Why rush summer funding?

A common item on many students' to-do list this time of year is securing funding for summer projects - internships,  thesis research and community service.

It is commendable that the University provides summer funding for unpaid service internships and senior thesis research and speaks to the University's commitment to supporting students even when they are not on campus. A combination of early deadlines and strict application requirements, however, reduce the effectiveness of these funding programs.  For example, the Pace center's deadline is April 4; the politics department's is March 28.

Many students who applied for internships in government, NGOs, publications and other non-paying organizations have not yet received a decision from them. In some cases, application deadlines for these positions have not even passed. As a result of early funding deadlines, some students - especially those for whom unpaid work would be an impossible financial burden without funding - forgo these opportunities.

The Pace center and many other sources for internship funding currently refuse to consider applicants unless they have a confirmed position by the application deadline. Pace encourages students to press potential employers for early answers. But most internships maintain strict application processes, and some organizations, such as governmental agencies, are bound by rules that do not permit them to make early determinations. The rough equivalent would be for a high school senior to press Princeton for an admission decision a month early. The result would most likely be not an early admission but rather no admission at all.

Funding for thesis research presents similar problems. Even those juniors who have clear ideas about their thesis topics have trouble preparing an application to meet the summer funding deadline. Funding applications are released just before midterm week, a hectic period for students and faculty. Furthermore, recommendations are hard to acquire at this time from faculty, who are often deeply involved in resolving seniors' thesis crises.

The University can solve this problem by shifting the deadlines for many of its funding programs to late April. While changing the deadline would place pressure on University staff to process applications more quickly, many more students could secure funding for important summer work. Alternately, the University could establish two deadlines. Funding sources could maintain their current deadlines but establish a second deadline in late April to allocate remaining funding to students who solidify their plans after the first deadline has passed.

Other creative solutions are possible. Decisions could be made on a rolling basis or students could be allowed to apply on a provisional basis for fellowship funding without a confirmed internship or with less developed research proposals. Money would only be provided if applicants secured summer positions or further developed their research plans by a later deadline.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter which option on-campus funding sources choose. But they should provide sufficient flexibility in their mechanisms to maximize their ability to support students who strive to meet the University's ideals of academic excellence and public service.