CFANS Unpaid Internship Grant

Students on Northrop Plaza Lawn

The CFANS Unpaid Internship Grant is a competitive grant designed to assist undergraduate students to enhance their academic experience through meaningful internships conducted in the United States.

There are three application deadlines every year:

  • Fall deadline is the second Wednesday of October. 
  • Spring deadline is the second Wednesday of February.
  • Summer deadline is the third Wednesday of April. 

Unpaid Internship Grant Application

Applications must be submitted by the due date no later than 4 PM Central time. Late application submissions will not be reviewed. All applicants will receive notification of award decisions approximately two weeks after the application deadline.

Award Amounts

Grants are available for up to $1,000.00. Most often awards are in the $200 to $500 range.

Grants are only awarded for unpaid internships.

All awards are announced publicly.

Eligibility Requirements

You are eligible to apply for this grant if you meet ALL five criteria:

  1. You are an undergraduate student in good standing (your cumulative GPA is above 2.5) in CFANS at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.
  2. You will obtain academic credit for your internship. (ApEc, AFBM and Nutrition will enroll in CFAN 3096 or CFAN 2096).
  3. This internship is NOT being conducted at a business owned or managed by a family member or a relative.
  4. You have not previously received this grant.
  5. Your internship is conducted in the United States.

Financial Aid Information

Receiving an Unpaid Internship Grant will affect your financial aid. As a monetary award, it may affect the total amount of direct funding you receive. Scholarships and grant payments are made through the Office of Student Finance. The amount deposited into your account will be credited toward any University charges (tuition, fees, University housing) for that term. Any remaining credit balance will be disbursed to you. Visit OneStop to learn more.

Testimonials

Shriparna Patnayak Headshot

Shriparna Patnayak, Nutrition major
Fall 2020 Grant Recipient

“I was extremely grateful to learn that I received the CFANS Unpaid Internship Grant this school year. I would like to thank you for your generous contribution towards my college education and experience. Your contribution towards my internship experience will further allow me to pursue goals I set for myself during my freshman year of college. Thank you so much for enabling me to further my journey. My goal of becoming a dentist in the future would not be possible without your support!"

Two Sheep at Lily Springs Farm

McKenzie Beckman, ESPM major
Spring 2021 Grant Recipient

“The funding gifted to me for this internship made it possible for me to put more hours in, and in turn, allowed me to immerse myself more fully in the experience and education. The scholarship took a large financial burden off of me and I am immensely grateful for being able to take multiple days off of my job in order to take on more at my internship site. My time at Lily Springs Farm was spent learning from incredible mentors, fostering a relationship with the land, and becoming more confident in my abilities as a young land manager and I thank you for that opportunity.

"We Are Here For The Future" Sign

Karly Beaumont, ESPM major
Spring 2021 Grant Recipient

“My time at MN 350 has been transformative in the way it has aided my understanding of leadership, community organizing, connecting with people of all different backgrounds, and understanding Line 3 and its ramifications. I delivered multiple presentations to hundreds of people, spent several weekends up north on the frontlines of the pipeline resistance fight, and made valuable connections with people related to my career goals in environmental law. Spreading awareness about the issue of Line 3 brought more people into the movement, sparked curiosity and change, and made me feel more in tune to the organization. I have decided to continue my time with MN 350 after being asked to join them for longer."


Doug Grade, Nutrition Major
Summer 2020 Grant Recipient

“By doing this internship, I got to be exposed to ways in which we could improve our own diets by incorporating more culturally-inclusive foods. I got to work with people from a number of different cultures and did research in order to show others the benefits of ancient African whole grains. It has shown me that more collaboration amongst cultures would be better for everyone, rather than being too proud of one's own. We were able to find ways to hopefully introduce others to these findings in different ways that hopefully could help reach a broader audience. We collaborated with the Midtown Global Market Cultural Wellness Center in order to do this. We provided historical and nutritional relevance in an appealing way though posters for youth and older, expert interviews, and a cooking video."


Chris Fineout, AFBM major
Fall 2020 Grant Recipient

“When applying for internships last summer I was told over and over again to reapply next near because of COVID-19. The problem was that I needed to gain hands-on job experience, and I couldn’t wait any longer. After getting denied from almost 30 paid internships because of COVID-19, I decided I would take the risk and apply for an unpaid internship. The best option that fit my dream to work in the food business industry was to apply for a remote internship overseas. After getting the job with a wine shop in Florence, Italy, I had such a positive experience that I have been considering changing my career interest towards global food & beverage distribution."