PILC Summer Funding FAQs

PILC Summer Funding Requirements

What are the requirements for receiving PILC Summer Funding?

The specific requirements for obtaining PILC Summer Funding include:

1. For 1Ls, attend the PILC's fall information session on Finding and Funding a 1L Summer Internships held every October. For 2Ls who expect to be receiving for the first are transfer students should attend the PILC 2L Class Meeting held each August.
2. For ALL students (regarless of whether they participated in the summer funding program in a prior year) Register for Summer Funding no later than December 1st.
3. File FAFSA forms for the current and following academic year, complete work authorization forms if needed, and review the financial aid tutorial no later than January 15th.
4. Obtain a full-time public interest summer internship (at least 35 hours per week for 8-10 weeks), and enter it and have your employer confirm your placement in the PILC Summer Funding system, by the April deadline.
5. Notify PILC Summer Funding if you will be receiving additional funding from your employer or from another source by the April deadline to enter/add an internship.
6. Complete your internship, working at least 35 hours for 8-10 weeks.
7. Ensuring that the placement supervisor confirms that the internship was completed in August.
8. Submit an intern report through the PILC Summer Funding System.

It is your responsibility to know what is required for compliance with the summer funding program. All of your requirements will be detailed under the "Participant Tracker" and "My Event Schedule" tabs when you log in to the PILC Summer Funding System.

Where can I find a calendar with all the relevant dates and deadlines?

All relevant dates and deadlines are available on the “Participant Tracker” and “My Event Schedule” tabs in the Summer Funding System.

What meetings are mandatory for 1Ls?

First-year students should attend PILC's fall information session on Finding and Funding a 1L Summer Internships held every October, which is designed to provide basic grounding in the job search process and public interest practice.

All other requirements and required forms are detailed under the "Participant Tracker" and "My Event Schedule" tabs once you register for summer funding.

What meetings are mandatory if I am a 2L seeking PILC Summer Funding for the first time?

2L students who wish to receive PILC Summer Funding for the first time are encouraged to attend the PILC 2L Class Meeting held in mid-August.

All other deadlines and requirements are detailed under the "Participant Tracker" and "My Event Schedule" tabs once you register in the PILC Summer Funding System.

How do the requirements change if I received PILC Summer Funding last summer?

2Ls who received PILC Summer Funding during their 1L summer must register again in the PILC Summer Funding System, and complete all funding deadlines and requirements listed on your "Participant Tracker" and "My Events" schedule including completion of FAFSAs on a timely basis. They are also encouraged to attend the PILC 2L Class Meeting in mid-August.

Are the deadlines really firm?

YES. In order to administer a program of this cost and complexity, it is critical for students to comply with all requirements and deadlines.

Email us with any questions or concerns.

How long will it take to complete the requirements?

The initial registration process is fast (under a minute) and easy. But it may take time to complete some of the other requirements, so we strongly urge you not to leave things to the last minute. For example, it takes several days to receive a PIN number to submit a FAFSA. Also, you should ensure that you give your host organization enough time to submit verification of your internship in the PILC Summer Funding System.

Do I need to include my parents' financial information when completing my FAFSA?

No. Parental information is not necessary in order to complete the FAFSA for summer funding purposes. Only the student’s personal financial information is needed.

How do I notify PILC once I have found an internship?

Congratulations on securing an internship!

In order to qualify for funding, students must confirm their internship placement in their online Participant Tracker in the PILC Summer Funding System before the April deadline. We recommend starting the process as soon as the offer is accepted, as this is a multi-step process that also requires verification from the host organization.

1. Select the organization in the PILC database. If the employer is not already in the database, the student should promptly email us and request that it be added. Please include the organization's contact information, confirm that the internship will meet the minimum requirements, and confirm that the organization qualifies.
2. The system will email your host organization and will provide them a link to confirm the information online. Please let your host organization know this is coming, ask them to confirm with you when it is done, and ensure that it is completed by the April deadline.  

How do I change my placement contact information?

To change your contact, you should login to the system, click on "Internship Confirmation Request," then "Edit," change the contact name/email, and click submit. Be sure to resend the confirmation email (if needed) after you change your contact. The system will not automatically resend, you will need to do so manually.

How can I verify that I have satisfied all requirements?

Students should check the “My Event Schedule” and the “Participant Tracker” tabs to ensure that they have no outstanding requirements. Please email us with any questions or if there is an error in the Participant Tracker, .

Are there any more requirements after I start my internship?

There are two primary requirements after students have commenced their internship: 

1. Complete the internship. Students must work the minimum number of hours/weeks required by the summer funding program, and ensure that their supervisor confirms this in the PILC Summer Funding System. 
2. Submit intern report. At the end of the summer, all PILC Summer Funding recipients are required to submit a report about their internship, following the guidelines provided by PILC.

There will be clear guidelines for completing both of these requirements in the Participant Tracker.

How do I withdraw from the PILC Summer Funding Program?

Students can easily withdraw from PILC Summer Funding anytime before confirming their internship placement by submitting an online withdrawal form in the Participant Tracker in the PILC Summer Funding System.

If a student needs to withdraw from, modify, or refuse an internship they had previously accepted after submitting an Internship Confirmation, the student must notify the program by email and explain the circumstances that led to the change. Note that all students are expected to abide by NALP's Principles of Professional Conduct, in particular the Principles for a Fair and Ethical Recruitment Process, which requires “[w]ithdrawing pending applications or canceling scheduled interviews with other employers after accepting an offer of employment.”

Who can I contact if I have questions about summer funding? 

Any questions about the PILC Summer Funding Program, including organization and internship eligibility, should be directed to PILC Summer Funding at law.pilcgrant@nyu.edu.

Questions about disbursement, FAFSA requirements or other financial matters should be directed to OSFS at law.finaid@nyu.edu.

Placement & Eligibility

What kinds of host organizations are eligible for PILC Summer Funding internships?

Internships with most employers outside of the private sector are eligible for PILC Summer Funding, including: 

• Government employers, including all international judicial internships
• Domestic judicial internships for 1Ls only
• Domestic or international non-profit, non-governmental or inter-governmental organizations - in general nonprofits must be 501(c)(3) organizations 
• NYU Law-Affiliated Centers that do not separately pay their interns. 

Are internships at private public interest law firms eligible for PILC Summer Funding?

As a general rule, internships with for-profit entities, including those with a predominantly public interest practice, are not eligible for PILC Summer Funding. Most private public interest law firms are able to pay their summer associates and are able to pay them more than the amount NYU provides as summer funding.

If you are planning to intern with a private public interest firm that will be paying you less than you would receive through PILC Summer Funding, please email us with the specific details of your situation.

Does my internship have to involve legal work?

Yes. While you don't have to necessarily be litigating or drafting contracts, and some aspects of your work may not be strictly legal (for example, organizing work or policy analysis), you must be engaging in work that is legal in nature, and you must be supervised by a licensed attorney.

If I am doing a split summer at a law firm and a public interest organization, can I still receive any PILC Summer Funding?

No. If you are working for part of your summer at a for-profit firm or company, you are not eligible for funding, even if you will be spending only a short time working for the firm and even if you spend at least eight weeks working at a public interest organization.

Are research assistants eligible for funding if I am working on a public interest topic?

No. Professors have their own budget for hiring summer research assistants, and students are not eligible to summer funding for their RA work.

Are students working as summer research assistants eligible for funding if they are also completing a public interest summer internship?

Students who are receiving PILC Summer Funding for an eligible public interest internship are allowed to also do paid RA work for an NYU professor for no more than 15 hours per week.

This income must be reported on the Additional Funding form that is available at the bottom of the Participant Tracker page in the PILC Summer Funding System.

Can I use PILC Summer Funding to go abroad?

Yes! We encourage you to take advantage of PILC Summer Funding to go abroad, and many opportunities are available to NYU law students. In addition to working with a PILC counselor, the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice and the Center for Constitutional Transitions can facilitate these placements around the world.

In order to ensure that you are making an informed choice about your travel destination, the Law School requires that anyone choosing to go abroad review travel advisories from the State Department and the Centers for Disease Control. Students must also register their trip with NYU Traveler, and are advised to consult with NYU's Office of Global Support for visa, immigration and cultural information and assistance. We will also give you information about supplemental insurance, but it will be up to you to obtain this.

PLEASE NOTE: NYU has a number of dedicated international summer fellowships. Since NYU has made special arrangements with our fellowship placement sites, NYU students may only work at these sites through these programs. An internship at one of these international NYU-dedicated internship sites outside will not be eligible for PILC summer funding.

Finances

How much summer funding can I receive?

Provided all program requirements are met, the PILC Summer Funding awards are $5500 for 1Ls and $7500 for 2Ls. Please note that, depending on your circumstances, taxes may be deducted from these amounts.

If I cannot work for eight weeks, can I receive pro rated funding?

No. Students who work fewer than eight weeks for the summer are not eligible for PILC Summer Funding, even pro rated. Students who have a conflict and cannot be on site for the full eight weeks may be able to make arrangements with their host organizations to complete any remaining time needed, for example, by continuing research from a remote location.

Who administers the PILC Summer Funding program?

The program is jointly administered by the Public Interest Law Center (PILC) and the Office of Student Financial Services (OSFS).

Where does PILC Summer Funding come from?

The two sources of funding for the Program are Federal Work Study (FWS) and NYU School of Law grants. The assignment of funding sources is done by OSFS. Students may not select their funding source.

Learn more about the difference between and potential tax implications of FWS versus grant funding.

What if I am not eligible for Federal Work Study because I am an International student?

International JD students who are not eligible for federal work study funding in the US are still eligible for PILC Summer Funding. PILC-funded summer employment is provided to International JD students in the form of a grant/stipend provided by the Law School and is treated as a campus experience from a visa-perspective. Therefore, no social security number (SSN) will be provided. If a host organization for a PILC-funded position requires a SSN, please contact us. As described here, the NYU grant/stipend is considered fellowship income by the IRS and students accordingly ought to code the grant/stipend as a scholarship on tax documents.

International JD students do not need to complete any FAFSAs, but must still complete all other application forms and program requirements. (International JD student's Participant Tracker should reflect that they  are exempt from the FAFSA requirement. If these forms are still appearing when you log in, send an email to law.pilcgrant@nyu.edu and we will correct that.)

What if my host organization will also pay me a stipend, or if I am awarded other summer fellowship funding?

The Law School allows students to supplement their summer grants with additional funding from other sources, which we encourage you to pursue. There is no cap on additional funding that students may receive and still be eligible to receive PILC summer funding. However, if you are awarded monetary compensation from a host organization or any other source, you must complete the Additional Funding Form that is available at the bottom of the Participant Tracker page in the PILC Summer Funding System..

Note that some employers only offer stipends to interns who do not receive summer funding from their law schools, so make sure to confirm your eligibility for their funding with your host organization.

NYU offers a number of special summer fellowships, many of which come with supplemental summer funding. PSJD maintains a list of Summer Funding Sources. And depending on the areas of law in which you wish to practice, a PILC counselor may be able to identify some opportunities that provide summer interns with additional funding.

If I am receiving NYU-dedicated summer fellowship funding, can I skip the PILC Summer Funding process?

No. All NYU-dedicated domestic or international summer fellowship programs are processed through PILC and require that the student is both eligible for and in compliance with all Summer Funding program requirements, including the requirement to submit an internship report at the end of the summer.

Note that if you are not selected for a dedicated international placement, you can still use your PILC grant to do an internship abroad with an organization that does not participate in the NYU-specific fellowship programs. Since NYU has made special arrangements with fellowship program placement sites, NYU students may only work at these sites through the NYU-dedicated programs. An internship at one of these dedicated internship sites for international placements will not be eligible for PILC summer funding.

When will I receive the funds?

The method of funding disbursement will vary depending on the source of funds used for your grant. The Office of Student Financial Services explains the process for the academic year in the Online Financial Tutorial.

Students being paid through Federal Work Study (FWS) will receive their funds in installments. Depending on your circumstances, taxes may be withheld from your award.

The following information is offered as a guide to facilitate your financial planning for the summer.

• For those receiving FWS, the funding is generally disbursed in six  installments beginning on or about June 1.
• For those receiving NYU grants/awards, the funding is disbursed in one installment, usually by the end of May.

What if my safety and security are threatened during my internship?

Your safety is our utmost concern. Should city or country conditions threaten your health or personal safety, we will support your decision to evacuate. This exception does not apply to a change in personal preferences.