Founded in 1981, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is one of the leading organizations in the country working on public policy issues affecting low-income families and individuals. The Center specializes in research and analysis oriented toward practical policy decisions and produces solid analytic reports on a timely basis that are accessible to public officials at national, state and local levels, to nonprofit organizations and to the media.

The Center seeks highly motivated undergraduate and graduate students (including law), as well as recent graduates, in the following areas for full-and part-time paid internships: Media, Federal Legislation, Health Policy, Housing Policy, International Budget Project, Food Stamps, National Budget and Tax Policy, Outreach Campaigns, State Budget and Tax Policy and Welfare Reform and Income Support Division (see internship descriptions).

Internships are available for the fall, spring, and summer semesters. However, not all positions are available every semester. The typical length of an internship is one semester (approximately 10-12 weeks). Individuals interested in a second internship may qualify upon a review of Center needs at the end of the first internship.

The positions are designed to reflect an intern's interests in conjunction with the Center's needs and the legislative climate. Applicants should have research, fact-gathering, writing, analytic, and computer skills and a willingness to do administrative as well as substantive tasks.

The Center's offices are located at 820 First Street NE, one block from Union Station (on Metro's Red Line) near Capitol Hill.

Compensation

• Doctoral students may receive between $12.00 - $15.00, depending on progress towards completion of degree requirements, relevant coursework and research.
• Students with a Master’s or Law degree receive $12.00 per hour.
• Graduate students receive $10.00 per hour.
• Students with a Bachelor's degree receive $9.00 per hour.
• Undergraduate students receive $8.00 per hour.

For interns with significant work experience that is relevant to their internship, some adjustment may be made to these wage levels.

Interns are eligible for 1 personal day and 2 sick days per semester, and health insurance.

The typical length of an internship is one semester. Individuals interested in a second internship may qualify upon a review of Center needs at the end of the first internship and an increase in hourly compensation may follow.  

How to Apply

To apply for an internship, please complete our online application form.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is an equal opportunity employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.

Application deadlines

(Recently Updated)

• For summer internships, March 1
• For fall internships, Rolling deadline; review of applications begins June 15
• For spring internships, Rolling deadline; review of applications begins October 15

In most cases, hiring decisions are made within one month of the application deadline.

Note: We receive a very large number of applications for Summer internships. Please make sure to submit all of your required materials by the March 1 deadline. For Fall and Spring internships, we encourage applicants to submit their materials as close as possible to the date we begin reviewing applications. Fall internships are generally expected to begin in late August/early September. Spring internships are expected to begin in January.

Questions

If you have any questions regarding the internship program, please e-mail us at internship@cbpp.org.

Alternatively, you can reach us at (202) 408-1080. Please indicate that you have a question concerning internships and would like to speak with one of the internship coordinators.