Summer Experience Award (SEA)
The SEA Application for 2025 is open
Priority Deadline Tuesday, April 1, 2025*
Final Deadline Thursday, May 1, 2025
*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 to ensure the processing of their payment before, or in the early days of, their experience.
Incomplete or late applications will not be accepted beyond the May 1, 2025 final 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.
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.
Preview the SEA Application questions here.
- 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 2025 or Spring 2026 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.
- *If you have not received your financial aid letter by February 14th, please reach out to the SEA program at sea@yale.edu.
- Every experience 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. Calculate your weeks’ duration with this tool.
- 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.
- 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 Apprenticeship, a 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).
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:
Qualifying Opportunity Definitions:
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. In advance of your departure, check the entry requirements and fees of the country or countries you plan to travel to or transit through on your journey. 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.
Be sure to check the entry requirements of the country you are traveling to.
U.S. State Department Travel Advisory Website: Travel is restricted to countries or regions up to level 3. If you are traveling to multiple countries, you are responsible to review this information for each country. On your application, indicate the highest level for the regions 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:
- Watch/read the online pre-departure information below and any other information sent to you
- Complete the OCS summer activities survey at the end of the summer
- Return any SEA funding received in the event your plans change, making the opportunity no longer eligible
- 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
- 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
International Experiences – Additional required brief video, Fellowships & Independent Activities Pre-Departure
Eligible SEA applicants who submit a complete application by the priority deadline of April 1, and are approved, will receive their funding by late May. Distribution of funds begins in early May and continues on a rolling basis in the order in which complete, eligible applications are approved.
To avoid delay and receive your funding as soon as possible, confirm that your bank allows you to accept Zelle payments and that you can link your yale.edu e-mail to the bank account. If not, you will be issued a paper check. If you are issued a paper check, you must either pick it up on campus or provide a mailing address to which the Summer Experience Award office can mail your check.
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.
International Students are advised to be aware of tax implications before accepting an award. You must contact the international tax office at Yale to ensure that your tax documents are up to date. Contact the international tax office here. Missing or incomplete documents can delay your award payment.
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.