More US colleges push state-funded stipends to help students afford summer internships in high-demand industries

US colleges are increasingly turning to state-funded stipends to help students overcome financial barriers to summer internships, with public universities in South Carolina expanding programmes that pay students directly while strengthening local workforce pipelines.

Following large-scale participation at Clemson University and the University of South Carolina, two additional public colleges are seeking state budget support to fund paid internship opportunities in high-demand industries across the state.

New proposals from coastal and lander universities
Coastal Carolina University has asked state legislators to allocate $390,000 each year to launch the Teal Works Program, which would provide stipends to students completing summer internships at the Horry County institution.

In its budget request, the university said Teal Works would remove financial barriers and equip students with skills needed to succeed in the workforce, a position outlined in documents cited by the News From The States.

The proposed model includes $3,000 stipends for 75 students covering ten to twelve week summer placements, with an extra $1,000 available for those working in rural or underserved parts of South Carolina, according to figures included in the request.

Building on established programmes
Lander University in Greenwood is seeking $500,000 to add stipends to its long-running Experience Your Education Program, which has historically offered academic credit and a Golden EYE Award for students completing 120 credit hours.

Without financial assistance, many students struggle to take part in internships, spokesman Graham Duncan said in a statement issued by the university, as quoted by the News From The States, noting that costs such as travel and meals can place opportunities out of reach.

Funding impact at Clemson and USC
At Clemson University, state funding expanded internship participation from about 30 students each summer to more than 400, with executive director Neil Burton describing upfront living and relocation costs as prohibitive for many students, according to comments referenced by the News From The States.

Across the USC system, more than 1,750 students have received $3,000 stipends, totalling over $5.2 million, while legislators have now approved recurring tax-funded allocations of $2 million for USC and $4 million for Clemson to sustain the programmes.

USC has requested an additional $2.5 million annually to restore earlier funding levels, while Coastal plans to grow participation to 250 students by year five using state, federal and private sources across the wider state.
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