NESTIP

What is NESTIP

Internships play a key role in providing students with critical job experiences while helping businesses achieve their goals. To encourage this interaction, the Nebraska Engineering, Science and Technology Internship Program (NESTIP) offers up to $5,000 in a 50% cost-share for businesses that hire undergraduate and graduate students for project-based paid internships in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This cost-share program is intended to facilitate technology transfer between Nebraska higher education and businesses and to encourage applied research that benefits state industries.

Notice: We are now accepting applications.

Who is eligible?

• BUSINESS ELIGIBILITY: Any Nebraska business enterprise that meets the definition of "qualified business" in the Nebraska revised statutes 77-5715 is eligible to participate in NESTIP. The business must have a location in Nebraska where the student will serve as an intern but does not need to have its home office in Nebraska.

The program subsidizes only one student per business enterprise at any given time

• STUDENT ELIGIBILITY - UNDERGRADUATE: Any science, technology, engineering, or math undergraduate student enrolled in a degree program in one of Nebraska's accredited four-year colleges or universities, and who has completed at least 65 credit hours of college courses, is eligible.
• STUDENT ELIGIBILITY - GRADUATE: Any science, technology, engineering, or math graduate student enrolled in a graduate degree program at one of Nebraska's accredited universities is eligible with the approval of the student's academic advisor. The student's academic advisor will serve as the student's mentor.

How does NESTIP work?

COST SHARING:

NESTIP cost-share may not exceed one half of the student's salary and related FICA taxes. The business must provide at least one half of the student's salary and related taxes. The student's salary is determined by the business, but the total NESTIP subsidy will not exceed $5,000 per student per six-month funding period, and a student's salary may be funded for only two consecutive funding periods (totaling twelve months) with the same business. Each funding period must be applied for separately. NESTIP cost-share may only be used for student salary and related taxes.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

Initiation of a request for funding consists of providing the following to the Nebraska EPSCoR Office via U.S. mail, fax, or e-mail (epscor (@) nebraska.edu) of the scanned forms: Form A, a completed student application form; Form B, a completed company commitment form and; for graduate students only, Form C, an academic mentor commitment form. Funding requests are evaluated by Nebraska EPSCoR based on the merit of the proposed project. Funding is based also on availability of funds and is a competitive procedure. Notification of funding is usually made within approximately two weeks of EPSCoR's receipt of completed application materials. Please allow time for the approval process. Funding is not provided for time the student has already worked. The agreement will not start until the project has been approved. 

For application forms in Word, go here.

REIMBURSEMENT PROCEDURE:

A student is paid directly by the business for work the student has performed. Once the internship is complete, the business has 30 days to submit copies of the signed time cards and a cover letter summarizing the total wages and FICA taxes paid for the student. Nebraska EPSCoR will not reimburse any company for any overtime paid to any student. Once verification of all materials is complete, reimbursement will be processed and a check will be sent to the business.