UR Now: Student Experience
The Richmond Guarantee fuels research and internships across the globe
Hundreds of students gained skills, explored passions, and built networks.
The Richmond Guarantee
Guaranteed Funding for Summer Internships and Undergraduate Research
Real-world experience could be the key that opens the door to your future career — but sometimes your perfect internship or research opportunity is unpaid or underpaid. That’s why the University of Richmond started the Richmond Guarantee, a signature program to help you financially while you participate in valuable professional summer experiences.
Every continuing undergraduate student in the School of Arts & Sciences, Jepson School of Leadership Studies, and the Robins School of Business is eligible to receive one fellowship of up to $5,300 for a summer internship or faculty-mentored research project that might be unpaid or underpaid.
$4,200
average fellowship award in 2025
Over $2.5M
Total fellowship funding awarded in 2025
What can you do with the Richmond Guarantee?
If you find a worthwhile opportunity, we’ll help fund it.
Each year, Richmond supports more than 500 summer fellows through one of our eight UR Summer Fellowship programs. Richmond students put their funding to use in ways as varied as their interests: interning on Capitol Hill, working at alumni-founded start-ups, gaining healthcare experience at prestigious hospitals, interning at museums, or spending the summer with a Major League Baseball team.
30
Number of countries where UR Summer Fellows interned and researched in 2025
28
Number of states where UR Summer Fellows interned and researched in 2025
Internships
Students who have secured a summer internship opportunity paying less than $13.25/hour can apply for a fellowship to finance their living expenses.
Research
Students who are interested in pursuing faculty-mentored research during the summer can apply for a fellowship to support their work as a researcher.
Why do summer internships or research experiences matter?
In short, you’ll gain hands-on skills and real-world insight that set you apart in today’s competitive job market.
Summer internships challenge you to take what you’ve learned in class and apply it to a new setting while gaining experience and making valuable connections in the professional world. Faculty-mentored research experiences allow you to pursue original intellectual discovery while also providing laboratory, field, or archival experience that enables you to compete for admission to top graduate programs.
By connecting your studies to professional opportunities, these experiences help build your confidence, expand your network, and clarify your career goals — giving you a strong foundation for success after graduation.