The Student Volunteer Trainee Program is an eight to ten week program that offers volunteer opportunities to students enrolled in accredited educational institutions. Students who participate in the program will gain educational experience in their field of study or career interest and will develop personal and professional skills.
ED offers internships in the fall, winter/spring, and summer. Depending on circumstances, program opportunities may be reduced or extended.
The Application Process
Please note that, for all programs, the dates listed below are approximate. Based on a student's or recent graduate's availability, internships can begin or end before or after the dates indicated below. Some programs can last up to 1-year or more or less.
Also, please be aware that you may not receive correspondence from our office until after the submission deadline has expired. You will be contacted via e-mail in regard to the status of your application.
Eligibility
- Be at least 16 years of age;
- Attend an accredited educational institution, including but not limited to; high school, trade school, technical or vocational institute, junior college, college, university, or graduate school;
- A recent graduate is ineligible to apply unless he/she can provide confirmed proof of future enrollment.
- Have permission from the institution at which he/she is currently enrolled to participate in internship program; and
- Be enrolled not less than half time in a course of study related to the work to be performed.
- International Applicants: Individuals who are not U.S. citizens, but who reside in the U.S., may volunteer (1) if they are lawful permanent residents; or (2) if they are non-immigrant aliens with F-1 or J-1 visa status, who are bona fide students residing in the U.S. solely to pursue a course of study at a recognized, approved institution of education, or (3) have deferred action (DACA) status. All foreign national intern applicants will be required to meet the following criteria for consideration:
- Must have resided in the United States for three (3) out of the last five (5) years. This ensures an adequate background investigation can be completed.
- Must either be a Lawful Legal Resident of the United States or hold a valid F1 Visa.
- Must be a citizen from a country that is allied with the United States. List of allied nations.
- A requisite investigation must be conducted on all non-U.S. citizen interns. All investigation materials must be submitted and approval granted by the Office of Finance and Operations (OFO) Personnel Security Office prior to commencing the internship.
- The following forms will be needed for a complete package: SF-85P, OF-306, Fingerprinting (Digital or Ink), and Fair Credit Release, Resume (if applicable)
- Additionally, the Cyber Security and Privacy Awareness Training module must be completed, and certificate received, before approval to start will be granted.
- Meet Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) and Federal Information Processing Standard 201 (FIPS 201-2) pre-employment requirements for PIV ID issuance.
- Interns must present two (original) forms of identification, prior to badge issuance, for identity proofing. Acceptable documents are listed on Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification (pg.9). At least one submitted document must be a valid State or Federal government-issued picture ID. Identity proofing may be completed at any time, prior to the commencement of work.
How to Apply and Timeline
All available internship opportunities that are currently being offered at ED will be announced via the USAJOBS website. All interested applicants should search for ED internship opportunities and apply there. If you have any questions, please email StudentVolunteers@ed.gov.
Fall
Dates of program: September through December
Application open and close: May 1st - July 31st
Winter/Spring
Dates of program: January through May
Application open and close: September 1st - November 30th
Summer
Dates of program: May/June through July/August
Application open and close: January 1st - March 31st
Duration
ED offers internship opportunities in the fall, winter, spring, and summer. The duration of ED's internship opportunities can vary depending on the program that the student or recent graduate is participating in. Student Volunteer Trainees typically commit to eight to ten weeks (the length of the program can be reduced or extended depending on circumstances.)
Interns usually work 20 to 40 hours per week during the spring and fall terms and full-time during the summer session. While these timeframes work best for most students, all scheduling, including start/end dates and hours per week, is flexible and can be negotiated between the candidate and his or her office during the interview stage of the selection process.