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SAJA

SAJA 2022 Internship Fund

SAJA's Internship Program is designed to improve opportunities for journalism students to participate and learn from on-the-job training programs and on-site internships. The program is designed to support candidates who have already secured internships but need supplemental income during the internship period.  Details to follow. 

Questions? Email president@saja.org.

Eligibility

Current undergraduate or graduate level students enrolled in North America in an accredited college or university who secure an internship with a news organization in the United States.

The program is open to applicants of South Asian descent and others focused on covering South Asia or the diaspora.

Candidates are required to provide a letter from the organization offering internship stating the terms of the internship, including the start and end dates and the amount of compensation, if any.  Candidates may also be required to provide personal financial information to demonstrate financial need.  Work samples demonstrating interest in journalism and/or South Asia may also be required.  Applicants may be interviewed by phone or in person by a member of the internship committee. 

Immediate relatives of SAJA Board members and judges are INELIGIBLE to apply. Also, the internship cannot result in any direct or indirect benefit to the candidate's family members. The internship cannot be at a newsroom owned by the candidate's family.

On completion of their internships, recipients are expected to contribute to SAJA, for example, by volunteering at SAJA's events, promoting SAJA's mission, membership drives and donation requests via social media. 

Evaluation Procedure

A committee of judges appointed by the SAJA Board will review the student applications and evaluate them based on need, a demonstrated interest in journalism (i.e. related coursework, internships, extracurricular activities, part-time work), written communication skills, interest and enthusiasm in joining the SAJA community, and serious reflection on what the applicant hopes to accomplish as a journalist. Applicants may be interviewed by phone or in-person by a member of the scholarship committee. 

Award Process

The internship amounts are usually paid in two installments, at the start of the internship and upon the completion of the internship.  Payment of the second installment is conditional upon the grantee providing a written documentation from the employer of the satisfactory completion of the internship. 

How to Apply

Application deadline to come. 

The single PDF document MUST include:
  • A resume + contact information of three references
  • The internship offer letter with details on the terms of remuneration, length of internship, and point of contact at the media organization
  • A 350-word essay on why you should be awarded the internship fund (see the 'Evaluation Procedure' section above for an explanation on what factors will be considered).

Applicants may be interviewed by phone or in person by a member of the internship committee. Each student will be required to state how they would give back to SAJA and provide SAJA with a picture and quote about how the internship fund helped them. 

INTERNSHIP DISBURSEMENTS/DOCUMENTATION:

Those selected to receive internship awards will be required to provide the following information / documents to SAJA prior to being entitled to receive the internship amounts:

(a)  U.S. Postal address; (b) name, address and account number and other details of a US Dollar bank account at a bank branch located in the United States to which the internship amount may be sent; (c) U.S. Treasury Form W-9 or Form W-8BEN

Failure to provide any of the above information / documents on a timely basis could result in revocation of the internship.  Each internship recipient must consult her/his own tax advisor on the extent, if any, to which the internship amount may be taxable by any of the tax jurisdiction to which she/he may be subject to.  SAJA does not make any representation as to the taxability or non-taxability of the internship amount. All internship amounts will be reported to the Internal Revenue Service of the United States government.  Internship recipients will be provided a Form 1099.

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