Summer Experience Award

Summer Experience Award (SEA)

The SEA Application for 2024 is open until May 1, 2024

Priority Deadline April 2, 2024 at 1 pm

Final Deadline May 1, 2024 at 11:59 pm

All students are welcome to submit their completed applications by the priority deadline. International students and students pursuing international internships are strongly encouraged to submit a complete application by the priority deadline of April 2, 2024, to ensure the processing of their payment by the end of May. Incomplete or late applications are not accepted beyond the May 1, 2024 deadline.

The SEA is a non-competitive, one-time award. Eligible students who have secured an eligible opportunity will receive $4,000 for a U.S.-based opportunity or $6,000 for an international experience (The SEA is reduced to $4,000 for a remote international experience).

Applications will be reviewed within 20 business days and students will be contacted if needed. If approved, applicants will receive an email from OCS with details on how funds are distributed. If not approved, an email will be sent with the reason. Eligible students can submit an alternative application before the deadline.

Students are also encouraged to apply for Yale Fellowships simultaneously. The Office of Career Strategy recommends that eligible students use Fellowship and SEA awards for 2 separate summers. In some instances, Fellowship and SEA awards can be combined for one summer’s experience. If you choose to combine your SEA with a Fellowship, please be sure your project titles are consistent on all applications. Varied titles can result in a delay in payments being issued.

  • Yale College first-years, sophomores, and juniors.
  • First-time recipient of the SEA.
  • Secured an eligible summer opportunity.
  • Recipient of Yale financial aid during the spring term leading up to the SEA summer.
  • Students returning from a Leave of Absence are eligible if they are returning in Fall 2024 or Spring 2025 and are able to show proof of financial aid eligibility. Email sea@yale.edu for questions.
  • Yale ROTC students and Eli Whitney students may be eligible and should email sea@yale.edu to inquire.
  • Students applying for an International Summer Experience Award must abide by Travel Policy for Yale College Students.

    Unpaid or underfunded ($2,000 USD or less for the entire opportunity) with one of the following:

    A US-Based Opportunity

    501(c)(3) nonprofit, including nonprofit Universities; government entity, including public Universities; non-governmental organization (NGO); Arts Apprenticeship; or Science, Laboratory, or Other Research Opportunity.

    OR

    An International Opportunity (with an organization based outside of the U.S.)

    Nonprofit organization, including nonprofit Universities; for-profit company; government entity, including public Universities; non-governmental organization (NGO); Arts Apprenticeship; or Science, Laboratory, or Other Research Opportunity.

    Remote opportunities may be eligible in either U.S.- based or international internships; however, remote international opportunities will have the award reduced from $6,000 to $4,000. Additionally, a remote, international experience with a U.S.- based organization (company headquartered in the U.S.) is eligible as a U.S.- based opportunity ($4,000), not as an international opportunity.

    Additional Requirements:

    • Must be at least 30 hours/week, for at least 8 summer weeks, which do not have to be continuous if employer agrees. No additional funding through the SEA for more than 8 weeks.
    • Must have an assigned supervisor for regular mentorship that has a permanent connection to the organization and cannot be another student. For students pursuing research or work in a lab, the supervisor must be a faculty member or full-time research staff. Master’s, Ph.Ds and Postdocs cannot be listed as the supervisor.
      • Supervisors/Mentors must complete and sign the Host Verification Form which is found in the SEA application on Yale Career Link. Make sure to leave enough time for your supervisor to sign and return the form before the application deadline. Applications with missing or incomplete HOV forms will be rejected.

    Qualifying Opportunity Definitions:

    • Certified 501(c)(3) Nonprofit, including a nonprofit University or NGO that can be confirmed on Guidestar.
    • Local, state, federal, or tribal government, including public Universities. Note: political campaigns are not eligible.
    • Arts Apprenticeshipa mentoring relationship with an artist/creator in visual arts, theater and performance arts, creative writing, architecture and design, music, film making, or media arts.
    • Science, Laboratory, or Other Research, a mentoring relationship with a faculty member at a public or nonprofit University, including Yale, or other nonprofit or public entity.
    • For-profit opportunities: Due to the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act, only for-profit opportunities outside of the U.S. are eligible and must be unpaid/underfunded (less than $2,000 USD).

When you select “Yes” on your SEA application, you understand that you are responsible for informing yourself about the travel, health, and safety risks of the country/ies where you will reside and/or visit. You are agreeing to use the travel, safety and health resources provided, other resources as applicable, and remain informed about updates on travel conditions domestically and throughout your time abroad.

Travel, Health & Safety Agreements: It is important to be prepared with travel information and resources before you arrive. Read the information and agreements below and visit the links provided. All responses apply to your intended activity (“Program”), which may be funded by Yale University (“Yale”) or sponsored by Yale.

U.S. State Department Travel Advisory Website: Travel is restricted to countries at level 4. If you are traveling to multiple countries, you are responsible to review this information for each country. On your application, indicate the level of the primary country where you will be over the summer.

U.S. State Department Country Fact Sheet

International SOS: You will be required to indicate the International SOS risk level rating for your intended country. The SEA cannot be used for countries at High or Extreme Risk Levels, even if it is your home country.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Yale University COVID Vaccination Policy

Additional Agreements for all SEA recipients:

  1. Watch/read the online pre-departure information below and any other information sent to you
  2. Complete the OCS summer activities survey at the end of the summer
  3. Return any SEA funding received in the event your plans change, making the opportunity no longer eligible
  4. Return a prorated amount of the SEA funding for any time less than eight weeks, if you withdraw or fail to complete the summer experience, and
  5. Complete a mid-summer and end-of-summer check-in with your supervisor.

Important Pre-departure Information/Videos:

How to  Make the Most of Your Summer Experience

Health & Safety Resources

International Experiences – Additional required webinar ‘Pre-departure Orientation Summer Abroad: Health & Safety: To Dos’

Under federal tax law, a scholarship or fellowship provided to a student in a degree granting program is generally taxable. If you are a candidate for a degree, however, you can exclude from taxable income that part of the award used to pay the costs of tuition, required fees, books, equipment and supplies (required fees, books, equipment and supplies are limited to those specifically required of all students in a course). You cannot exclude from taxable income any part of the grant used for other purposes, such as room and board. Please refer to IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Higher Education, Section 1, Scholarship, Fellowships, Grants and Tuition Reductions and the IRS tax guide for students, Taxable Income for Students.

While OCS cannot offer tax advice, the IRS Tax Office on Court Street does offer free tax advice to students.

Congratulations on securing your experience! This Internship Checklist will help you plan before, during, and after your experience to make the most of your professional development.

Employers/Sponsors: Can your organization benefit from Yale’s Summer Experience Award?

News from OCS

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Receive Your Funding – Zelle

If you plan to receive funds for your 2024 Summer Experience Award (SEA) or Fellowship Award, please take a moment to enroll in Zelle.

Zelle is a digital payment method to transfer money with faster results. This is available to …

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Making the Most of Your Summer Experience

Yale’s Office of Career Strategy strongly encourages all students embarking on a summer experience to watch the following two short animated videos and read the three pages below:

Summer Experience Checklist: This page is a must read as it provides …

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CONTACT & LOCATION

Phone
(203) 432-0803
Address

55 Whitney Avenue, 3rd Fl.
New Haven, CT 06510

SERVICE HOURS

Day of the week
Academic Year Summer Hours
Monday 8:30am - 5pm 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm 8:30am - 4:30pm

The office is closed weekends, holidays, and recess days.