Paid internships are rare and competitive, but they do exist. Whether you can find a paid internship depends, among other things, on the visa regulations of the country you are going to. Keep in mind that

One way to find paid internships is to look directly at companies. Some international organizations offer internships on a paid basis, although these internships are usually highly competitive. Throw your hat in anyway!

Certain fields may be more likely to offer paid internships. Marketing, finance and engineering and IT internships are somewhat more likely to be paid or have a stipend than internships in the arts and humanities.

A stipend is some form of remuneration other than a salary. Your company might not be able to pay you for your internship, but they may offer you lunch coupons, or a monthly transport ticket. Many companies in Asia have company housing and cafeterias which you could benefit from.

“Fellows” programs and grants offer a partially- or fully-paid experience abroad, and are usually highly competitive.

Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship Program for internships in Germany

Alfa Fellowship Program for internships in Russia

Christianson Grants support students doing medium-term internships and service projects abroad

AJC Goldman Summer Fellows provides an internship experience in AJC centers in the US and abroad, dealing with politics, diplomacy and public relations

HI USA Explore The World Scholarship provides funding for students doing a volunteer or service project abroad

The well-known Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for Study Abroad also encourages internship students to apply! The internship must be at least three weeks long, and applications for summer funding are due on October 3rd for early application, and by March 6th for the regular application cycle. See Valeria Hymas in the Office of National and Prestigious Fellowships Advising for advice and support.

If you are interning with a third-party provider, you can ask about discounts and early bird specials! If you convince a friend to go along with you, you may get a discount for the referral. Some providers also offer scholarships of their own.

CRCC-Asia Global Scholarship for internships in China, Japan, Vietnam and Manchester. CRCC-Asia also offers a $500 discount for Pell recipients, and other discounts.

Internship in Japan Scholarship

The Intern Group Scholarships for internships in locations that The Intern Group serves

Go Abroad China Scholarship

GoOverseas Study or Intern Abroad Scholarship

GlobalExperiences Scholarships

You can also mobilize loved ones and people in your life to chip in through crowdfunding sites like FundMyTravel.  Spend some time reading through successful campaigns and writing a thoughtful request for funding. Have a plan for publicizing your campaign and get it seen as widely as possible, but be aware of fees when you’re budgeting.