Cooperative Education lands state’s largest work study grant

by Joe King

For the third consecutive year, NIU’s Cooperative Education/Internship Program has been awarded the state’s largest Cooperative Work Study Grant. The Illinois Board of Higher Education approved a sum of $126,200 for the program in fiscal year 2002.

"At a time when the state is making budget cuts, this grant will help create paid internships for students whose majors traditionally limit them to volunteer-only positions," said Daniel Bingley, co-op coordinator and grant writer/administrator. "Many of the positions are with not-for-profit organizations in the human or social service fields and will provide excellent experiential learning opportunities for students in the colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Health and Human Services and Education."

This year, the Cooperative Education/Internship Program plans to partner with 17 employers to provide career-relevant work experiences for up to 161 students. Employers will be reimbursed for 50 percent of student wages through the grant funds.

The Cooperative Education/Internship Program has participated in this project since its inception in 1991. The program initially was designed to provide paid clinical experiences to nursing majors by creating partnerships between the NIU School of Nursing and hospitals.

This year eight hospitals and 64 nursing majors are expected to participate in the summer nursing clinical program.

Grants are awarded on the basis of whether they benefit students academically and financially, reduce reliance on student loans, enhance public-private partnerships and encourage students to seek permanent employment in Illinois. The IBHE approved a total of $1.2 million for this year’s Cooperative Work Study Grant Program for colleges and universities statewide.