Step 1: Prepare Early and Utilize Campus Resources

Please start early and give yourself plenty of time to apply. Scholarships will be given to students who meet the eligibility criteria (see eligibility section below) and have done some advance preparation before submitting an application. Students must meet with at least one career coach, advisor, or internship coordinator before submitting an application.

• Meet with a UCSC Career Coach to explore internship and career options, prep for interviews, get resume feedback, etc. Click here to schedule.
• Meet with an EOP counselor or peer advisor to develop a plan for student success. Click here to schedule.
• Meet with an advisor or internship coordinator in your department, major, college, or field of interest, if available. Find department advisors here and college advisors here.
• Identify a faculty mentor who will provide guidance throughout the internship
• Reach out to organizations you are interested in interning for (more below)

Step 2: Find an Internship

You must arrange an internship before you submit your application.

The application will require that students have arranged a full-time non-credit summer internship that is off campus. Full-time means working 35-40 hours/week for 8-10 weeks during the summer. View Internship Resources section listed below. After consulting with campus resources, internship coordinators, advisors, and career coaches, students should contact organizations they would like to intern for. Institute staff can also help with finding internships. We work with many community organizations and would be happy to help connect students with organizations. Please take a look at our directory of past internship sites and list of our community partners and let us know if there are any particular organizations you are interested in. 

The internship supervisor will need to submit an internship agreement form indicating their support for having the student as a full-time intern for the summer, if the scholarship is awarded.

Please note that we strongly recommend that students do not enroll in summer courses or work additional summer jobs while working at a full-time internship.

Step 3: Submit your Application

You should have all your materials ready before you start the application.

The application consists of:

1. Student application form due May 1, 2025
2. Resume (uploaded via the application form). For assistance with writing a resume, take advantage of the Career Center resources.
3. Internship agreement form due May 8, 2025 (submitted separately by your potential internship supervisor)

UC Santa Cruz and Division of Social Sciences Internship Resources

We encourage you to work with internship coordinators and advisors in your department or college to help you find internships. Career coaches are also a great resource. Please be aware that internships for academic credit, such as field study internships, are not eligible for Transforming Futures scholarships.

Institute staff can also help. We work with many community organizations and would be happy to help connect students with organizations. Please take a look at our directory of past internship sites and list of our community partners and let us know if there are any particular organizations you are interested in.

Student eligibility

This program is open to all students consistent with state and federal law, the UC Nondiscrimination Statement and the Nondiscrimination Policy Statement for University of California Publications Regarding Student-Related Matters.  

1. Applicants must be UC Santa Cruz undergraduate students majoring or minoring in a Social Science discipline or program, including: Agroecology, Anthropology, Business Management Economics, Cognitive Science, Community Studies, Economics, Education, Environmental Studies, Global Economics, Global and Community Health, GISES minor, Latin American and Latino Studies, Legal Studies, Politics, Psychology, and Sociology. Students affiliated with John R. Lewis College and College Nine are also eligible. 
2. Students must be in good academic standing and have demonstrated financial need. 
3. We encourage students who have EOP status or come from historically disadvantaged backgrounds including: first-generation, low income, undocumented, or students who have experienced foster care, homelessness, or incarceration, to apply for this program.
4. Priority will be given to students who are rising sophomores, juniors and seniors (i.e. returning to UCSC for the academic year following their summer internship). Graduating seniors are eligible if they are on the job market (i.e. not planning on attending graduate school in the fall) and are willing to participate in a fall workshop reflecting on their internship experience.
5. Students must commit to a full-time non-credit summer internship off campus. Full-time means working 35-40 hours/week for 8-10 weeks during the summer.
6. Students cannot be enrolled in field study programs at the same time as their internship

Internship site eligibility

1. Internship sites must be able to demonstrate the capacity to provide a quality learning and career-advancing experience that is well-supervised, safe, stable, and enriching for the student for 8-10 weeks in the summer. This would be provided in the internship agreement form. 
2. Internships should primarily be with employers who are unable to provide fully paid internships, such as non-profit organizations, government entities, small businesses or start-ups.
3. Internships should be off-campus. The location can be anywhere in the world, however international travel is not allowed to countries on the U.S. State Department Travel Advisory Level of 3 or 4. Any students traveling internationally or out of state must register in advance for UC free travel insurance.

Student responsibilities

1. Confirmation of a potential internship must be obtained before applying for the scholarship. Students must have arranged a potential internship, and have the internship supervisor submit an internship agreement form indicating their support for having the student as an intern, if the scholarship is awarded.
2. Priority will be given to students who have established relationships with mentors on campus including UCSC Career Coaches, Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) Advisors, department internship coordinators or advisors, college advisors, and/or faculty mentors. 
3. The application will require students to articulate how the proposed internship experience will enhance their career and professional growth. Students will also need to upload a resume.
4. If awarded, students must participate in a pre-internship workshop in late May to help prepare them for their experience, such as building basic skills for workplace success, and in a post-internship workshop in September presenting their reflections on the internship experience.
5. Students are expected to provide a short report on their experience at the end of the internship. Guidelines will be provided for this report.

Summer scholarship awards will be up to a maximum of $8,000 for unpaid internships, based on financial need. The award amount will be adjusted for internships that offer stipends or other forms of compensation.

We expect to award scholarships to up to 20 students in 2025. Applications will be reviewed by a committee of UCSC staff and faculty.

Scholarship awards will be processed by the Institute for Social Transformation, in coordination with the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office, and disbursed to students in summer (mid to late June).

Applications open: February 1, 2025

Expression of Interest Form (optional): due March 10, 2025

Info-Sessions (optional): February 12 and April 2 (slide presentation)

Student application deadline: May 1, 2025 (11:59PM)

Organization internship agreement form due May 8, 2025

Award notifications: mid-May 2025

Summer internships should take place from June/July through August/September (8-10 weeks)

Required workshops: May and September 2025

Selected students will be required to attend a pre-internship workshop in late May and a post-internship workshop in late September

What if I don’t know where to start?

Fill out an expression of interest form and we’ll follow up with you. You should also be sure to attend one of our info sessions (slide presentation). You can always reach out to transform@ucsc.edu with any questions.

What if I need help finding an internship?

Browsing websites like Handshake and LinkedIn are always a great place to start! There are also many resources and people on campus who are here to help you including: 

• Career Success 
• EOP Advising
• Major Advisors and Internship Coordinators
• College Advisors
• Resource Centers
• More advising resources here
• Your professors are also a great resource. Schedule time during their office hours to discuss your interests, career goals, and experiential learning opportunities.

Do you have a list of possible internships?

While we don’t match you with internship sites, we do work with a lot of organizations you might be interested in. We encourage you to browse our directory of past internship sites and list of our community partners. Please reach out to institute staff if you would like an introduction to any of these organizations. Email us at transform@ucsc.edu. 

Do I have to stay in Santa Cruz for my internship?

No, we actually encourage you to participate in an internship outside of Santa Cruz. This experiential learning program is meant to expand your career path and we encourage you to participate in opportunities that you wouldn’t normally have access to. 

Do I have to find an internship that is full-time?

Yes, the internship needs to be full-time. That means working 35-40 hours per week for 8-10 weeks in the summer.

What should I do if my internship site needs confirmation before I’m notified about the scholarship?

You will be notified in mid-May regarding your selection for a Transforming Futures scholarship. If your internship site requires confirmation before then, please contact us. If your ability to participate in the internship depends on receiving the scholarship, be sure to communicate this clearly with your internship site.

What if I’m not a social science major or minor?

The Transforming Futures scholarship is only open to Social Science majors and minors. However, students affiliated with John R. Lewis College and College Nine are also eligible. Social Science majors and minors include: Agroecology, Anthropology, Business Management Economics, Cognitive Science, Community Studies, Economics, Education, Environmental Studies, Global and Community Health, Global Economics, GISES minor, Latin American and Latino Studies, Legal Studies, Politics, Psychology, and Sociology. 

Are Global Learning programs eligible?

UCSC’s Global Learning offers many wonderful international experiences and global internship programs that students should definitely try to participate in, but unfortunately many of the internships are not eligible for a Transforming Futures scholarship, both because they are credit-bearing and because they are not full-time (35-40 hours/week for 8-10 weeks).

Are field study programs eligible?

Transforming Futures scholarships are only available for non-credit summer internships. Internships for academic credit, such as field study internships, are not eligible for Transforming Futures scholarships.

Do I have to meet with a career coach or an advisor in my major or college?

Yes, you must meet with at least one advisor, internship coordinator, or career coach to discuss your career goals and to help you identify a meaningful internship opportunity. Ideally you should meet with several advisors or coaches so you can establish a network of mentors to help you along the way. Advising resources can be found here.

Do I need to have a faculty mentor?

We strongly encourage you to seek out a faculty mentor. Your application will be ranked higher if you have established mentor relationships.  

Do you have a favorite professor or someone who works in a field that you are interested in? If so, we encourage you to go to their office hours. Establish a relationship. Tell them about yourself and what your career interests are. 

Do I have to provide a resume with my application?

Yes. This program is meant to be career-advancing and having an updated professional resume is one of the crucial things you will need on your career journey.

Career Success has many resume resources available to students. You can even meet with a career coach to work on your resume, but be sure to bring a draft of your resume to the appointment.

Do I need to have EOP status to be eligible?

Students with EOP status will receive priority, but EOP is not required. However, students must have demonstrated financial need to be eligible for the scholarship.

How do I check my EOP status?

You can easily check your EOP status in your MyUCSC student portal. Instructions here.

How long does it typically take for the scholarship to be dispersed?

Scholarships are disbursed as a lump sum in mid to late June. The awards are processed by the Institute for Social Transformation in coordination with the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office.