question about summer internships through the service academies

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navyfamilyof4

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my son was accepted into a summer internship at a National Lab and he will be with service academy Mids, WP cadets and also ROTC Mids. The lab gives almost no information other than the date to show up and how to get the hotel room paid for by the government (defense reimbursement system). he was told he has to pay his own travel and car rental and we are assuming this is an UNPAID internship since there was no mention of pay. does that sound right? he will go regardless and be out the 2K for the airfare and monthlong car rental, but wanted to see if anyone had a similar experience, or are we missing something. he contacted his unit LT and was told that he didnt know anything about it either other than hi unit wont be paying anything :) just thought id try this group to see if this is typical.

the other kink in the plan is that he's not old enough to rent a car (20) so we are going to have to get creative.
 
I believe there are internships that are not paid and the MID or the parents will pony up the cash. Just like the civilian workplace. He should team up with someone to share the hotel and rental car. Rental car companies will rent to military under 25.
 
Up to the budget whether they pay for travel, since it's an optional internship and not a required fleet cruise. Sounds like they drew the line at lodging costs. Not uncommon to have one rental car for several people if everyone is living at the same place of lodging, saves government dollars. He can reach out to other people on the same internship to share a car if he is unable to rent one.

Plenty of training and other programs are unfunded. A lot of times that goes unnoticed by the average MIDN, as alumni funds cover the cost instead. When there are no funds to support, costs can be out of pocket.

Summer training office should have better details than a company officer on whether some or all of the travel is DTS-reimbursable. The guidance provided by the lab may be generic and not complete.
 
nuensis said:
Up to the budget whether they pay for travel, since it's an optional internship and not a required fleet cruise. Sounds like they drew the line at lodging costs. Not uncommon to have one rental car for several people if everyone is living at the same place of lodging, saves government dollars. He can reach out to other people on the same internship to share a car if he is unable to rent one.

Plenty of training and other programs are unfunded. A lot of times that goes unnoticed by the average MIDN, as alumni funds cover the cost instead. When there are no funds to support, costs can be out of pocket.

Summer training office should have better details than a company officer on whether some or all of the travel is DTS-reimbursable. The guidance provided by the lab may be generic and not complete.
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Thanks! How do you contact summer travel office? The program is funded by a department called DTRA i think.
helmsdown said:
I believe there are internships that are not paid and the MID or the parents will pony up the cash. Just like the civilian workplace. He should team up with someone to share the hotel and rental car. Rental car companies will rent to military under 25.
Click to expand...
Thanks!! Unfortunately he has no idea of any other people that will be there to team up with. He will meet them when he gets there i guess.
For rental cars for military would this be fconsidered traveling “on orders” and if so what paperwork would he show them to prove it? Will Budget rental accept his DTS itinerary?
 
Is your son a current midshipman?

My son rented a car when he was 19. He recently rented one for his internship and paid for it with his credit card ... they reimbursed him (actually prepaid him).
 
From the USAA website:

Who is an eligible family member?
Spouses, widows, widowers and un-remarried former spouses of USAA members who joined USAA prior to or during the marriage, as well as individuals whose parents joined USAA.

Are children of my spouse (second marriage) eligible for membership?
YES. USAA members can pass membership eligibility to step-children as well as biological children.

Are children of deceased parents eligible?
For a child to be eligible, the parent must join USAA while living. Once the parent’s USAA membership is established, membership eligibility can be passed on to the member's children. USAA membership cannot be established posthumously for deceased parents.

Can my siblings join?
No. Your USAA membership eligibility cannot be passed to siblings.

Are Parents Eligible for USAA?
No. Your USAA membership eligibility cannot be passed to parents.

Why these eligibility restrictions?
USAA was founded in 1922 when 25 Army officers came together to insure each other’s automobiles. Since that time, USAA has continued to grow as a membership-based organization. Our eligibility rules reflect USAA’s primary mission…to be the provider of choice for the U.S. military community and their immediate families.

Navy Federal on the other hand, lets just about anyone with some relationship to the Military join.
 
mcfamilyof4 said:
my son was accepted into a summer internship at a National Lab and he will be with service academy Mids, WP cadets and also ROTC Mids. The lab gives almost no information other than the date to show up and how to get the hotel room paid for by the government (defense reimbursement system). he was told he has to pay his own travel and car rental and we are assuming this is an UNPAID internship since there was no mention of pay. does that sound right? he will go regardless and be out the 2K for the airfare and monthlong car rental, but wanted to see if anyone had a similar experience, or are we missing something. he contacted his unit LT and was told that he didnt know anything about it either other than hi unit wont be paying anything :) just thought id try this group to see if this is typical.

the other kink in the plan is that he's not old enough to rent a car (20) so we are going to have to get creative.
Click to expand...
Just something to think about...most training is done with your salary, travel, and either per diem or housing. Even O-3 and above typically attend training without additional "salary" or "stipend", simply their salary, and travel costs.
 
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