This type of situation sets up students for even more debt and money troubles than they might already be in. Not only do the students have to pay for the credits, but also they have to pay for transportation to and from the internship, food, etc. Many students’ lifestyles or family lifestyles may not be able to support long periods of work that doesn’t provide income.

In the particular 12-credit internship mentioned, each credit needs 40 hours of work. That quickly becomes a three-month full time job.

And how often does the department faculty member supervise? During my unpaid internship with a different department, I had no supervision; I was just told to write an essay at the completion.

The “Glamour Industry” as people lovingly call entertainment, sports, etc. is typically the worst offender of the unpaid internship. It is common knowledge that these industries have millions, if not billions of dollars, but they don’t spare any change for the college kids. The system is completely backwards.

The Department of Labor has created six criteria for unpaid internships under the Fair Labor Standards Act. They include:

1. The internship, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to training which would be given in an educational environment;

2. The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern;

3. The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff;

4. The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern; and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded;

5. The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship;

6. The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship.

I don’t foresee unpaid internships going away anytime soon. Companies are looking for “unpaid” labor and students are seeking that experience that they hope will get their foot in the door sometime down the road. With work experience in high demand, companies are able to choose from a large pool of talent for only a few positions, thus acquiring top-notch talent for free. It is, however, unfortunate that students must take financial risks (on top of the financial risk of going to college) to get an internship that doesn’t necessarily turn into a job.

If you would like to learn more about this topic I would suggest reading Ross Perlin’s book, “Intern Nation: How to Earn Nothing and Learn Little in the Brave New Economy.” He delves deeper into the system of unpaid internships.

Personally I have had both types of internships. I have had one for academic credit (unpaid) and a paid internship (not for credit). Obviously, I gained great knowledge from both and am grateful for the opportunities, but being part of a team and getting paid to work is a much more rewarding experience. As the economy improves, we will find out if unpaid internships will fade or if they are here to stay.

You can also check this article out at USA Today’s College Edition: http://usat.ly/A4IVM5