Paid vs Unpaid Internships

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The CCPD strongly recommends that all interns (especially those working within for-profit organizations) be paid for their work, for two primary reasons.

First, the U.S. Department of Labor has set forth a legal framework compelling for-profit or private employers to provide minimum wage and overtime provisions to interns except in very rare cases. 

Second, equitable access to internships and their myriad benefits requires that paid internships be available for students who cannot afford to engage in uncompensated internships.

We recognize that there are cases in which internships, especially those with non-profit organizations, will continue to be unpaid.