FY26 Paid Internship Opportunities FAQ
2026-2027 School Year
Eligibility
To be eligible for a paid internship opportunity at The Neurodiversity Alliance, you must:
- Be between the ages of 18 and 26 and have completed high school or its equivalent.
- Identify as Neurodivergent or have been identified with one or more learning disabilities or challenges, such as Dyslexia, ADHD, Processing Disorders, Autism, or similar learning disabilities or challenges. Formal diagnosis is not required.
- Be available to attend our in-person National Neurodiversity Leadership Summit in Denver, CO on August 4-9, 2026 (all expenses paid for by The ND Alliance).
- Be able to commit at least 18 hours per month.
- Be authorized to work in the United States and reside in the United States for the duration of the internship.
- Pass a criminal history check
- Complete an IRS Form W-9.
Our internships for the 26-27 school year are designed for early-career professionals and college-aged students (18–26), so you aren't eligible for this specific program just yet. However, we have several ways for you to lead and build your resume right now:
- Start or Lead a Local Club: You don’t have to wait for an internship to be a leader. You can start a Neurodiversity Alliance chapter at your high school. This is the best way to prepare for a national role in the future.
- Join our Online Community: Registration is free. This gives you access to our resources, national events, and a network of other neurodivergent students. Register here!
- Stay in Touch: We would love to see an application from you once you have completed high school and are 18! We specifically seek to hire current and former ND Alliance members and program participants.
We define neurodivergent students as those who face challenges with one or more of the key processes related to learning and cognition. To be eligible, a recipient must have been identified by a healthcare or educational professional as having one or more of the following:
- Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyspraxia, or similar
- ADHD, ADD, Executive Functioning, or similar
- Auditory or Visual Processing Disorders, Slow Processing, or similar
- Autism Spectrum Disorder, Aspergers, or similar
- Aphasia, Dysphasia, Stuttering or similar
- Non-Verbal Learning Disability (NVLD) or similar
- Any other challenge that falls under specific learning disabilities or autism
We acknowledge that the role of allies is critical to advancing our mission. While our internships are intended for those who identify as neurodivergent, allies are welcome to join our online community and local chapters.
Yes, students must be between the ages of 18 to 26 years old at any time during the internship term. For 2026-2027, that means that anyone born after August 1, 1999 and before May 31, 2009 is eligible to apply.
No, enrollment in school is not required. While the majority of our interns are students at a U.S. college or university, we also welcome early-career professionals. Early-career professionals typically have less than 3 years of professional work experience.
No. You do not need to be a U.S. Citizen. However, to receive the stipend, you must reside within the U.S. for the duration of the internship and have a Social Security Number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). These are required to complete the IRS Form W-9.
While non-citizens are eligible to apply, including those with permanent resident or similar status, international students studying on F-1 visas are ineligible to apply.
Changes & Updates
During the 2025-2026 school year, our interns were asked to complete 10 hours per month with a strong focus on tasks related to their individual roles. This year, we’ve increased our requirement to 18 hours per month to allow for more opportunities for skill enrichment and specialization, as well as specific ND-friendly professional development. We have also updated our stipend to reflect these changes.
No, not at this time. We found that the shortened summer timeline did not allow interns enough time to complete deep, meaningful projects or meet the specific learning outcomes we set for the program. We have shifted our energy into the 10-month Academic Year Internship (August–May). This longer format ensures you have the time, mentorship, and support needed to truly develop your professional skills.
We will have limited opportunities for community members to attend the 2026-2027 National Neurodiversity Leadership Summit by volunteering at the event. These roles will be similar to past roles, like our event interns. More information will be provided along with the announcement of this year's Summit. Stay tuned!
If you are interested in attending this year’s National Neurodiversity Leadership Summit, the best way to guarantee your spot is by leading an active ND Alliance Chapter community at your school! To learn more about what qualifies as an “active” club and the easy steps to take to launch a club community at your school, attend our monthly Club Leader meetings or attend a Club Leader onboarding session on the ND Alliance App.
Public Speaking Ambassadors are a vital part of our organization, and this role will remain a priority in our future work. We are not accepting new applications for this role at this time while we redesign the application process. Our goal is to make it easier to apply and to ensure we share a wide variety of neurodivergent stories and experiences. While the formal ambassador program is being updated, you can still share your perspective and practice your voice by participating in our online Ambassador training program on the ND Alliance App. Stay tuned for more information!
Moving forward, our advisory council will be composed of individuals who are already serving as Paid Interns or Local Leaders. We want our advisory board to accurately reflect the people actively working within our programs. This change ensures that the advice and feedback we receive comes directly from those with current, hands-on experience in our community.
- If you are a CURRENT NSAC Member: We will be in touch with each of you with updates on what to expect next!
- If you want to JOIN NSAC: To be eligible for the advisory council, you must first hold a leadership role within the organization. We encourage you to:
- Apply for one of our 50 paid internship positions.
- Sign up to become a Chapter Leader and lead a club or mentoring community at your school.
Timeline
Our application for the 2026-2027 school year will open on February, 15, 2026 at 12:00pm ET and close on April 15, 2026 at 11:59pm PT. The priority deadline for applications is March 15, 2026 at 11:59pm PT.
Our priority deadline for the 2026-2027 school year is March 15, 2026, and our final deadline is April 15, 2026. Any applications received prior to March 15 will be given full consideration. Any applications received between March 16 and April 15 will be considered on a space-available basis.
We will notify all applicants of the status of their application via email no later than May 15, 2026.
Application Details
When live, the application is available within The Neurodiversity Alliance online portal and mobile app - once logged in, look for the link to the “Paid Internships” on the left menu bar.
If you are already registered with The Neurodiversity Alliance, click here to log in.
If you are not yet registered, registration is free and easy - get started today!
Our application for the 2026-2027 school year will open on February, 15, 2026 at 12:00pm ET and close on April 15, 2026 at 11:59pm PT. The priority deadline for applications is March 15, 2026 at 11:59pm PT.
To be fair to applicants, we are very strict on the due date. We cannot accept late applications or materials, and we aren't responsible for hardware malfunctions, bad internet connections, or other conditions which might prevent applicants from submitting an application on time. No applications will be accepted after April 15, 2026 at 11:59pm PT.
A photo, screen shot, or scanned copy of your documents are great! Just make sure that the entire document is visible and any text is not blurred or obscured.
You can submit your responses by either uploading a document with your written responses or sharing a link to a video. The essay word counts and video lengths below are only recommendations, not firm limits. Feel free to take what space is necessary for you to answer thoroughly.
Written essay responses are typically between 250-750 words per prompt and should be submitted by uploading your response in a .doc or .pdf format. Google Docs are a free and easy way to write your responses. To export a Google Doc as a PDF once it is complete:
- Open the Google Doc you want to export
- Select “File”
- Select “Download”
- Choose “PDF Document (.pdf)” as the output format
- Select “Save As” in the download pop-up
- Choose a location to save the PDF file
Video responses are typically between 2-5 minutes per prompt and should be submitted by sharing a link to the video either as a Google Drive, Dropbox, or iCloud file or on a platform such as YouTube. YouTube is a free and easy way to upload a video and create a shareable link that only those with the link can access. To share a video on YouTube via an unlisted link:
- Sign in to YouTube
- Select “Create a video or post”
- Select “Upload video”
- Choose “Unlisted” from the privacy settings
- Publish the video
- Copy the link to the video
Accommodations and support are available! Please send us an email at [email protected] and we will be happy to assist you.
You will receive a confirmation email once your application has been submitted. If your confirmation email does not arrive, check your junk-mail folder for the misplaced email. If necessary, make sure that you completed all submission steps. If neither option above corrects the problem, contact us at [email protected] to confirm your submission.
Any errors will be flagged in red when you go to submit. Correct the error(s) and re-submit. A confirmation text screen will appear and an email notification with additional information will be sent immediately upon successful submission of the application. If you are still unable to submit your application, contact us at [email protected] for assistance.
Payment & Terms
Stipends are paid on the last day of each month throughout your designated term.
Your offer will include paperwork to complete to ensure timely payment. We will need the following:
- Legal Name
- Birth Date
- Phone Number
- Tax ID Number: SSN or ITIN
- Mailing Address
- Banking Information (if selecting payment by direct deposit)
- Signed IRS Form W-9
Intern positions are a 10-month commitment beginning August 1, 2026 and continuing until May 31, 2027. During this commitment, you will be expected to:
- Attend the National Neurodiversity Leadership Summit from August 4-9, 2026 in Denver, CO.
- Travel, meals, and expenses related to attending the National Summit will be paid for by The Neurodiversity Alliance
- Commit 18 hours per month on various projects and assignments related to the role to be assigned and tracked with your staff mentor
- The types of projects and assignments vary based on the role and more information will be shared upon starting.
- Meet regularly with your cohort and staff mentor
Attendance at the National Summit is a requirement and is critical for proper training and community building. If you have questions regarding your specific situation, please email [email protected].
Intern roles are 10 months in duration and will begin August 1, 2026 and continue until May 31, 2027.
Yes! We love seeing our leaders come back to join us for another year. Please make sure you check the eligibility requirements to ensure you are eligible to apply again.
No, individuals may only hold one national paid internship role per year. However, paid interns can hold additional campus leadership or other roles in the community in addition to their role as a paid intern.
There are 50 total paid internship opportunities available for the 2026-2027 academic year. While we do not have a fixed number of spots assigned to each individual role, our goal is to build well-rounded teams where every intern's skills are utilized effectively. If you are not selected for your first-choice role, we will consider your application for other open positions to ensure we find the best fit for your skills and interests.
Yes! Scholarship recipients are welcome to apply for any role they are eligible for.
Additional Questions?
If you have other questions, please contact us.