Defiance College awarded $221,529 Career Ready Internship Grant from Great Lakes; 220 new paid internships will be created exclusively for students with financial need
October 13, 2015
DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance College has been awarded a three-year, $221,529 Career Ready Internship Grant from Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation. An anticipated 220 new paid internships will be created during the 2015-2018 academic years.
“Paid internships benefit students, colleges and employers,” said Richard D. George, Great Lakes President and Chief Executive Officer. “Students gain meaningful workplace skills and are more likely to earn degrees and use their internship experiences to help secure good jobs upon graduation. Colleges will see increased completion and job placement rates, and employers gain a pipeline to fresh talent. It’s a win-win-win.”
Defiance College is one of 33 colleges and universities in Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin that received a combined $12 million in Great Lakes grants to make internships more equitable for their students with financial need. Defiance College will collaborate with businesses and nonprofit organizations to provide the greatest number of current and future students with an educational opportunity they might not otherwise have.
“With this three-year Career Ready internship grant, Defiance College can assist employers in developing new paid internships by providing wage reimbursement and assist students with transportation costs, which might otherwise impact their ability to accept an internship," said Lisa Marsalek, Vice President for Student Engagement.
Following three months of administrative planning, employer outreach, and student recruitment, Defiance College will place eligible juniors and seniors in paid internships beginning in January 2016. The Great Lakes grant period continues through May 2018.
Interested employers should email careers@defiance.edu.
Defiance College, chartered in 1850, is an independent, liberal arts institution in Northwest Ohio offering nearly 40 undergraduate programs of study as well as graduate programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition for its educational experience of service and engagement. The college website is www.defiance.edu.
Knowing that education has the power to change lives for the better, Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation & Affiliates was established as a nonprofit group focused on a single objective: helping students nationwide prepare for and succeed in postsecondary education and student loan repayment. As a leading student loan guarantor and servicer, Great Lakes has been selected by the U.S. Department of Education to provide assistance and repayment planning to more than eight million borrowers, as well as assistance to colleges and lenders nationwide. The group’s earnings support one of the largest and most respected education philanthropy programs in the country. Since 2006, Great Lakes has committed nearly $154 million in grant funding to promote higher education access and completion for students of color, low-income students, and first-generation students. For additional information, visit home.mygreatlakes.org.
