Spotlight for Recruiting Professionals

Fifty-eight percent of NACE employer members responding to the 2018 Internship & Co-op Survey offered interns relocation assistance, while only 28.4 percent offer co-ops this benefit.

Among this group, 49.6 percent reported that interns and co-ops are responsible for finding their own housing, but receive a “lump sum” from their employer to cover housing costs. The average “lump sum” for housing costs per student, per semester was $2,321. For those receiving reimbursement for housing costs, the average limit was $2,269, while the average reimbursement was $2,019. (See Figure 1.)

Another common housing policy among respondents provides housing for interns and co-ops at no cost to them in employer-rented facilities (33.6 percent). Far less common—reported by just 1.5 percent of respondents—is that interns and co-ops are housed at no cost to them in employer-owned facilities.

In terms of travel costs, while 46.6 percent of respondents provide reimbursement for round-trip travel costs, 37.6 percent report that interns and co-ops are solely responsible for paying their own travel costs.

The average “lump sum” reported for travel costs per student, per semester is $1,477. For those receiving reimbursement for travel costs, the average limit was reported as $1,475, while the average reimbursement was $983.

Data for the 2018 Internship & Co-op Survey report were collected from November 8, 2017, to March 2, 2018, from NACE employer members; there were 309 respondents representing 29.1 percent of all eligible respondents. The survey report will be available later this spring.

Figure 1: Average relocation costs