to support her family so they don't have to pay so much for tuition during the academic year. Alex will earn $8,000. Her expenses total $7,000. Alex is requesting $5,500 since she is living in Washington, DC over the summer.
• Alex is not eligible for funding since her income exceeds her expenses.

Other expenses (not travel, housing, food)

• Alex has a paid internship and will earn $4,000. Her housing, transportation, and food expenses total $4,000. However, she would like to purchase new professional attire to wear at her internship and has requested $500 in funding.
• Alex is not eligible for Sheedy summer funding as her housing, transportation, and food expenses do not exceed her income.
• Also, clothing is not an eligible expense for the Sheedy summer funding program.

 

• Alex has an unpaid internship. His housing expenses are $1,000, his transportation expenses are $500, and his food expenses are $1,750, all totaling $3,250. He also has purchased a gym membership for his time in his internship city for $150.
• Alex is eligible for up to $3,250 in Sheedy summer funding for his housing, transportation, and food expenses, but is not eligible for funding for additional expenses, such as a gym membership.

 

• Alex has a paid internship and will be earning $5,000. His housing, transportation, and food expenses total $5,500. However, he would also like to purchase a new laptop for $1,000 to use throughout the summer. He has requested $1,500 in funding.
• Alex is eligible for up to $500 to help offset his housing, transportation, and food expenses. The laptop purchase is not eligible for Sheedy summer funding.

 

• Alex secured an internship in Europe. She will make $8,000, and her travel, housing, and food expenses total $9,000. She also has to pay for a special work visa, which will cost approximately $1,500 to process. She is requesting $2,500 in Sheedy summer funding.
• Sheedy summer funding is restricted to travel, housing, and food expenses. Alex is eligible to receive up to $1,000 in Sheedy summer funding because she is participating in a paid internship.
• If Alex does not have $1,500 to pay for the visa, she should contact the Sheedy program’s directors to help navigate options.

 

• Alex has a family wedding in the middle of the summer. Alex is requesting funding for a flight to attend the wedding.
• Alex's travel expenses to the wedding are not eligible for funding.

 

• Alex has an internship in Connecticut. He wants to live in New York City over the summer to be closer to friends and will take the train to Connecticut.
• Alex's funding would be based on an appropriate housing cost for the city where his internship is located. The Sheedy program would not provide funding to live in New York City for this scenario.

 

• Alex has an internship in Atlanta that ends in mid-July. After his internship, instead of traveling home to New Jersey, he wants to fly to London to travel. He is requesting funding to pay for the flight to London.
• The flight to London is not eligible for funding.

 

 

Language on this webpage was adapted, with gratitude and permission, from the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development Undergraduate Career Services's "Summer experience funding" webpage.