Once you are selected, the next step is to attend Orientation at the end of May/beginning of June. 

Throughout the scholarship, Hollings scholars have responsibilities including the following:

• Year one: Attending the mandatory orientation program the first week of June;
• Year one: Conducting an internship site visit during their winter semester or quarter break;
• Year two: Completing an agreed upon project within 9 weeks during the summer internship;
• Year two: Completing bi-weekly project/research status reports during the summer internship;
• Year two: Presenting their project results to the NOAA community in Silver Spring, Maryland, during the Science and Education Symposium the last week of July/first week of August; and
• Throughout: Submitting a certification of enrollment and official transcript to the Hollings scholarship program staff at the start of each semester.

Find more detailed timeline on the current scholars page.

Hollings scholars are responsible for:

• Attending the mandatory orientation program the last week of May;
• Conducting an internship site visit during their winter semester or quarter break;
• Completing an agreed upon project within 9 weeks during the summer internship;
• Completing bi-weekly project/research status reports during the summer internship;
• Presenting their project results to the NOAA community in Silver Spring, Maryland, during the Science and Education Symposium the last week of July/first week of August; and
• Submitting a certification of enrollment and official transcript to the Hollings scholarship program staff at the start of each semester.

Yes. If a scholar transfers to another university or changes their major, NOAA Hollings program staff must be notified in writing prior to the transfer or change in major to obtain approval for continued scholarship funds.

At the start of each term, scholars are required to submit a certification of enrollment and official transcript to Hollings scholarship program staff to ensure that the scholars continue their major field of study related to NOAA's mission, are enrolled full-time and continue to maintain a 3.0 GPA or better.

Yes. A scholar may study abroad during their junior or senior year and still receive the scholarship. To study abroad and maintain their scholarship the scholar is required to provide the following documentation:

1.  A letter from their university indicating they have been approved to study abroad and that the university is an accredited program from which their units will transfer;
2. A letter from their study abroad program indicating that the scholar will be a full-time student, the duration of their study abroad, and the courses the scholar will be taking and that grades will be available and transferred; and,
3. Upon their arrival at their study abroad institution, a letter from that institution certifying full-time status with a copy of the scholar's course schedule, and contact information.

Scholars must complete their site-visit and finalize all logistics for the summer internship prior to departing from the U.S. for the study abroad academic term.

No. Scholars are allowed to participate in other scholarship and internship programs while receiving a NOAA award. However, they must fulfill the requirements of the Hollings Scholarship Program which are: participation in the mandatory orientation program and final presentation week; maintaining a full-time student status of enrollment; receiving a 3.0 cumulative grade point average; continuing their degree in a major field related to NOAA's mission; and, participation in the 10- week summer internship. Scholars may not receive Federal funds that cover the same funding period as the Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship award. Scholars are not permitted to receive the scholarship if they are employed by the Federal Government. There are no exceptions or substitutions to these program requirements.

NOAA provides scholars the opportunity to learn about the agency, meet senior managers and understand the mission of the agency. NOAA organizations and selected staff offices present their research program activities during the mandatory orientation program. In addition, NOAA organizations describe the types of projects that are/may be available for the summer internships.

During the mandatory orientation program, Hollings Scholarship program staff present detailed information about the scholarship program including selecting a summer internship, travel procedures, scholar's and NOAA mentor's responsibilities, and stipend payments. There is also a day for scholars to tour one of several local NOAA facilities.

Also during the mandatory orientation program, scholars will be assigned NOAA e-mail accounts (which will be used for all official electronic communication between scholars and NOAA after the mandatory orientation program) and NOAA ID badges.

Orientation typically takes place either the last week in May or the first week in June. In 2026, the Orientation program will take place June 2, 2026 through June 4th, 2026. Do not make your own travel arrangements. Our support contractor will arrange and prepay all flights, trains and bus tickets.

For planning purposes, please note the pre-determined travel dates for scholars:

• Arrival
  • All scholars in the contiguous United States and Puerto Rico will depart June 1, 2026, with a morning departure.
  • All scholars in Alaska, Hawaiʻi, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Northern Mariana Islands will fly on May 31, 2026.
• Departure
  • All scholars will depart on June 5th, 2026.

If you have an extenuating circumstance and need to arrive or depart on a different day, please contact the Hollings team at StudentScholarshipPrograms@noaa.gov. 

After you complete the provided travel request form, our support contractor will arrange and prepay for all flight, train, or bus tickets. Please note that you may only fly from your home or school airport locations.

 After travel, you can request reimbursement for the following (with receipts unless otherwise indicated):

• Cost of checked bag
• Travel to and from the airport or train station
• If you drive a personal vehicle instead of flying: Mileage, tolls, and parking costs (provide receipts for tolls and parking) up to the cost of a roundtrip airline ticket from your home/school airport to the destination.
• $200 for meals and incidentals (no receipts needed).
• Taxi, public transit, and rideshares from your hotel to orientation are reimbursable when you are conducting the approved activities under certain conditions. 
  • Reimbursable example: You have a limitation preventing you from walking to the orientation event from the hotel or weather is severe.
  • Non-reimbursable example: You go out to dinner with a group of scholars and need to travel to the destination.

During the orientation program and symposium week, scholars are required to dress in business casual attire. There will be photo and video opportunities with NOAA staff that may appear on NOAA websites, in video clips, print media, brochures, etc. Note that you may want to bring casual clothing or clothing that can get dirty or wet for some of the field trip locations (e.g. Jug Bay Wetland Sanctuary).

No. Scholars do not receive a stipend for attending the mandatory orientation program. However, all approved travel costs are included for the mandatory orientation program as part of the scholarship.

The NOAA identification badge is required to enter all NOAA facilities during the 10-week summer internship. Therefore, scholars must adhere to Federal Security Procedures to obtain a NOAA identification badge. Scholars will be informed of the procedures to obtain a NOAA identification badge during the mandatory orientation program.

The summer internship is conducted between the junior and senior year (the second year of the scholarship). For scholars attending colleges and universities on the semester system, summer internships begin the last week of May (Tuesday after Memorial Day holiday) and end the last week of July/first week of August. For students on the quarter system, internships may begin mid-June and end by mid-August. All scholars are required to complete a 10-week summer internship (one week spent at the Science and Education Symposium in Silver Spring, MD) regardless of when it begins.

The Hollings Scholarship program will provide a username and password to scholars to access the online Student Scholarship Internship Opportunities (SSIO) database system that will identify available internships nationwide. The summer internship opportunities include a brief description of each project, contact information for the NOAA mentor and location, and a summary of the tasks associated with the project. NOAA scholarship program staff are available to assist scholars as needed. However, the scholars are advised to contact the NOAA mentor to discuss the project further and determine their interest. If a mutual agreement is reached, the scholar may e-mail the mentor an updated resume and must e-mail Hollings Scholarship program staff information about the summer internship opportunity.

After Hollings Scholarship program staff approve the scholar’s participation in a project, the scholar and the mentor will select the date and time for the site visit (not to exceed three days). The scholar must submit a Travel Request electronically to the Hollings Scholarship program staff for approval of the site visit. Hollings Scholarship program staff will e-mail the scholar and NOAA mentor to confirm or disapprove the selection of the summer internship and, if approved, Hollings Scholarship program staff will contact the administrative support contractor, NOAA mentor, and scholar to proceed with travel arrangements. All scholars must finalize their internship selections by March 31st.

Once a Scholar has identified an internship and receives approval from the Hollings scholarship program staff, scholars must submit a Travel Request Form to StudentScholarshipPrograms@noaa.gov for approval of a site visit. Hollings Scholarship program staff will approve or deny the Travel Request and copy the NOAA mentor and support contractor. If approved, the support contractor will contact the scholar to coordinate travel arrangements for the site visit. Funds will be provided for students to conduct one site visit. The purpose of the site visit is to allow the scholar to meet the NOAA mentor, their staff, tour the facility, discuss the project to be conducted, identify summer housing and assess transportation needs.

The NOAA support contractor will purchase an airline or train ticket, pre-pay the hotel, and reimburse the scholar for pre-approved car rental and meals while in a travel status. Under no circumstances should scholars purchase their own travel tickets to or from their internship site or NOAA Headquarters. Scholars will not be reimbursed for airline, bus, or other unapproved travel costs.

Scholars must submit all original travel receipts for reimbursement to the NOAA support contractor. Only receipts in the scholar's name will be reimbursed by support contractor. Receipts for meals are not required.

Scholars are not approved for more than one site visit. All site visits must be completed by April 15th. Scholars are encouraged to complete the site visit during their winter break. Upon the completion of the site visit, all scholars are required to submit the completed Site Survey form found on the Hollings website to Hollings Scholarship Program Staff at studentschoolarshipprograms@noaa.gov

The scholar may contact a potential mentor directly to ask them to create a 9-week project for them in the SSIO online database system. If the NOAA employee agrees to serve as a mentor, they must complete the SSIO form and submit the completed form for approval. The mentor needs to indicate on the form the scholar’s name as being selected for the internship opportunity. All internship opportunities must be submitted through the online system. The scholar is to email the Hollings scholarship program staff at StudentScholarshipPrograms@noaa.gov indicating that they and the mentor have agreed on a project and include the mentor’s name and title of the project. Hollings scholarship program staff will e-mail the mentor and student scholar approval/disapproval of the project along with further instructions.

Scholars who select NOAA laboratories and field sites are to locate summer housing during the site visit. NOAA Office of Education will not enter into a lease agreement on behalf of the scholars.

For all scholars, the housing allowance is $400 per week provided you do not live at your permanent residence or your permanent residence is more than 50 miles away from your summer internship. The housing allowance is not intended to cover all summer housing costs, rather to offset the costs associated with housing. Scholars who reside in NOAA-funded housing will not receive the housing allowance.

Hollings Scholarship program staff recommends that students do not drive to their summer internship if it is more than 500 miles (a one-day trip) from the location of their home or university. If a student does drive, students will be reimbursed up to the cost of a round-trip airline ticket.

Hollings Scholarship program staff must provide pre-approval for students to drive their vehicles. A vehicle is not required for internships in Silver Spring. NOAA will not reimburse scholars for parking of their vehicle.

The NOAA Office of Education, Hollings Scholarship Program does not permit scholars to drive government vehicles. In the event a scholar is permitted to drive a government vehicle by their NOAA mentor, the Office of Education will not accept any responsibility or liability to cover insurance or repair claims if the scholar is involved in an accident.

NOAA will not approve or pay the cost for rental vehicles for use during the summer internship. It is highly recommended that scholars select a summer internship site where a car is not needed if a scholar does not own a vehicle. Transportation needs should be assessed during the site visit.

Hollings scholars do not have a travel budget during the summer internship. If your mentor wants you to visit another office or participate in a research cruise during the internship, they are responsible for providing funds for you to do so.

Scholars’ participation in the final presentation week in Silver Spring, Maryland, is mandatory.

All scholars are required to participate in the presentation week even if they started late and their project is not complete. In that case, scholars will present a project status along with expected outcomes. At the completion of the Symposium week, the scholar will return to their summer internship site to complete the remaining weeks of their internship pending the availability of funds. The NOAA mentor and scholar will determine if the summer project lends itself to an oral or poster presentation format.

The program requires all scholars to travel to Silver Spring, Maryland, the last week of July to present their project to the NOAA scientific community; travel will be coordinated by the NOAA support contractor. The Hollings Scholarship Program will not reimburse scholars who purchase their own airline or train ticket, hotel, or car rental without pre-approval from Hollings scholarship program staff. Scholars will travel home at the end of their 9th week (end of 6th week for quarter system scholars) to deposit their personal effects and will depart their homes on Sunday and travel to Silver Spring, Maryland.

Scholars will be reimbursed for the cost of printing one poster for their project presentation upon submission of the original receipt. However, all posters must be printed prior to the scholar's arrival in Silver Spring, Maryland, for the final presentation week.

Yes, scholars are required to present their project results during the final week which is included in the internship stipend. The Presentation Week is considered the 10th week of the summer internship.

Yes. However, if you have two weeks or more left in your internship after Symposium, you may return to your internship site. If you have one week left after Symposium, you must complete it virtually.

Scholars receive up to a maximum of $9,500 during the academic year. Payments are deposited directly into the scholar's checking or savings account and are disbursed on or around the end of the month in September, November, January and March. However, Hollings scholarship program staff must first receive verification of enrollment as a full-time student at an accredited institution.

During the summer internship scholars receive bi-weekly payments which are deposited into the scholar's account in the amount of $1,400 for the stipend and $800 as a housing allowance. The housing allowance is provided only if the scholar does not live at their permanent residence and the scholar's permanent residence is more than 50 miles from their summer internship. The housing allowance is provided to supplement, not entirely cover, the cost of summer housing. If the summer housing is provided by NOAA (on-board research vessels, cost-free NOAA bunk houses, etc.), the scholar will not receive the housing allowance. If the scholar's internship housing is at a National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERRs) and they are charging for lodging, the scholar is eligible for a housing stipend. NERRs are not NOAA facilities; rather, they are managed by a lead state agency or university with input from local partners.

No. Scholars receive $700 per week during the 10 week summer internship in bi-weekly stipend payments for the training they receive during the internship. Scholars are not hired as Federal employees.

If you have questions about taxes relating to your award, contact a tax professional. They can explain the tax obligations of financial awards. The administrative support contractor does not issue W2s, 1099 forms, or any income tax documents.