Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies Summer Congressional Internship: Eligibility & How to Apply

Who can apply?

• Applicants must be currently enrolled college students who have completed at least one semester by application. High-school seniors are ineligible; current first-year college students can be eligible for the summer in which they will be rising sophomores.
• Spring graduates may participate in the summer or fall of their graduation year, summer graduates in that fall, and December graduates in the immediately following summer. Prior work experience is not required.
• Applicants do not have to identify as Asian American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, but should be invested in those communities and committed to public service. DACA recipients need an employment-authorization document valid through the program.

Dates, pay & program timing

Summer 2027 orientation is June 2-3 and the internship runs June 7 through July 30. Applications and recommendation letters are due December 18, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. The summer grant is $2,550, paid in three installments after program milestones, and APAICS provides shared furnished dorm-style housing. Finalists interview with APAICS and usually with a host office before placement.

These details reflect the sources at the review date. An overview is not a live job offer. Check the official page for today's application status and the selected opening's written terms.

How to apply to Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies

1. Check that you have completed one college semester and fit the current-student or recent-graduate timing rule, then read both the program page and current FAQ.
2. Prepare a cover letter, a one-page resume, an official or unofficial transcript, three one-page responses and one recommendation. Give your recommender the separate submission link and the same December 18 deadline.
3. Submit by 11:59 p.m. ET on December 18. If selected, prepare for an APAICS interview in February and a possible additional interview with the host congressional office.

You leave FirstInternships to apply. We do not accept applications, offer referrals, or represent the employer.

Our editorial advice · not employer requirements

How to prepare a stronger application

Address the cover letter to the APAICS Internship Selection Committee, as the FAQ permits, and explain the policy or constituent-service work you want to understand. Tie that interest to a specific community role, course, job or issue rather than relying on enthusiasm for Washington.

The three written responses cover selection, public service and a challenging experience. Give each a different job: one can establish fit, one can trace sustained service and one can show judgment and growth. Repeating the same story three times leaves the committee with less evidence.

Official sources & update notes

We reviewed these publisher pages on October 11, 2026. They establish the program facts above; our preparation suggestions are independent editorial guidance.

• Summer 2027 dates, exact deadline, location and required application materials
• Current eligibility, grant, housing, interviews, recommendation and recent-graduate rules

We do not infer deadlines, remote eligibility, or guaranteed offers from older recruiting cycles. Read our editorial process.