Scholarships Available for College Students with Disabilities

The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars is pleased to announce a new initiative to help increase employment for students with disabilities through an academic internship program. Through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, The Washington Center is working to help students develop leadership skills and gain valuable work experience in public service. The Washington Center will complement students' professional experience with solid academic training for credit from highly qualified instructors. In addition, students will be exposed to community, national and international leaders through workshops, seminars, lectures, embassy visits and networking events held throughout the course of each semester. The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) will offer technical guidance and support to the program.

The Washington Center is able to provide a total of 50 competitive scholarship awards in the amount of $7,430 for students with disabilities interested in working in the executive, judicial or legislative branches of the federal government during the spring 2004 and fall 2004 semesters (scholarships are not available in the summer).

Who Should Apply?

Applicants Must:

Be enrolled full-time in an accredited college or university
Be at least a second semester sophomore at the time of the internship
Have at least a 2.75 GPA
Show proof that they will receive academic credit for the internship
Be a U.S. Citizen
Self-identify as a person with a disability as defined by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA).
ADA defines a person with a disability as

a person with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities
a person that has a record of such impairment OR
a person that is regarded as having such impairment

Application Materials Include:

Official transcript
Three letters of recommendation
Resume
Three writing samples
Completed application form
Campus sponsorship agreement (students must receive academic credit for the experience)
Application fee of $60.00

Applications are available at: http://www.twc.edu/DatesDeadlines/index.htm . Please contact The Washington Center if you require the application in an alternate format. The application for the scholarship is the same as the regular application

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Important Dates

Spring 2004 Internship Program

Application due date: November 15, 2003
Spring semester begins: January 23, 2004
Spring semester ends: May 7, 2004

Fall 2004 Internship Program

Application due date: June 14, 2004
Fall semester begins: September 2, 2004
Fall semester ends: December 17, 2004

Internship Opportunities

All students will be placed in the executive, legislative or judicial branches of government. Sample placements include:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of Treasury
U.S. Department of Labor
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
General Services Administration
Office of Personal Management
U.S. Department of Defense
U.S. Department of Commerce
U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Department of Education
Small Business Administration
Congressional Members Offices (House & Senate)

Majors Sought

Accounting, Finance, Information Technology, Business, Environmental Studies,

Economics, Political Science, International Relations, Criminal Justice, Pre-Law, Human Resources, Psychology, History, Communications, Public Relations, Health Sciences, and many more�

What does the Scholarship Cover?

The scholarship covers $3,435 of the full program fee of $4,435 and covers the full cost of housing $3,995. The total scholarship award is $7,430 that would be applied to the full program cost of $8,430. Students are responsible to cover their own living expenses. This money can be combined with state scholarship awards available through The Washington Center. Awards range from $1800 to $4000 per student. Eligible students would be able to combine these awards with the $7430 to cover the full cost of the program and housing fees of $8430 and have a remaining amount to cover additional living expenses.

Visit http://www.twc.edu/financial/states/index.htm for more information.

Accomodations

Workplace

The Washington Center will work with the government agencies hosting the interns to ensure reasonable accommodations are provided to students who may need them to successfully complete their job duties. Government agencies will provide job-related reasonable accommodations for interns.

Student Housing

The Washington Center provides all students accessible housing during their participation in the program in Washington , D.C. The Washington Center will work with students on a case-by-case basis to ensure accommodations are met. Our housing facilities offer shared facilities in apartment buildings in Northern Virginia . They are located in well-lit, high traffic areas that provide secure and comfortable surroundings. The apartments are fully furnished, and provide local telephone and basic cable service, 24-hour front desk, and laundry facilities.

Academic Training

The Washington Center will work closely with students with disabilities to assess and provide accommodations (physical and programmatic) for students to complete the academic requirements of the program.

Local Transportation

The Washington Center housing facilities are within close proximity to the subway system. The Washington Center will work with each student on a case-by-case basis to provide an orientation to and information on how to utilize public transportation to arrive at their place of employment and all Washington Center functions in a timely manner. The Washington Center will provide mobility training when and if necessary. In addition, The Washington Center will conduct an orientation to answer questions about transportation, general accessibility issues, accommodations and internship sites.

Program Requirements

Participation in the Washington Forum (Presidential Lecture Series, Congressional Breakfast Series, Embassy Visit Program, Small Group Activities)
Enrollment in an academic course provided by The Washington Center (there are over 20 courses to select from)
Completion of a portfolio that documents student's internship experience and reactions to the Washington Forum sessions
Approval to receive academic credit for the program from student's home institution

For more information contact Jennifer Clinton, Senior Manager Federal Relations, The Washington Center for Internships & Academic Seminars. Phone: 202-336-7569, fax: 202-336-7609 or email: jenniferc@twc.edu . You can also visit us on the web at www.twc.edu.

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