Any student who wants to work on campus must have current work authorization. Students who have College Work Option on their Financial Aid package are eligible for need-based employment and may apply for any position for which they are otherwise eligible on campus. Students must be enrolled in at least 3 credits (full-time course load) per semester. Students can look for positions on Handshake, within the jobs tab, using the On-Campus button or filter. Additional information about student employment can be found here.

• American University semester and American University summer both have excellent internships programs
• Semester in Environmental Science in Wood's Hole, MA (only offered in the fall semester) has an independent research component

• Middlebury Summer Language Schools are offered domestically in either in Oakland, CA (Arabic and Italian) or Middlebury, VT (Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Russian and Spanish).

In addition to searching for internships via Handshake or job/internship boards, you can ask OSPGD advisers to help you identify opportunities and prepare your resume and any other internship application documents. You can use GoinGlobal to search for information about living and working in various U.S. cities.

My Undocumented Life is a website designed for undocumented college students to connect with others, find internships, and receive guidance in pursuing different opportunities.

The OSPGD Unpaid Summer Internship Fund offers funding (up to $3,500) for unpaid internships. The application opens in December and is due in February. Students do not need to have an internship secured before applying.  Information and further details can be found here.

Paid internships considerations:  Most applications will ask, “Are you legally authorized to work in the United States?” If you have DACA, you are able to answer “yes” and continue through the hiring process without disclosing additional information about your background. More information about DACA can be found here.  Once you are hired, employers may not ask you about how you received your work permit.  More information about this can be found here.  If you did not apply for a social security number through DACA, read more about ITINs here.

In the United States, employers may not discriminate against work-authorized individuals in hiring, firing, recruitment, or referral for a fee in the employment eligibility verification (Form I-9 and E-Verify) process based upon citizenship, immigrant status or national origin.  Furthermore, employers cannot specify which document(s) the employee may present from the Lists of Acceptable Documents on the federal Employment Eligibility Verification form (I-9). For more information, call the Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) in the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division at 1-800-255-8155 or visit the website.

The F&M Summer Scholars Program, which includes the Hackman Scholarships, encourages faculty members to develop projects that will involve F&M students as research colleagues. Faculty members must apply for funding on behalf of students each February. If you are interested in doing research with a faculty member and you have work authorization, you should begin conversations with them during the fall semester. Information and further details can be found here.

For research opportunities outside of F&M, a good website is the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), which lists research opportunities at other colleges and universities as well as nonprofit organizations. Many professional associations (e.g. the American Psychological Association) include information about research opportunities.  It is a good idea to speak with your faculty adviser about which professional associations to explore or join and to inquire about research opportunities of which they may be aware.

For pre-health/pre-med specific research opportunities, the Pre-Health Dreamers website offers a number of resources.  Other resources include the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, which lists a variety of research opportunities, as well as the Pomona College Pre-Health website, which includes a wealth of information.

There are several F&M travel awards available to fund domestic summer study, research, and travel including the Paul A. Mueller, Jr. Summer Award and several academic department-issued awards. Applications are generally due in November. Details and requirements for all awards can be found here.  

Below is a list of several known fellowship opportunities; however, it is advisable to contact F&M’s Office of Fellowships whose staff may be aware of other options and can give advice on best practices for successful applications. 

• The Dream Summer Fellowship through UCLA is a national fellowship program that empowers immigrant youth and its allies to be the next generation of social justice leaders through professional development and national networking opportunities. Open to all class years. Applications are due in February.

• The Harvard Public Policy and Leadership Conference (PPLC) is a three-day conference open to first-year and sophomore students interested in public service and being a community voice/advocate. DACA eligible only. Applications are due in November.

• Pomona College’s website contains a comprehensive list of scholarships and fellowships. Students are advised to check each link/resource to confirm the accuracy of information.

Immigrant Rising has a document entitled Introduction to working for yourself, which is a guide for how to become an independent contractor

American Immigration Council has information about obtaining an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) and related information and articles.

Below is a list of several known fellowship opportunities, however it is advisable to contact F&M’s Office of Fellowships whose staff may be aware of other options and can give advice on best practices for successful applications.  Through F&M’s library you can use the college’s subscription to InfoEdGlobal's SPIN funding database (click on SPIN in menu to the top) to search for fellowships by citizenship/status.

• The Center for Engaged Scholarship Dissertation Fellowships are for Ph.D. students whose work has a social justice component. Each fellowship winner will receive $25,000 over a 9-month period. Students enrolled in a U.S. Ph.D. program in the following areas of study may apply: anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, social psychology, and sociology. This includes foreign nationals and undocumented individuals.
• The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans provides up to $90,000 over 2 years to 30 new Americans who will be pursuing a full time graduate degree program in any field at an American institution in the U.S. To be eligible, you must be 30 or younger, and either have been born in the U.S. to two immigrant parents or have been born outside the U.S. (as a non-citizen) and, as of November 1 of the year you apply, be a DACA recipient, naturalized citizen or in possession of a green card.
• The Environmental Fellows Program (EFP) at the University of Michigan is a national program that seeks to diversify the environmental and conservation philanthropic sector by supporting the career aspirations of graduate students from traditionally underrepresented groups. Fellows are placed in a 12-week paid internship with one of our partner philanthropic organizations. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or DACA/DREAMers (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).
• The Ford Foundation Fellowship Program, offered through the National Academy of Sciences, seeks to increase faculty diversity at U.S. colleges and universities. Fellowships are made at the predoctoral, dissertation, and postdoctoral levels to students who demonstrate academic excellence, a commitment to pluralism, and a strong interest in teaching and research. Eligible applicants include citizens, nationals, and permanent residents of the U.S., and DACA/DREAMers (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).

The timeline for applying to graduate school varies depending on the area of study, but most applications are due between October and January.  Nearly all U.S. graduate programs require entrance exams scores as part of your application. The most common test is the GRE, however other tests are required for medical, law, and MBA programs.  The GRE is a computer-based test offered almost daily in locations throughout the U.S., including at a test site in Lancaster.  We recommend taking any graduate entrance exam during the summer before your senior year.

If you are interested in pursuing a Master's degree or a Ph.D., we suggest first meeting and working with your faculty advisor and professors in your field of interest.  OSPGD advisers can help you develop and refine your resume and personal statement, and suggest using these resources as well as our Handshake resources as you begin your graduate school search.

Additional resources include: The Dream’s Navigating Graduate School: Guide for Undocumented Students (primarily for students without DACA); My (Un)Documented Life Blog (look through the “Applying to Graduate School” tab); and Immigrants Rising’s Life After College: A Guide for Undocumented Students (contains advice on pursuing graduate school and more).

If you are interested in pursuing an advanced degree in the medical field, we advise that you meet with OSPGD's Health Professions Adviser, Marissa Sheaf and view her website.  Additional resources include: the Pre-Health Dreamers website; the Latino Medical Student Association Facebook page; and Pomona College’s list of Admission Policies of Medical Schools Open to Undocumented and DACA Applicants.

Students interested in law school or engineering school, should meet with OSPGD's Legal and STEM Professions Adviser, Mike Vitlip, and visit his websites:  Legal and Engineering.

The OSPGD Unpaid Summer Internship Funds offers funding (up to $3,500) for unpaid internships. The application opens in December and is due in February. Students do not need to have an internship secured before applying. Information and further details can be found here.

The F&M Summer Scholars Program, which includes the Hackman Scholarships, encourages faculty members to develop projects that will involve F&M students as research colleagues. Faculty members must apply for funding on behalf of students each February. If you are interested in doing research with a faculty member, you should begin conversations with them during the fall semester. Information and further details can be found here.

There are several travel awards available to fund domestic summer study and travel including the Paul A. Mueller, Jr. Summer Award and several academic departments issued awards. Applications are generally due in November. Details and requirements for all awards can be found here.