Intern Policies

Updated September 20, 2023

Admissions  

  • All admitted students are governed by the Student Code of Conduct
  • You must be at least 18 years of age at the start of the program. 
  • The Washington Center (TWC) makes admissions decisions based on the strength of your application (including essays and other supporting documents), the approval of your home institution (if applicable) and a review of your internship interests and goals for the experience. 
  • You must fully participate in all aspects of the program: the internship, Career Readiness Programming, and the evening course, unless otherwise noted. 
  • Your application form, plus the supporting documents you provide, become the property of The Washington Center and will be shown to potential internship site supervisors. The materials will not be returned to you or transferred to other institutions or potential employers. 

Academic Credit and Grades (not applicable for Global Competencies) 

  • If you are an undergraduate student, you are required to earn credit for your participation in the Academic Internship Program. 
  • If you attend an institution that is affiliated with TWC, your institution may choose to award you credit directly or for you to earn transfer credit via Elon University, our school of record.  
    • Home institution credit: at the conclusion of your experience, TWC will send your home institution recommended grades for each component of the experience and your Campus Liaison will apply them to your academic record. 
    • Transfer credit: your home institution will receive a transcript from Elon University conveying the academic credit and grades you earned during your experience.  
  • If you attend an institution that is not affiliated with TWC, you will earn transfer credit via Elon University, our school of record. 

Recent Graduates and Graduate Students 

If you recently graduated with your undergraduate degree, or are a current graduate or law student, TWC will consider your application on an individual basis, and you may not be required to earn credit for your participation. 

Billing and Payment 

  • TWC’s program and housing fees are published annually and available here
  • If you are participating independently, or your institution has instructed TWC to invoice you directly, TWC will send your invoice to your primary email address. Invoices are sent after the Regular Deadline for each term and are payable within 30 days.   
  • If you have an outstanding balance, you may not check in to TWC housing or begin your experience, unless prior arrangements have been made. TWC will not release your final grades until all outstanding balances have been paid.  
  • If you are dismissed from TWC’s program, you will not receive a refund and any unpaid fees will remain due and payable to The Washington Center. 
  • If any part of your financial assistance requires you to live in TWC-provided housing and you leave or are removed from your housing for any reason, you may be required to re-pay those funds. 

Refunds and Cancellation 

Upon your acceptance into the Academic Internship Program, your participation is expected unless you notify TWC in writing of your intent to withdraw, at which point the following policies apply to all students, whether participating in-person or online: 

  • The $60 application fee is nonrefundable. 

Program Fee 

After you have been accepted into the Academic Internship Program*: 

  • 50% of the program fee is due to TWC if you accept an internship facilitated by TWC and withdraw prior to the first day of check-in.  
  • 100% of the program fee is due to TWC if you accept an internship facilitated by TWC and withdraw on or after the first day of check-in.  
  • If you are dismissed from the Academic Internship Program due to a conduct violation or internship site dismissal, you will remain responsible for 100% of the program fee.  

*In all circumstances, an internship position is considered “accepted” even if your placement is contingent on passing a background check.  

Housing Fee 

After you have completed your application for housing and paid your $75 security deposit: 

  • If you cancel 6 weeks or more prior to the first day of check-in for your chosen term, you will receive a full refund (including your $75 security deposit). 
  • If you cancel less than 6 weeks before, but prior to the first day of check-in for your chosen term, you will forfeit your $75 security deposit and owe no other fees. 
  • If you cancel on or after the first date of check-in for your chosen term, you will forfeit your $75 security deposit and be responsible for 100% of the housing fee.  
  • If you are removed from TWC housing due to a conduct violation or other behavioral issue, you will remain responsible for 100% of the housing fee.  
  • TWC does not provide housing refunds after you have checked into TWC facilities. 

All requests for refunds must be submitted in writing to info@twc.edu

Housing and Community Life 

When you move into TWC-provided housing, you agree to abide by the policies in the Housing Reservation Contract, Student Code of Conduct, and the following terms and conditions: 

  • You are required to have medical insurance and provide proof of insurance upon request; you are responsible for any medical costs you may incur while enrolled with TWC. 
  • The Washington Center is not responsible for any loss, theft or damage to your personal property and recommends that you insure your valuables.  
  • If you intend to reside in TWC-provided housing, you will be required to remit a $75 housing security deposit at the time that you submit your Community Profile, even if you owe no other fees to TWC. The deposit will be refunded after accounting for any damages to your unit and you can expect to receive a refund no later than 45 days after your designated check-out date.  

Internship Placement 

  • Once you accept a position with an internship site, your decision is final, and you are required to inform other prospective internship sites that you are no longer available. You may not renege on your acceptance decision due to interest from another internship site.  
  • You may accept an internship offer that is contingent on your ability to pass a background check. If you fail your background check, The Washington Center will work to help you identify alternative opportunities as quickly as possible. However, this this process will take time and due to timing constraints, your options might be limited. If you elect to withdraw from the program after failing your background check, you will be responsible for some or all program costs, based on the refund and cancellation policies.