Rising Bird Fellows Eligibility and Requirements
Learn what makes an opportunity eligible for a Rising Bird Fellows stipend, along with key considerations and answers to frequently asked questions below.
Eligibility
To be eligible to receive a Rising Bird Fellows stipend, the student applying, their supervisor, and the opportunity must meet certain requirements.
To be eligible for a Rising Bird Fellows stipend, a student must:
- be a Stanford undergraduate student or a co-term within their first four years at Stanford
- be in good academic standing as detailed on the Academic Advising website
- have received an offer for an unpaid opportunity before starting their application
- be enrolled in classes for the quarter if they are completing an opportunity in Winter or Spring Quarter
- agree to complete any Rising Bird Fellows commitments outlined in the application and offer letter, including required assignments
A student is not eligible for a Rising Bird Fellows stipend if they are:
- a fifth year co-term student, master’s or PhD student, or a postdoctoral scholar
- on academic probation, deferred academic suspension, or academic suspension during the quarter in which they submit their application
- on a gap year or have taken a Leave of Absence for the three quarters prior to the quarter in which they submit their application or the quarter of their opportunity
- already a recipient of $10,000 of total funding through CareerEd
- Winter and Spring Quarter only
- applying for a stipend and are not enrolled in classes for the quarter when the opportunity takes place
- a financial aid recipient who does not have Student Responsibility remaining (Stanford Student Stipend Policy)
In order to be eligible for a Rising Bird Fellows stipend, an opportunity must meet the following requirements:
- be an internship, externship, or short-term project
- be entirely unpaid
- include professional experience and skill development opportunities aligned with their academic and/or professional interests
- meet unpaid internship requirements outlined in Fair Labor Standards Act from the Department of Labor
- Employers will be asked to confirm this information as a part of the Employer Agreement
- last at least 3 weeks
- have a commitment of at least 5 hours per week
- provide a direct supervisor who will provide support and guidance to the student throughout the opportunity and meets the supervisor eligibility requirements
An opportunity is not eligible for a Rising Bird Fellows stipend if:
- the student is provided with any financial compensation in return for the work they do as part of the opportunity
- the organization offering the opportunity is owned or run by the student, their relative, or a friend of the student
- the opportunity is academic research at Stanford or any other higher education institution
- For funding research opportunities, please explore the grants offered through Undergraduate Research.
- the opportunity is at Stanford or with a Stanford office other than Stanford Hospital
- it is an academic opportunity at Stanford or any other institution
- the organization charges a fee for participation or placement
- This could be for a third-party paid mentorship-placement organization, a fee-based travel volunteer program, or a fee paid to any host organization (e.g. fees for courses, programs, or housing).
- the student has previously received funding from CareerEd for an opportunity with the same organization for the same role or a similar role
In order to be eligible to serve as a supervisor for a Rising Bird Fellows opportunity, a supervisor must meet the following requirements:
- be a dedicated professional employee at the organization
- is not a relative or friend of the student
- has the authority and is willing to commit to program policies and requirements on behalf of their organization
- provides the student with guidance throughout the opportunity
- agrees to certify the student’s completion of the opportunity, provide the student with final written feedback, and complete the surveys and/or assessment provided by Stanford CareerEd
An opportunity is not eligible if the supervisor is:
- a volunteer with the organization
- a current college student
- a friend or family member of the student
- unwilling or unable to complete the expectations for a supervisor of a Rising Bird Fellow
Additional Information and Considerations
Opportunities may have additional eligibility requirements, different funding priority, or require additional student commitments based on location or student status.
Rising Bird Fellows can participate in hybrid or in-person opportunities outside of the US so long as those opportunities comply with Stanford travel policies.
Rising Bird Fellows accepts applications from international students for both domestic and international opportunities. International students must confirm with the Bechtel International Center that accepting a Rising Bird Fellows stipend would not impact their visa status.
Student athletes must confirm that accepting a Rising Bird Fellows stipend would not impact their athletic scholarship eligibility.
Rising Bird Fellows accepts Summer Quarter applications from graduating seniors and fourth-year co-term students, however these applications are given a lower funding priority than other students at the same financial need level.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are no citizenship requirements to apply for or receive a Rising Bird Fellows stipend.
For a faith-based organization to meet eligibility requirements it must be:
- registered as a nonprofit organization
- primarily engaged in conducting charitable or social support services
- non-proselytizing
- inclusive in who it serves
- non-partisan
Additionally, your responsibilities may not include religious outreach or conducting religious services.
As an example, interning in the marketing department of a faith-based organization like Habitat for Humanity would be an eligible Rising Bird Fellow’s opportunity. Interning with a project manager for a campaign to distribute religious pamphlets in the community would not be an eligible opportunity.
A political-related opportunity is eligible for Rising Bird Fellows so long as the organization is:
- non-partisan
- not directly involved in campaigning or funding political campaigns
As an example, an internship as a policy researcher for a member of congress would be an eligible opportunity. Interning with a political strategist for a member of congress’s re-election campaign would not be an eligible opportunity. Working directly for a political party, such as the Democratic National Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, or Libertarian National Committee, is not an eligible opportunity regardless of the responsibilities of your internship role.
