Rutgers Scarlet Service Internship (RSSI) Program provides select students from Rutgers-Camden, Newark, and New Brunswick with an opportunity to earn up to $5,000 while interning for a minimum of 150-hours in no less than 10-12 weeks during the summer at a public service nonprofit organization or direct-service government office. These internships are primarily in-person internships, with 75-100% of the work being completed at the internship site.

Students also participate in a concurrent virtual, asynchronous internship course designed to explore and engage with the topic of public service while building their career readiness and professionalism skills.

Students are required to attend multiple in-person and virtual events and field trips during the Spring and Summer 2026 semesters, as well as a Celebration event in early Fall 2026. Specific dates will be announced soon. Travel to Rutgers-New Brunswick campus is necessary for the Kickoff and Celebration events.

Course Description

The RSSI course is a 3-credit, pass/no credit, virtual and asynchronous internship course that will require an estimated one (1) hour of coursework per week. This course is meant to ground students’ experience in their public service internships, providing them with the theoretical foundation and professional and civic skillset to thrive in their internship site and their communities. Through readings, reflections, and virtual discussions, students will explore and engage with the topics of public service and civic engagement while building their career readiness and professionalism.

The application process for this Program is open to Rutgers-Camden, New Brunswick, and Newark current sophomores and juniors who will have 61-91 credits completed by the end of the Spring 2026 semester. Applicants must have an overall cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher and be in good standing with the university. Applicants must also have the ability to travel to an internship site in New Jersey, New York City, or Philadelphia region, and have a passion for community engagement and/or public service.

Students who participated in previous RSSI Program cohorts are not eligible to reapply.

Transfer students in their first semester at Rutgers are eligible to apply as long as:

1. Their transfer and Rutgers credits equal 61 credits at the end of the Spring 2026 semester
2. They achieve a GPA of at least 2.5 in the Fall 2025 semester  

Yes, undocumented students are welcome to apply. RSSI is open to all students regardless of immigration status.

Yes, international students eligible for Curriculum Practical Training (CPT) can apply to the RSSI Program. This includes the fulfillment of at least one academic year in the United States. You can find additional information on Curricular Practical Training (CPT) here.

Stipends, experience, knowledge, scholarships, networking, and events!

Stipends and Experience: Students selected for RSSI receive $5,000 for completing a minimum of 150-hour at a hands-on summer internship in public service where they make a difference, contribute to solutions to societal problems, view American life from a fresh perspective, and develop a better understanding of their responsibilities as citizens. Rutgers stipends are paid in two installments as long as students are making satisfactory progress toward internship goals.

Note: Students are responsible for all applicable taxes.

Knowledge and Scholarships: Accepted students participate in a concurrent virtual, asynchronous course designed to explore and engage with the topic of public service while building their career readiness and professionalism skills. RSSI students also receive a scholarship to cover the expense of the 3-credit course.

Networking and Events: Meet talented students from across Rutgers University who have a passion for making the world a better place. Students selected for RSSI will participate in three seminar events at the beginning, middle, and end of the RSSI program where they will hear from guest speakers from the world of public service and build fellowship with one another. After their summer internship experience, students will share their stories and experience at a September celebration with the broader university community.

Selected students and employers will participate in virtual interviews in February 2026. After the interviews, students will rank their internship site preferences and employers will rank their student preferences. The RSSI administrators will determine summer matches based on these rankings.

Most students are matched with their first or second internship site preference. Final matches between students and employers will be determined by the end of April 2026.

All eligible students must apply by 11:59 pm on Wednesday, November 19. Candidates complete an application form, attach a resume and unofficial transcript, and respond to three essay prompts. The application form also asks for the name, title, and contact of two references, of which at least one should be academic-based.

Student applications will be reviewed by a selection committee and RSSI administrators. All student applicants will be notified of their status in the program by mid-January 2026.

In late January 2026, selected students will be responsible for scheduling their interview slots with internship sites through RSSI’s virtual interview process. Specific information about the virtual interview process will be shared in January. After the interviews, students will rank their internship site preferences and employers will rank their student preferences. The RSSI administrators will determine summer matches based on these rankings.

See above question for more information on securing an internship. 

No, students are responsible for arranging their own travel to and from the internship site. No travel allowance will be provided in addition to the $5,000 RSSI stipend.

Contact Heather Escalona Benitez, Senior Assistant Director, at rssi@echo.rutgers.edu to learn more.

Before completing your application, please collect/draft the following items: resume, unofficial transcript, contact information for two references, and responses to your essay questions. All materials must be submitted via this form by Wednesday, November 19 at 11:59 pm. It is important to note that students cannot save draft version(s) of this form and return to it later.

• General Applicant Information
• General Academic Information
• Required Supporting Documentation:
  • Resume: One page preferred, two pages maximum
  • Unofficial Transcript: Rutgers transcript, including your current semester of classes. If you are transfer student and have been at Rutgers for less than one academic year, please include transcripts from previous colleges/universities.
  • Contact Information for One Reference: Provide the name, title, organization, phone number, current workplace, and email address of one contact who can speak to your experiences and work ethic. References can include advisors, faculty, staff, supervisors, etc. Your references should not be related to you.
• RSSI Essay Questions
  • Why are you applying, what do you hope to get out of RSSI, and why should you be selected? Please describe your interest in public service and how it might relate to your career goals. Applicants are encouraged to include previous relevant experience or related personal experiences. (300 words or less)
  • Share how you plan to meet RSSI Program requirements this summer while also managing your other personal, academic, and professional priorities and responsibilities. (200 words or less)
  • Tell us about a time you had to work with someone who had a different viewpoint than you. How did you approach the situation to come to an understanding or resolution? Reflect on how this situation may help you to intern in public service. (200 words or less)
  • Tell us about a time you had to overcome a challenge or obstacle at school or in the workplace. Describe your approach to the situation and what motivated you to persevere. What did you learn from this experience? (200 words or less)
  • Is there anything else we should know about you? (optional)
• General Internship Questions
• Applicant Affirmation

All internship sites must:

• Be a nonprofit with 501c3 status or a direct service government office with no affiliation to Rutgers University
• Have a mission in service to the public and engage in civic engagement activities
• Provide an internship experience that meets one of our five public service pathways
• Provide a primarily in-person (at least 75% in person) immersive, high-impact learning experience
• Host an intern for a minimum of 150 hours for no less than 10-12 weeks between May 26, 2026 and August 12, 2026 (averaging 15 hours per week)
• Experiences must incorporate opportunities for the intern to engage directly with the community served by the organization or indirectly through employees who can do so.

Public service means working in partnership with community members to improve societal well-being, advocating for increased quality of life, and/or enhancing access to quality services and resources that positively impact the community. Internship experiences must belong to one of the five public service pathways, work within one or more public service sectors, and engage in civic engagement activities.

Civic engagement activities focus on developing knowledge about a community, its democratic processes, and political systems while working in partnership with community members to deliberate challenges and co-create possible solutions to address and benefit the community’s needs.

We look to allow for a focused learning role, complete with mentorship, feedback, and the ability to ask questions. The focus should be a professional development experience – not just completing tasks. Click here for a list of the eligibility criteria and items that we typically ‘red-flag’ when reviewing applications. Rutgers departments are ineligible.

Yes, you can offer more than one internship for consideration. When completing the RSSI Employer Application linked at the bottom of the page, you will have the opportunity to indicate the total number of unique internship experiences and total number of vacancies you would like to offer.

All internships must be primarily ‘in-person’ experiences (at least 75% in person) unless the university determines a switch to remote due to health and other environmental factors.

Only organizations that are external to Rutgers University are eligible to apply for RSSI.

Follow this link to a walkthrough document that outlines learning objectives and how to create them for your internship experience.

• Student applications are due in November.
• Employer applications are due in December 2025. These applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
• Those selected to participate in our 2026 program will be notified by mid-January.
• If selected, employers will be asked for their availability for interviews held in mid-February with selected students.   

Selected employers will participate in virtual interviews with students. After the interviews, students will rank their internship site preferences and employers will rank their student preferences. The RSSI administrators will determine summer matches based on these rankings.

Final matches between students and employers will be determined by the end of April 2026.

Please see the question below regarding guaranteed acceptance or student placement.

Rutgers University does not guarantee acceptance into the Rutgers Scarlet Service Internship Program or guarantee that all placement sites or experiences will receive a matched student. We have a limited number of employer positions available for this program; therefore, in order to facilitate appropriate matches with students, we offer more internship opportunities than students selected for the program. If you are not accepted into the program or matched with a student, please know we can assist you in gaining awareness of your organization by setting up a Rutgers Handshake profile. Please email recruiting@echo.rutgers.edu for more information.