Funded, stipend or unpaid: how to read an internship listing
Travel, housing, stipend, tuition waiver — every programme words its money differently. Here is how to work out what you will actually pay.
Programmes rarely say "fully funded" in plain words. They say stipend, travel grant, bursary, allowance, or living support — and each of those covers a different slice of your costs.
Start with four questions: does it cover flights, does it cover housing, does it pay a monthly stipend, and does it cover visa and insurance fees. If a listing answers three of the four, it is usually workable with a small top-up.
Watch for the word "contribution". A travel contribution is normally a partial amount paid after arrival, so budget for the ticket up front and treat the contribution as a refund.
On 25before25 every listing records the funding type, so you can filter for placements that cover the pieces you cannot self-fund.
Put it into practice
Search funded placements that fit your field, age and passport, then track every deadline in one place.
Browse the opportunity database