Florida Atlantic University wants to turn this system on its head by ending the era of the unpaid internships. Forty percent of Florida Atlantic’s student body is Pell-eligible and many balance low-paid work to support themselves financially during their studies. “Looking at the data, we realized that we need to go out and fund internships that would not otherwise exist,” explains Florida Atlantic president Adam Hasner. The university is located in southeast Florida, a region where job creation is growing and internships are available year-round, so he wanted to leverage its unique geographical advantage.
