Professional Development Internship Fund (PDIF)

The Kean University Professional Development Internship Fund (PDIF) Program supports undergraduate students in completing unpaid internships by removing financial barriers. The PDIF promotes hands-on experiential learning opportunities that align with a student’s academic and career goals.

There are two funding options available through the PDIF program. If you meet the eligibility criteria and program requirements, you may apply for one of these funding opportunities. Please note that students can only select one funding option. 

The Spring semester 2026 PDIF application IS NOW OPEN and will be accepting rolling applications.

• Internship Stipend: $2,500.00 for unpaid internships
• Travel and Professional Expenses Stipend: $250.00 (covers transportation and/or professional attire expenses)

Eligibility Criteria:

• Currently enrolled undergraduate student with completion of at least 60+ credits by the conclusion of Fall 2025 semester.
• 2.8 or higher overall GPA.
• Enrolled in a 3-credit internship for academic credit for Spring 2026.
• Student cannot have received PDIF funding previously.
• Student is not currently enrolled in any other Kean internship support program or funding, such as the LEAP scholarship, or other outside funding awards for this internship.

Student may only receive one type of PDIF funding:

• Unpaid internship stipend ($2,500), or
• Travel and Professional Expenses support stipend ($250). 

Internship Eligibility and Program Requirements:

a.       Internship must be for academic credit (3-credits).

b.       Internships must be at least 120 hours over the course of the semester and meet academic program requirements, with regularly scheduled hours spread over a minimum of 8 weeks.

c.       Must be registered and approved in Handshake with an approved internship agreement.

Workshop Attendance, PDIF program students are required to complete the following two (2) workshops:

d.       Internship Essentials (prior to the start of your internship)

e.       Attend a career readiness workshop presented by Kean Career Services 

The Spring semester 2026 PDIF application is now open and will be accepting applications through March 16, 2026.  A committee will review and assess the applications based on merit, need, completeness, and available funding.

If you have any questions after you have reviewed the FAQ’s, please contact us at internships@kean.edu.