State Policy Internship (Summer 2026)

About the Position

The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) seeks candidates for two paid internships for the summer of 2026. We are looking for candidates who are motivated active learners interested in higher education policy state governance and policy analysis. This internship is appropriate for students pursuing a career in higher education public policy public administration and related fields. Your work will center on policy areas that may include college attainment student success data systems workforce development or higher education finance. Interns will work toward achieving professional goals alongside a talented SHEEO team.

This year interns will be primarily working on one of the following SHEEO projects: A) advancing holistic advising for student success by using research and evidence to support states in developing policy agendas that improve student persistence completion and postsecondary attainment or B) creating a database of governance structures and conducting research into effective governance functions. Interns will have the opportunity to work on other projects as workload permits.

Examples of Duties and Responsibilities:

• Create and maintain state policy and news inventories.
• Curate unique data sources for analysis.
• Perform data analysis and discover trends to support publications.
• Assist with active survey administration.
• Generate and review website content.
• Contribute to meeting agenda planning.
• Design and build data visualizations.
• Draft various publications (e.g. blog posts social media content reports).
• Complete an independent project using SHEEO resources.
• Attend and assist SHEEO staff with our annual Higher Education Policy Conference.

Qualifications and Experiences

SHEEO is seeking individuals with some combination of the following backgrounds and qualifications. Applicants are encouraged to apply even if they do not meet every qualification:

• Demonstrated interest in enthusiasm for and curiosity about state higher education policy or the impacts of federal higher education policy on states.
• Currently enrolled in a graduate program or a very recent graduate in higher education public policy public administration or a related field.
• A commitment to advancing student success in higher education.
• Experience working with qualitative and quantitative survey data with knowledge of higher education datasets preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Goals of the SHEEO State Policy Internship Program

Through its summer internship program SHEEO hopes to enhance future higher education policy practitioners analysts and researchers by:

• Including interns in an expansive array of state higher education policy issues and projects.
• Building a strong pathway of state higher education professionals by increasing the skills knowledge and practical experience of those individuals interested in this field.
• Providing opportunities to network and meet with current state agency leaders policymakers and other higher education policy partners.

The internship duration is flexible and will last for approximately 12 weeks beginning in late May or early June. Interns may work remotely or on a hybrid schedule in our Boulder Colorado or Washington D.C. office. Interns are invited to the Washington D.C. office at the beginning of the internship. Toward the end of the internship period interns are additionally invited to attend and help host the SHEEO Higher Education Policy Conference in Chicago which will be held from August 3-6 2026. Travel and lodging will be provided and/or reimbursed by SHEEO. Interns are expected to work a minimum of 30 hours per week with schedules determined by mutual arrangement. Working schedules can be flexible but should overlap with standard business hours. This internship is paid at $23 per hour.

SHEEO encourages applications from individuals with a wide range of backgrounds perspectives and experiences.

Application Process:

The application deadline is March 8 2026. Please apply through this website and include the following:

1. A cover letter addressing:
   • Which SHEEO priorities are most interesting to you
   • Any previous class work and/or outside research projects related to higher education policy.
2. A resume or curriculum vitae.
3. Names and contact information of three professional references. (References will not be contacted until you have given permission for us to do so.)

Application reviews begin immediately following the deadline. Successful candidates will be contacted for an interview in March and decisions will be made by the end of April.

About the organization

The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) serves the chief executives of statewide governing policy and coordinating boards of postsecondary education and their staffs. Founded in 1954 SHEEO promotes an environment that values higher education and its role in ensuring the equitable education of all Americans regardless of race/ethnicity gender or socioeconomic factors. Together with its members SHEEO aims to achieve this vision by equipping state higher education executive officers and their staffs with the tools to effectively advance the value of higher education promoting public policies and academic practices that enable all Americans to achieve success in the 21st century and serving as an advocate for state higher education leadership. Read more about SHEEO on our website:.

SHEEO is committed to providing equal employment opportunities.