Virtual Student Federal Service
Intern from Anywhere

Virtual Internship. Real Experience.

The Virtual Student Federal Service program connects the talents of U.S. citizen college students with the needs of federal agencies. Since 2009, more than 10,000 remote interns have advanced the work of the federal government. The time commitment is about 10 hours per week during the school year. There are opportunities for all, from data visualization to political analysis. Internships are unpaid but may be eligible for course credit. Speak with a guidance counselor regarding course credit requirements.

U.S. citizen high school graduates, from rising college freshmen through Ph.D. students, who are enrolled at least half-time (as defined by the school) in college during their application and participation are eligible. Because the program is virtual, students can intern from anywhere.

Students apply between February 1 and February 29 and may apply for up to five internships. A maximum of 300 U.S. citizen college students may apply to each internship project. Internship mentors select students in March and April. Internships begin in September and run for the duration of the academic year.

Any federal employee or government contractor may submit a part-time, remote internship project for the Virtual Student Federal Service. The internship submission period varies slightly year-to-year in the June timeframe. Email VSFS@state.gov for the exact dates.  

To improve the experience for intern supervisors and student applicants, VSFS moved to USAJOBS Open Opportunities from USAJOBS Monster.com last year. VSFS is the first-ever student program to use Open Opps!

As you draft your internship project description in Open Opps, keep in mind that the time commitment for students is up to an average of 10 hours per week during the academic year, typically from September through May. Internships must be unclassified because VSFS interns do not receive security clearances or.gov emails and do not have access to internal agency systems. Each internship requires at least two supervisors (any combination of employees and/or government contractors).

To submit an internship for the upcoming school year: 

  1. Log into the Open Opportunities VSFS Community using your USAJOBS account.  
    • If you use a personal email address for your USAJOBS account, you will need to verify your agency and .gov/.mil email during your first login to Open Opps.
    • Please read this Login.gov FAQ if you don’t already have a USAJOBS account or wish to create a new account for your VSFS internship.  
    • Don’t forget to verify your .gov/.mil email via automated message from Open Opps. This step is easy to miss.  
  2. Once you’ve joined the Open Opps VSFS Community, please see these detailed instructions for creating an internship with the following modifications for VSFS: 
    • In Step 2, the “target audience is “students.” 
    • In Step 3, answer the question, “Do you want to post this to a specific community?” with “Yes” –> Virtual Student Federal Service 
    • For Cycle, select the upcoming school year. 
    • For location, select “virtual.”  
  3. Review and follow these video instuctions for internship creation.  
  4. Follow these instructions for adding a co-owner after they have registered with Open Opps and joined the Open Opportunities VSFS Community. 

Visit the Open Opps Help Center for technical support with the Open Opps website or email OpenOpps@usajobs.gov. Email VSFS@state.gov for eligibility and all other questions. 

The 2024-25 VSFS project timeline is: 

  • Internship submissions are due in January.  
  • Students apply in February.  
  • Intern supervisors conduct interviews and make selections in March and April.  
  • Internships start in September and run through May. 

A variety of federal agencies sponsor internships through the Virtual Student Federal Service. Long-time participating agencies include the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, and the Federal Executive Boards.

Each agency implements the internship program differently, and some agencies require selected students to go through a security clearance process.

To be eligible for the Virtual Student Federal Service, you must: 

  • Be a U.S. citizen  
  • Be a high school graduate enrolled in a degree-seeking program in an accredited college or university 
  • Be an Undergraduate, Graduate, or Doctorate Student for the duration of the internship/academic year 
    • A student is an individual who is enrolled in a degree-seeking program in an accredited college or university 
    • An individual is still considered a student if he/she has been out of school, between semesters or school years, for not more than five (5) months and has plans to return to school within five (5) months or less 
    • An individual enrolled in school and receiving credit toward their degree for participating in the Student Internship Program is also considered a student 
    • The student should attach an official or unofficial transcript to their application confirming current student status or confirmation of enrollment in school if no transcript is available. 
    • You are eligible to apply for this program if you have not yet completed your registration at a college or university for graduate or post-graduate studies (including law school) or are awaiting an admissions determination for graduate or post-graduate studies (including law school). However, if selected for an internship, you must provide proof that you have registered, or have been accepted for enrollment for studies in the semester or quarter immediately following the internship before you can begin your internship.

Join our talent network to be notified of the next application dates. To apply, visit USAJOBS Open Opportunities (Open Opps) and 

  1. Click “Join community” to create a Login.gov account and Open Opps profile 
  2. Click “View internships” 
  3. Apply for up to five internships 

Visit the Open Opps Help Center for more detailed instructions. The following tutorials are available:   

The application includes: 

  • Resume 
  • Skills and language list 
  • Contact information for your references 
  • College transcripts 
  • If you are a rising college freshman, please upload your high school transcript. 
  • If you are starting graduate school, please upload your undergraduate transcript. 
  • If you don’t have an official transcript, an unofficial copy will suffice. 
  • A statement of interest for each internship pursued. The statement of interest is the most important part of the application package and describes your objectives and motivation in seeking each internship. Discuss how participation would help achieve your academic and professional goals. The maximum character count for each statement of interest is 3,000. 

For help, visit the Open Opps Help Center for technical support with the Open Opps website, or email OpenOpps@usajobs.gov. Email VSFS@state.gov for eligibility and all other questions. 

There are several steps in the selection process: 

  • Step 1: Intern supervisors review application packages and possibly conduct interviews.  
  • Step 2: Intern supervisors make first-round selections. 
  • Step 3: All applicants are notified on the same day. Students have seven days to respond to the internship offer(s), which can be done 1) on the Open Opps student dashboard, 2) on the automated Open Opps email, or 3) on the copy of the automated email in the Messages Tab on Open Opps. Students who miss the response deadline are unable to participate.  

Some mentors will also make second-round selections, and the seven-day response deadline outlined above applies.

NOTE: If you would like to be notified when we open the next application cycle, sign up for updates here. In the meantime, you may want to create an account on the Open Opportunities website and obtain a copy of your college transcript. 

Application Process Month 
Application Open Period February 2024 
Application Review/Interview March/April 2024 
Selection/Non-Selection Notification By May 2024 
Interns Enter on Duty September 2024 
Internship Ends May 2025

Open Opps, the VSFS program, and intern supervisors will keep in touch by email. Make sure your email account allows VSFS@state.gov and other .gov messages to be delivered to your inbox. 

*Be sure to access Join Our Talent Network to sign up to receive alerts regarding the availability of future opportunities. 

View Mentor Handbook here

Download VSFS Student Handbook here