White House will pay interns for the first time in decades

The White House announced it will begin accepting applications Monday for fall internships, and for the first time in decades, it will actually pay its interns. Successful applicants will be part of a 14-week program that will pay $750 per week.

The move to end unpaid internships came after years of scrutiny of federal internships in both the executive and legislative branches. Not only have White House interns not been paid, a 2017 survey found that 90% of U.S. House offices did not pay their interns, the Washington Post reported.

Many critics of internships that offer only experience as compensation have claimed that the opportunities are affordable only for the privileged.

A report from the American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara criticized the federal government’s “reliance on unpaid internships” that “can create barriers for low-income students and first-generation professionals.”

“The Federal government must be an engine of opportunity for Americans from every walk of life to serve our Nation through public service,” the report said. “But too often, unpaid Federal internships prevent hardworking and talented students and professionals from participating in Federal career advancement opportunities.”

The White House echoed those sentiments in its announcement last week.

“This significant milestone of paying White House interns will help remove barriers to equal opportunity for low-income students and first-generation professionals at the beginnings of their careers and help to ensure that those who receive internships at the White House—and who will be a significant part of the leadership pipeline across the entire federal government—reflect the diversity of America,” a post on the White House website said.

The announcement also claimed this would be the “first time in history” that the people’s house would pay interns. However, the Washington Post reported that White House interns during the summer of 1974 were considered “salaried employees,” earning $125 or $150 per week, depending on their education levels.

Advocates for paid federal internships note that not only have inflation and the cost of living jumped, but also that Washington, D.C., is now one of the most expensive rental markets in the nation, which they say makes paying these D.C.-based workers even more critical.