Violet Internship Study Away Award (VISAA)

The Violet Internship Study Away Award (VISAA), formerly the Wasserman Center Global Internship Grant, provides financial assistance to students pursuing unpaid internships while they are studying at a non-New York NYU site or through an NYU exchange program. These $800 awards are offered during the fall and spring semesters only; students participating in study away internships during the summer should apply for the Violet Internship & Research Award.

Applications are reviewed by Wasserman Center staff, along with feedback from the Office of Financial Aid. When reviewing submissions, the selection committee considers the quality of student responses in demonstrating the opportunity for skill development, professional and/or personal growth, supervision and reflection, in addition to financial need. If you have any questions, please review the FAQ section or contact global.wasserman@nyu.edu.

Please keep in mind that the selection process is competitive and awards are not guaranteed. 

The Application Deadline is October 29, 2026 at 11:59 ET

Eligibility & Requirements

You are eligible to apply if:

  • You must be a currently enrolled student in a degree-granting undergraduate or graduate program at a qualifying NYU school.
  • Students studying at NYU Abu Dhabi, NYU Shanghai, and schools not listed above are NOT ELIGIBLE.

  • Studying away during the ENTIRE fall or spring semester (including NYU Los Angeles, Tulsa, and Washington DC)
  • Enrolled in the Experiential Learning Seminar or hold a legal internship in the country where you’re studying

  • Your cumulative GPA must include your most recent semester at NYU and be reflected on your transcript.
  • Keep in mind that NYU does not round up GPAs.
  • If it is your first semester at NYU, you must submit a transcript from your last educational institution as well as your NYU transcript in order to verify your GPA.

Application Specifics

  • Find the application on Handshake 
  • Search for “Violet Internship Study Away Award”
  • Make a copy of the Short Answer Questions and fill in the requested information. Save as a PDF. Note: You must be logged into your NYU email in order to access the document.
  • Click Apply Externally in the Handshake job posting.
  • Respond to all survey questions.
  • Upload PDF versions of your current resume, unofficial transcript, and short answer questions.
  • Only complete submissions will be considered for the award. Late submissions will not be accepted.

  • Find the application on Handshake. The application deadline is October 29, 2026 at 11:59 ET.

  • Decisions are made approximately 4-6 weeks after the deadline and all applicants will be informed. 
  • Incomplete applications or applicants who do not meet eligibility guidelines will not be considered.
  • If you apply and are selected for an award, you cannot change internships and still retain your award. Award decisions are based on funding students for specific opportunities and cannot be transferred to new positions.
  • Students who do not successfully complete their internships may forfeit their award.
  • For students enrolled in direct deposit, it typically takes 1-2 weeks to see the funds reflected in their account. For students who do not sign up for direct deposit, a check will be mailed to your address in Albert.

FAQs

The exact dates will be available on our main website based on the approximate timelines list below.

Fall

  • Applications Open: Early August
  • Deadline: Mid October

Spring

  • Applications Open: December
  • Application Deadline: Late February

*Students who are studying away in the summer should apply for the Violet Internship & Research Award.

Not all supervisors are contacted during our review. If we do not contact your supervisor, that does not mean you will not receive the award.

  • Decisions are made approximately 4-6 weeks after the deadline and all applicants will be informed. 
  • For students enrolled in direct deposit, it typically takes 1-2 weeks to see the funds reflected in their account. For students who do not sign up for direct deposit, a check will be mailed to your address in Albert.
  • For International students, there is an additional ~15 days for Sprintax before it gets processed.

Every country has different tax regulations depending on citizenship, with which the University must comply. All international students are required to complete the Sprintax Tax Report in order to process their grants, not to exempt them from the tax withholding. The Wasserman Center reviews and selects candidates to receive the Violet Internship Study Away Award, but we do not have control over the other processes. If you would like a more detailed explanation about how your grant was processed and the tax implications, please reach out to NYU Sprintax, nyu.sprintax@nyu.edu.

When reviewing applications, the selection committee considers the quality of student responses in demonstrating the opportunity for skill development, professional and/or personal growth, and supervision and reflection, in addition to financial need.

You can apply as many times as you like. However, you will only be able to receive funding from the VIRA or VISAA for unpaid internships a maximum of 2 times per degree.

Both remote and in-person positions are eligible for VISAA. Please make sure that your visa allows you to hold a position outside of the country where you are currently living.