Harvard Institute of Politics to Increase Director’s Internship Funding

The Institute of Politics will increase the stipend for its Director’s Internship from $6,000 to $7,000 this summer, a change student leaders and administrators say will help expand access to public service opportunities.

The increase comes as the IOP prepares to offer a record number of internships. Approximately 225 total internships will be available this year, including 104 Director’s Internships currently in process and an additional 10 to 15 Hometown Director’s Internships — the largest slate in the program’s history.

Finalists will be notified of offers on March 12. This year’s applicant pool is the largest in the program’s history.

In a joint statement, Interim Co-Directors Ned C. Price and Beth Myers wrote that the higher stipend reflects the IOP’s public service mission and the central role internships play in it.

“The experiential learning our students gain through Director’s Internships is a vital element of the IOP’s public service mission, and we are excited to be able to increase the funding this year,” they wrote. “We hope this increase will incentivize even more students to apply and, most importantly, pursue the noble path of public service.”

Students leaders said the funding boost is part of a broader effort to make public service opportunities accessible to students regardless of financial background.

IOP President Lorenzo Z. Ruiz ’27 wrote in a statement that the funding boost reflects the executive team’s broader commitment to accessibility.

“Raising the Director’s Internship stipend is an early step among many in the year ahead — to expand access, level the playing field, and shore up pathways to public service,” he wrote. “Real change starts by directing our funding to where it can make the greatest impact in the lives of students.”

Ruiz added that cost should not determine who is able to pursue public service careers.

“Every Harvard undergraduate, at the IOP and beyond, deserves the chance to step into service without concern for personal cost,” he wrote. “The call to serve should always be matched by the means to do so, regardless of financial background.”

Vice President William M. Smialek ’27 wrote that he depended on IOP funding for his first two summer internships and called the raise especially meaningful amid rising summer rent and living expenses. In previous years, he added, he sought additional funding to cover the gap between the stipend and his costs.

“With living costs and summer rent continuing to rise, this increase will meaningfully reduce the financial burden on students pursuing public service opportunities,” he wrote.

Treasurer Jack W.H. Tueting ’27 similarly wrote that the stipend was essential to his participation in public service work.

“Having relied on the IOP’s stipend for the past two summers, I can say for certain that without the funding afforded to me, I would never have been able to walk through the doors that I have,” he wrote. “An increase in the stipend will directly translate to more equitable access to internships and public service careers even beyond graduation.”

The increase also drew praise from students involved in running the internship program. Jordan Schwartz ’27, a former Director’s Internship recipient and the student Director of Internships and Career Services, said financial concerns deter students from public service roles.

“So many students choose not to pursue public service internships because of financial concerns, and every step we can take to level the playing field is a huge step in the right direction,” he said.

Schwartz added that the IOP’s mission depends on making public service financially viable.

“Every penny invested in public service today will pay back dollars for decades to come,” he wrote.

—Staff writer Jen L. Phan can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X at @jenllphan.