STEM Internship Program

Helping Iowa employers hire STEM students

The Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Internship program provides grants to Iowa companies for internship programs with a goal of transitioning interns to full-time employment in Iowa upon graduation. The goal is to retain educated workers in Iowa.

• Maximum award to an employer in any one fiscal year shall not exceed $50,000
• Funds disbursed on a reimbursement basis with a portion of wages actually paid to a student
• Reimbursement calculated to result in an equal share of the cost being borne by the employer and the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA)
• For every two dollars of wages earned by the student, one dollar paid by the employer is matched by one dollar from the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and up to $5,000 per intern

Eligibility

• Employer that has or will apply during the same state fiscal year as the Iowa Student Internship Program (targeted industries) under 261 IAC chapter 104 is ineligible
• Employers eligible:
  • Must be an Iowa-based business with significant employment presence in Iowa
  • Must pay intern at least twice the minimum hourly wage (minimum $14.50/hour)
  • Must offer internship(s) to students of Iowa community colleges, private colleges, regents universities or to students who graduated from an Iowa high school and attend a college or university outside of Iowa
  • Must employ student(s) who are within 1 to 2 years of graduation (undergraduate or graduate student)
  • Must offer either summer or semester internships
    • Summer internship must last a minimum of eight weeks (averaging no less than 30 hours per week)
    • Summer 2018 internships must be completed by September 2018
    • Semester internship must last a minimum of 14 weeks (averaging no less than 10 hours per week)
• Student(s)/intern(s) eligible:
  • Must be within 1 to 2 years of graduation (undergraduate or graduate student)) ***Students that have recently graduated, and are no longer current students, are INELIGIBLE for this program***
  • Must be employed at an Iowa location
  • Must be a student at one of the Iowa community colleges, private colleges, Regent universities or a student who graduated from high school in Iowa but attends an institution of higher learning outside of Iowa
  • Must have a declared a major in a STEM field
    • STEM field includes all majors listed on the ACT-defined STEM majors and occupations by area list
  • Must participate in a substantive experience in an area closely related to the student’s STEM field

How to Apply

• The STEM Program (Targeted Industries) is now fully subscribed- NO FURTHER APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED for FY 2019.
• The FY 2020 application for the Fall 2019, Spring and Summer 2020 internship periods will open after July 1, 2019.