Eligibility

The Community College Internship (CCI) program encourages applications from students currently enrolled full time or part time at a community college or accredited two-year college. 

Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

Academic and Enrollment Requirements

To be eligible for the CCI program, applicants must meet the following academic and enrollment criteria:

  • High School/GED: Must possess a high school diploma or General Education Development (GED) equivalent by the application deadline, verifiable through undergraduate transcripts.

    **Within the application, applicants must provide the date they earned their high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED).
  • Current Enrollment: Be a currently enrolled at a community college or accredited two-year college. Enrollment can be full-time or part-time, as determined by the number of hours the applicant’s school requires for full-time or part-time attendance.
  • Matriculated Status: Have completed at least one semester as a matriculated undergraduate. Advanced Placement (AP) or other pre-matriculation credits do not count towards the one-semester completion requirement.
  • Coursework: By the application deadline, applicants must have completed at least 6 credit hours in STEM fields and a minimum of 12 total undergraduate credit hours. These credits and corresponding grades must appear on submitted transcripts. Keep in mind,  this requirement must be met by the due date of the application. Advanced Placement (AP) or undergraduate credits earned as a high school student do not count towards the minimum credit hours requirement.
  • GPA: Maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.7 on a 4.0 scale for all matriculated postsecondary coursework, including applicant's current institution and prior institutions attended five years preceding the start of the most recent enrollment. This excludes college courses taken while exclusively a high school student.

***Note on GPA below 3.0: If your cumulative GPA is below 3.0, you are required to submit a GPA waiver statement. This statement should explain any extenuating circumstances for your GPA and describe how acceptance into the internship will enhance your academic performance.

Age and Citizenship

Applicants for the CCI program must meet the following age and citizenship requirements:

  • Age: Must be 18 years or older at the time the internship begins.
  • Citizenship: Must be a United States Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident at the time of application.

Proof of Status: Accepted applicants will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship or Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status will be requested at the time an internship offer is accepted. Acceptable form of proof of U.S. Citizenship includes, but is not limited to, a Certified Birth Certificate, U.S. Passport, U.S. Passport Card, Naturalization Certificate, Certificate of Citizenship, Consular Report of Birth (of U.S. citizen) Abroad, or Certification of Birth. Lawful Permanent Residents must have a current United States Permanent Resident Card (USCIS Form I-551) at the time of application.

Note for Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs): Applicants with an LPR status are encouraged to contact your prospective DOE National Laboratory/facility of interest during the application period. This is due to potential lead times required for foreign national access to the laboratory/facility. Please be aware that internship offers are contingent upon approval for site access prior to your planned start date.

CCI Program application and participation limit:

There are specific limits on participation in the CCI program:

  • Internship participation limit: Applicants are limited to participation in the CCI program to no more than two internships.
  • Application Limit: Applicants can apply to the CCI program a maximum of three times.