It was spring of my freshman year when I first felt the pressure of getting an internship. Between taking only general education classes and being an international student, I was completely lost when it came to internships, and I was certainly at a disadvantage when compared to other students. It all started with one simple comment “Wait, so if you don’t have an internship, then what are you going to do this summer?” Even after explaining that I was taking my first vacation in a couple of years and really wanted to rest, hang out with my family and find a job back home, I was always met with the same air of unguided superiority and disapproval.
I am lucky enough to have a scholarship that covers the majority of my expenses, which has allowed me to remain independent from my parent’s finances for a couple of years now. Even then, navigating the world of college in the United States is an incredibly intimidating experience financially. According to the College Board, the lowest out-of-state tuition costs for public institutions are in South Dakota and Wyoming — costing $12,480 and $16,830 respectively. The highest prices for out-of-state tuition round to approximately $40,000.
For international students seeking opportunities or simply pursuing an education in the U.S., expenses and fees can skyrocket because of costs and currency weights. It’s fair to say that an unpaid internship was completely out of reach for my little college budget. Although annoying, the stats don’t lie. Recent research conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers suggests that 91 percent of employers prefer candidates who have recent work experience, while 65 percent prefer candidates with relevant work experience. So internships can be an important factor in finding a job.
Ultimately, I started looking for a company to work, but because it was late I wasn’t able to in the game, I wasn’t able to apply to anything. In fact, paid opportunities were rather scarce and opportunities for international students were nearly nonexistent. After returning to school, I realized how different my summer had been compared to my friends.
“Oh my dad’s friend got me an internship at his office.” “I had an unpaid internship with Cosmopolitan.” “Well no it wasn’t paid but, it was in New York!”
I felt uncomfortable. I knew no one, and I couldn’t afford to spend a whole summer without working. While there’s nothing wrong with using your personal connections and working for free, this reality feels exclusive. Throughout the semester, I applied to many opportunities, but I knew there was only one I wanted with all my heart. It had been my dream to be accepted to the Disney College Program ever since I heard about it. The best part? It was a paid experience, which would help me gain experience at a rate I could afford. I kept my options opened and decided to apply to all internships I could, but I was overwhelmed by how many opportunities were unpaid and how few offered a form of compensation.
Unpaid internships are problematic. They grant opportunities only to those who can afford them, leaving low-income students neglected and with less access to opportunities. In the long term, low-income students will have more challenges broadening their resume. Without access to an internship, they might not even land a job after graduating, potentially furthering wage gaps and poverty.
During the application process, I realized that international students are required to pay a fee for an authorization called CPT to legally get paid for internships in the U.S. As I said before I am lucky enough to have a scholarship that covers most of my expenses. Unfortunately, the scholarship does not cover summer expenses, so this authorization would cost about $1,000 per credit. This meant that I would essentially have to pay to get a job. I couldn’t even afford the internship and was back to square one. It was paying $1,000 to make about the same or less, or not getting an internship at all. Around that time I received callbacks for secondary interviews related to internships.
In the end, it all came down to two potential employers. I was in my multimedia writing class when I got the best news ever: I was accepted for an internship in a company which I won’t name, but it rhymes with Chimney Sword (yes, I got into the college program). I called my whole family to tell them the good news. Sadly, it was too soon to claim victory. I realized I would have to pay a $300 fee to attend the program, that on top of the $1,000 to obtain the CPT authorization. Additionally, a big part of my salary would be used to cover housing, making it hard for me to even make back the original amount invested in the program.
I was saddened to say bye to my childhood dream and admit that although I had gotten into the program based on my merit, I was not able to attend based on my economic situation. In fact, the college internship world is an incredibly exclusive club, and we low-income students are often not invited. That is why students from all over should urge universities to provide more diverse opportunities. Diversity is often associated with culture, but it also includes gender, age, race and even socio-economic status. Providing opportunities to students from different backgrounds to access the workforce is the only way we can ensure that fields are shaped by those who are most qualified, in the long term narrowing the wage gap.
So yeah, I couldn’t afford my dream internship and it felt terrible. But I’m writing this article so people can learn about the inequality embedded in our educational environment. Together, we can advocate for opportunities that are fair to people from all walks of life.