Hiring Students: A Win-Win for Scholarship Providers (and How to Do It Well)
Your work revolves around supporting students and helping them achieve their educational dreams. But have you considered hiring students to support your organization's mission? By bringing students into your team, you not only gain immediate value from their contributions, but you also create opportunities to learn about and from the very community you serve. This dynamic relationship can enhance your programs, strengthen your storytelling, and even improve your fundraising efforts.
A Lesson in Connection
At Students First Consulting, we were fortunate to participate in a microinternship sponsored by LinkedIn and HubSpot, facilitated by Parker Dewey, a talent-sourcing agency connecting students with short-term, paid professional opportunities, including microinternships. Our intern, marketing student Veena Kumari Maheshwari, conducted research on our work and developed tailored LinkedIn ads to help us reach the right audience. Her contributions were invaluable—both for the quality of her work and the insights she shared about student perspectives. We came away inspired to share how you, too, can engage students in meaningful ways.
Here are some creative approaches to involving students in your work.
1. Offer Microinternships
A microinternship like Veena participated in is a short-term, project-based internship that allows students to gain professional experience while helping your organization tackle specific tasks. Unlike traditional internships, microinternships are time-limited and focused, making them a budget-friendly option for engaging student talent. At scholarship organizations, students can assist with tasks such as:
Social media management and content creation
Data entry and database updates
Volunteer outreach and coordination
Designing marketing materials
Reviewing applications for complexity, redundancy, jargon, and more
Conducting data analysis and visualization
Creating a portfolio of scholar stories
Microinternships not only provide students with hands-on experience but also allow your organization to test new ideas, gain fresh perspectives, and make a significant impact without a long-term commitment.
2. Pay Students to Participate in Focus Groups
Understanding how students experience your scholarship process is key to improving your offerings. Consider organizing focus groups once or twice a year to gather their feedback. Ask questions about their experiences learning about your scholarships, applying, and being selected (if applicable). Inquire about how your scholarships have impacted their lives and what could be improved. Be sure to compensate participants for their time, as this reinforces the value of their insights.
3. Hire Students for Marketing Support
When it comes to student-facing communications, who better to craft the message than students themselves? Hiring students to help with outreach ensures your messaging resonates with the audience you’re trying to reach. Students are knowledgeable about the platforms and communication styles their peers engage with, making them efficient and effective at creating impactful content.
4. Involve Students in Event Support
From luncheons to galas, events are a vital part of many scholarship organizations. Students can provide valuable support by assisting with event planning, staffing, and logistics. Their energy and perspective can add a fresh dynamic to your events while giving them hands-on experience in event coordination.
5. Host a "State of Education" Panel
Take your engagement a step further by organizing a "State of Education" panel featuring students. Invite a trusted student—perhaps an alumnus—to act as a moderator and recruit current students to share their experiences. Provide questions in advance so they can come prepared, and compensate them for their participation. This type of event offers a powerful way for your organization’s leadership, donors, and community to hear directly from students about their challenges, successes, and hopes for the future.
6. Have Students On-Call for Donor and Volunteer Meetings
Students can provide powerful firsthand accounts during donor and volunteer meetings. Having students available to share their experiences, discuss which opportunities are most impactful, and explain how they’ve benefited from your programs creates a compelling and authentic connection with your supporters. Their stories can help illustrate the value of your organization’s work, inspire greater investment, and deepen the relationship between donors, volunteers, and your mission.
7. Staff a Student Advisory Committee
Consider forming a Student Advisory Committee to involve students in a structured, ongoing way. Members can offer valuable insights and guidance on various aspects of your organization’s work. Here’s a sample list of potential duties for advisory committee members:
Participate in 2-4 virtual meetings per year (e.g., committee meetings, meetings with donors)
Assist with 2-4 requests for feedback on documents or processes, such as reviewing application questions or testing online forms
Responding to occasional emailed questions to provide student input, feedback, or guidance
Contributing to 1-2 requests for quotes or written copy for articles, participating in webinars, or joining panels
Compensating committee members for their time and contributions ensures their efforts are valued and encourages meaningful participation.
Practical Tips and Best Practices for Hiring Students
Ready to hire students? Here are ways to make sure your–and their–experiences are successful.
Recruit among your current applicants, recipients, and alumni.
Recruit a diverse pool of students to represent a variety of backgrounds and experiences, enriching your organization’s perspective and ensuring broader representation.
Use a resource like Parker Dewey to find students for microinternships.
Pay a fair wage. Parker Dewey interns typically receive $15-$20/hour.
Write a job description with an appropriate scope of work, including responsibilities, wage, and expected hours—just like any other position at your organization.
Conduct a thoughtful onboarding process.
Make them feel a part of your team. This builds meaningful relationships that are valuable both now and in the future. This could include pairing them with mentors within your organization. This reciprocal relationship can help students grow professionally while fostering a deeper connection with your team.
Make opportunities accessible. Remember, students are humans too. Offer virtual or hybrid roles, flexible hours, and accommodations for students with disabilities.
Evaluate how well things are going, including with performance evaluations as well as other indicators, such as improved donor engagement, enhanced program design, or positive team member feedback.
If possible, offer longer-term opportunities, future roles, or connections with other potential employers.
Maintain long-term engagement by inviting former student interns, advisory members, or panel participants to join an alumni network. This group can serve as ambassadors, mentors, or advocates for your organization.
The Ripple Effect
Hiring students goes beyond getting work done. It’s about forging meaningful connections with the people you aim to serve. By working alongside students, you gain firsthand insight into their needs, interests, and challenges. These experiences can inform your programs, shape your storytelling, and inspire your donors and stakeholders. Plus, these relationships often lead to long-term opportunities for collaboration, advocacy, and growth.
So why not take the leap? By integrating students into your organization, you’ll unlock immediate benefits while paving the way for a stronger, more impactful future. As we’ve seen firsthand, the rewards are well worth the investment—for both your organization and the students you support.
Need help developing paid opportunities for students? Our team our experts in this and have tons of knowledge, tools, and resources to share. Schedule a free consultation today and explore how your organization can effectively hire, retain, and benefit from student workers.
