Virginia’s future-ready workforce

An internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and classroom theory with practical application and skills development in a professional setting. It is a supervised and structured work experience that is time-limited and ideally project-based with a tangible outcome.

Through internships, students can explore career interests, build transferable skills, establish professional networks, and engage in personal reflection. Though not always tied directly to one's major or course of study, internships often complement or supplement academic pursuits, leadership experiences, or other study interests. Internships also allow employers to train and evaluate talent while building a pipeline of future professionals.

An internship is a structured, short-term experience designed to provide students or early-career professionals with hands-on learning, mentorship, and exposure to the industry. Internships typically include defined start and end dates, clear learning objectives, and opportunities for skill-building and networking, whereas part-time jobs focus on productivity and ongoing work without a formal educational component. A part-time job is primarily an operational role where the individual is hired to perform specific tasks that meet immediate business needs, with minimal emphasis on learning or career development. The work is ongoing with no set end date, and the focus is on filling a labor need, not aligning the student’s education with business needs.

Internships during the academic year often range from 10 to 30 hours per week since the student has to balance class, schoolwork, and other responsibilities. Internships during the summer are often full-time, with students working 35 to 40 hours per week. Some students take courses during the summer, so it is important for companies to check in with each intern to make sure students have the time to balance their internship with their class schedule and schoolwork.

• More information about federal laws about wages and hours, including the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), can be found here: U.S. Department of Labor
• More information about Virginia labor laws can be found here: Virginia Department of Labor and Industry

Virginia minimum wage is $12.77 per hour, effective January 1, 2026. Annual adjustments to the Virginia minimum wage rate will continue each year.

Compensation for paid internships varies widely across geographic markets and industries. For example, in some industries, the interns are paid at the same rate that the company pays entry level employees upon graduation. In other settings, the interns are paid at the applicable minimum wage rate. According to a 2025 Guide to Compensation for Interns and Co-ops from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), the average hourly wage for interns in 2024 was $23.04.

There are no legal prohibitions regarding the payment of interns who are also receiving credit from their schools for the internship. Internships can be both for credit and paid.

You may hire as many interns as you wish but should consider your organization’s capacity, timeline, and business needs.

The InternshipsVA matching grant program can support up to 10 interns per fiscal year for each eligible company. You must maintain an intern-to-staff ratio of at least 1:1 (e.g., a company with five employees on its payroll can receive funding for up to five interns at a time). If you wish to hire more than 10 interns or exceed your ratio, you are welcome to do so without additional InternshipsVA funding support.
 

Yes, there are multiple programs available to help employers interested in hiring individuals with disabilities, including:

• The The Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services’s Pathways to Careers program
• The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) initiatives
• Project SEARCH

The United States government tightly regulates the employment (and internships) of foreign nationals, so the answer depends on the type of visa obtained by the student. 

Below are some helpful resources on the topic:

Guide to Work Options for Foreign Students from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)

• James Madison University’s U.S. Employer’s Guide to Hiring International Students
• University of Michigan, U.S. Employer’s Guide to Hiring International Students
• University of Chicago, Employer Guide for Hiring International Students

Companies should consult with their legal and HR departments to ensure their internship program follows all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations and internal company policies and guidelines.

More information about federal and state employment laws can be found at the links below:

• Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) – U.S. Department of Labor
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) – U.S. Department of Labor
• Federal workplace safety laws – U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration
• Virginia Human Rights Act – Code of Virginia
• Virginia law regarding non-compete agreements – Code of Virginia
• Virginia Unemployment Insurance employer responsibilities – Virginia Employment Commission
• Virginia Workers’ Compensation’s FAQs for Employers – Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission
• Articles regarding policy and legal issues related to internships – National Association of Colleges and Universities

How will students learn about our open internship opportunities?

InternshipsVA has partnered with Handshake, an internship and career platform that connects students to employers through a college or university account or through accounts that students create individually. More than 70% of Virginia colleges and universities already partner with Handshake, making it an effective program to connect with thousands of Virginia students to ensure they learn about your open internship opportunities.

We encourage companies to post their internship opportunities on Handshake and include the following statement in your internship posting: “[Company Name] is a proud participant in the InternshipsVA program.” This sentence will ensure your company appears in our curated list of internships promoted by the InternshipsVA program to all undergraduate students at all of Virginia's higher education institutions. You can find more information on getting started in Handshake here or schedule a meeting with your Regional Internship Manager for assistance.

My company has already established an internship program. What resources can InternshipsVA provide my company?

Our Regional Internship Managers are available to meet with your company to assist in expanding or strengthening your internship program. Our team provides personalized support, shares proven best practices, and helps employers design high‑quality internship experiences that enhance program effectiveness. In addition, we can connect companies with colleges and universities across the state to support recruitment efforts and help identify talent that aligns with program and workforce needs. Companies can also streamline recruitment efforts through our internship marketplace via Handshake.

Our team would like to learn more about how the InternshipsVA program works. How can we get more information?

We’re happy to help your team learn more about the program! You can find more information here or schedule a meeting with your Regional Internship Manager to present to your team.

How do we refer Virginia employers to the InternshipsVA program?

You may refer employers directly to the Regional Internship Manager serving their region.

Our career services office also manages employer outreach. Does InternshipsVA replace that outreach?

The outreach InternshipsVA conducts aims to enhance and amplify career services efforts across the Commonwealth, not replace it. Our goal is to expand employer relationships for all Virginia higher education institutions, and to create more paid internships for Virginia students. Please reach out to your Regional Internship Manager to share the approach that would best support your efforts.

Why Handshake?

InternshipsVA’s partnership with Handshake provides a marketplace to connect Virginia students with paid, high-quality internships with Virginia employers.

Handshake’s scale, data, accessibility, and activity across many of Virginia’s colleges and universities make it easier for all students to find opportunities and for all employers to build strong talent pipelines.

This partnership also enables aggregated, state-level reporting so VEDP can use Handshake’s proprietary data and insights and work with institutions to identify gaps and opportunities across internship supply and student demand.

We are not a Handshake school. Can our students still find InternshipsVA job postings?

Yes! Handshake is free for all students to set up an account and search for internships, even if their school is not a Handshake client. Students may learn more and create their account here.

All schools can promote Virginia internship postings on Handshake, even if they are not a Handshake school. This guide shares how to promote internships and InternshipsVA to students.

I’m a student who just learned about the InternshipsVA program. How do I access the internship opportunities available through the program?

The InternshipsVA program encourages employers to post their internship opportunities on Handshake. Check out this explanation of how students can access the internships on the Handshake platform.

• If your school uses Handshake, you’ll just need to log in with your school credentials - no need to create a new account!
• If your school does not use Handshake, you may create a free Handshake account using a personal or .edu email address.

Can InternshipsVA find me an internship?

InternshipsVA does not match students directly with employers for internships. InternshipsVA was created to help expand the number of paid internships with Virginia employers for students attending all colleges and universities in Virginia.

While the InternshipsVA program does not place students into internships, we have partnered with Handshake to create a curated list of Virginia-based internships so students currently attending a college or university in the state can quickly find opportunities available to them.

We are promoting Handshake to employers as the platform where they should post their internship opportunities. Check out this explanation of how students can access the internships on the Handshake platform.

What does the required training for the InternshipsVA Matching Grant entail?

Our Employer's Guide to High-Quality Internships webinar is a one-hour training offered twice per month. If you are unable to attend either of the monthly training sessions, please contact your Regional Internship Manager who can meet with you directly for a one-on-one training session.

The training includes the benefits of internships to companies, students, and higher education institutions, the key characteristics of a high-quality internship, how to develop an effective internship position description, and how the matching grant program and reimbursement process works.

Once an employer completes the required training, you do not need to attend the training again in order to apply for the matching grant in the future.

Can I hire any student using the InternshipsVA Matching Grant funding?

No, the state budget language for the Commonwealth Innovative Internship Program and Fund restricts use of the funding to supporting organizations hiring students enrolled in a post-secondary education program in Virginia. This includes both public and private 2- and 4-year institutions as well as full-time and part-time enrolled students.

Students who have completed their high school diploma or GED and are planning to enroll in a post-secondary education program the following semester are also eligible for InternshipsVA Matching Grant funding. The funding cannot be applied to interns who have completed their undergraduate degree.

Full-time and part-time students are eligible to be hired, as long as they are currently enrolled at a Virginia college or university.

What are other limitations to the funding?

• The matching grant program only reimburses employers for 50% of an intern’s wages. Stipends for housing/transportation/meals and other types of compensation are not covered by the matching grant but may be available through the student’s college or university. They should contact their career services department for more information.
• We will not reimburse employers for 1099 interns as they would be considered self-employed, self-directed individuals which is contradictory to the intent of an internship. Interns qualifying for the matching grant must be hired on the applying entity’s payroll or you can use a staffing agency. The matching grant program will not reimburse any portion of staffing agency fees.
• Employers may not use InternshipsVA Matching Grant funding for interns that are also being supported by another state-funded program.
• In-person, hybrid, and remote internships are all eligible for the matching grants program, as long as the other program requirements are met.
• There is currently no limit to the number of years that a company can apply for the matching grant program.

How many interns can be supported by the matching grant program?

Employers eligible for the matching grant program can be reimbursed for up to 10 interns per fiscal year (fiscal year = July 1 – June 30). Employers cannot have more interns than they have employees at a time; employers must maintain an intern-to-staff ratio of at least 1:1 (e.g., a company with five employees on its payroll can receive funding for up to five interns at a time). If you wish to hire more than 10 interns or exceed your ratio, you are welcome to do so without additional InternshipsVA Matching Grant funding support.

 Why does reimbursement take place after the internship has concluded?

The budget language passed by the General Assembly included requirements for the matching grant program, including establishing a minimum and maximum number of hours for internships that would qualify for the funding. VEDP’s incentives are performance-based, meaning we give funding to companies after they have met the criteria to qualify for our financial support, so the InternshipsVA matching grant is designed to be paid out with the same philosophy. This eliminates the need to claw back the funds from the employer if the internship does not reach the minimum thresholds.

Employers can shorten or segment their internships so that the reimbursement timing better fits the employers’ needs as long as each internship is at least 120 hours and 8 weeks and meets other basic requirements.

Would employers still qualify for reimbursement if the student quits or is let go before the 120 hour and 8-week thresholds are met?

Since the intent of the program is to support employers providing a high-quality work experience for a student intern, VEDP will reimburse 50% of the wages for internships that last at least 120 hours and 8 weeks as those are the thresholds for qualifying for the funding. However, we know there will be instances where an intern leaves earlier at no fault of the employer.  We will address these instances on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the Matching Grant Program Administrator.

Would a company need to include InternshipsVA matching grants as income subject to taxation?

This is a federal tax issue so please check with the IRS or your tax advisor as to the taxability of the InternshipsVA grants.

Can I adjust the internship information (start date, end date, wage, etc.) for my intern(s) after my application has been submitted and approved?

Yes, as long as the adjustments still meet the program requirements. Please email the Matching Grant Program Administrator to relay any changes, and we will update your record in our system.

Why is the Internship Information required on the application and what if I do not have this information firmed up yet?

In order to ensure the planned internship meets the criteria to be eligible for the matching grant funding, we need to gather preliminary internship information in advance of the internship. We also will use the information provided to build out your account record on our end and track your estimated budget and timeline for reimbursement. If you are unable to estimate the role, timeframe, wage, and hours for the internship, you may wait to apply until closer to the internship start date when those details will be available.Please contact your Regional Internship Manager for guidance on how to develop your internship program.