Private Scholarships

We believe our transformative Academic Internship Program should be accessible to as many students as possible. That’s why The Washington Center (TWC) offers a variety of financial assistance opportunities to help students make a summer or semester in D.C. a reality. 

School Arrangements: Since TWC partners with different colleges and universities, the cost of your participation depends on where you go to school and is often comparable to what you’d pay for the same term on campus. Contact our admissions team to learn more about the cost and credit arrangements at your school. 

State Scholarships: Depending on where you go to school, you may also be eligible for a state scholarship. We encourage you to visit the State Scholarships page to see if funding is available in your state.

Private Scholarships: If you’re not eligible for a state scholarship or you need financial assistance on top of your state scholarship, contact our financial aid team and share how much you would need in order to participate in the program. Most awards from TWC are contingent on your use of TWC housing and range from $500 to $1500.

We also encourage you to review the Awards from Private Donors below to see if you may be eligible to receive an award based on your school, interest area or honor society involvement.

 

Awards from Private Donors

Samuel G. Rose Scholarship and Stipend for Access & Opportunity

Thanks to generous support from Samuel G. Rose, The Washington Center anticipates it will provide at least 10 students with a full program and housing fee scholarship to participate in the Academic Internship Program (AIP) in 2024. Applicants to the spring, summer and/or fall semester can be considered.

To be considered, students must:

  • Meet TWC’s standard eligibility requirements (including a 2.75 minimum GPA);
  • Be eligible for Federal Pell Grants and provide documentation of their eligibility. Documentation must show the student’s name and proof of receipt of a Pell Grant such as a financial aid award letter, invoice or other official documentation from the university;
  • Submit a clearly written essay that addresses the following prompt: in 600 words or less, explain how this program will help you reach your professional career goals. You may want to share educational, personal or other experiences that shape your identity and inform your aspirations.

In addition, preference may be given to students:

  • Who self-identify as first-generation college students, and/or 
  • Whose professional interest area or major relates to the arts or environmental issues, and/or
  • Who attend Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUs) or other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs)

Interested students should apply to the Academic Internship Program and can use the code “Rose60” to waive the $60 application fee when they apply. From there, they should submit their essay and proof of Pell Grant eligibility to rosescholarship@twc.edu by the deadline for their term of interest.

Please note that students who submitted proof of Pell Grant eligibility as part of their TWC application do not need to submit it again. However, they must indicate that they have already submitted this documentation in the email that they send with the scholarship essay.

Deadlines and Application Details

Spring 2024: November 1, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time
Summer 2024: February 14, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time
Fall 2024: March 27, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time

A selection committee comprised of staff members in the admissions, internship placement and programmatic areas will review applications and essays and make award decisions. Announcements will be made within four to five weeks of the Rose Scholarship deadline so that students can make participation and internship placement decisions accordingly.

As a note, students who are eligible to receive other awards (including scholarships from TWC’s partner states) may receive a partial Rose Scholarship to cover their remaining fees; TWC does not offer scholarships in excess of the total cost to participate. 

Stipend

In addition, eligible students who apply and are not selected for the scholarship will be automatically considered for a $2,000 stipend. To be considered for this stipend, the student’s internship must be with a nonprofit organization, and they must use TWC housing during their time in D.C. Students who would only like to be considered for the $2,000 stipend should submit documentation showing their Pell Grant eligibility but do not need to submit the essay. These students should use subject line "Sam Rose Stipend submission" when they submit their documentation to rosescholarship@twc.edu.

Ford Motor Company Fund John Dingell Fellow and Scholar Awards

Funded by Ford Motor Company Fund, John Dingell Scholarships are awarded to select Michigan students who reside in or study in Southeast Michigan. The program was launched in 2015 in honor of the late Congressman John Dingell, offers scholarships and fellowships to qualifying students.

William Randolph Hearst Foundation Endowment Scholarships for Minority Students

In 1995, the William Hearst Randolph Foundation, with its longstanding tradition of supporting minorities, approved the creation of the William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship Fund for Minority Students. The Hearst Endowed Scholarships for minority students supports our diverse participants in TWC internship programs.

Motorola Solutions Foundation Public Safety and Law Enforcement Internship Scholarship

Funded by Motorola Solutions Foundation, these awards provide financial aid to select students interested in pursuing careers in the fields of law, criminal justice or public safety. Students that receive this scholarship must complete their internship at a site related to public safety or law enforcement.

Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Foundation Scholarship

The PASSHE Foundation raises funds to supplement state funds to TWC, to provide scholarships for students to participate in a TWC summer internship program. The PASSHE Foundation and TWC have been partnering on affordable access to internships for Pennsylvania-based students since 2010. For more information on state scholarships, see our state scholarships page

Pi Sigma Alpha Washington Internship Scholarship

This award provides a $2,500 housing scholarship for at least one student chosen by Pi Sigma Alpha, the political science honor society, for its Washington Internship Scholarship award. For an application form and more information, visit Pi Sigma Alpha.

Scott Rechler Hofstra University Scholarship

Funded by Save the Starfish Foundation and TWC alum, Scott Rechler ’88, these scholarships are awarded to select students from Hofstra University participating in TWC's semester or seminar programs.