Overview
The Kleppinger Internship Program provides $6,000 to Liberal Arts students completing internships in specific Pennsylvania-based government relations firms, as well as in state, county, and municipal entities.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible to receive funding through the Kleppinger Internship Fund, you must meet the requirements of Liberal Arts enrichment funding.
- Current undergraduate student at Penn State University Park
- At least one declared Liberal Arts major
- Minimum grade-point average of 2.0
- Cannot have graduated before the semester in which the experience is taking place
- Must be accepted into an internship eligible for the program
How do I apply?
- Search for Internships: Log into Nittany Lion Careers and search for internships. Look for positions that include “Kleppinger Internship Program Eligible” in the description. Previous host organizations include McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC and the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business & Industry.
- Apply for the Internship: Submit your application directly through Nittany Lion Careers. If selected, you’ll receive an offer from the employer.
- Check Your Email: Once you’ve accepted an internship offer, the Career Enrichment Network will reach out to you to apply for the Kleppinger Internship Program through the enrichment funding application process.
- Apply for Enrichment Funding: When applying for enrichment funding, students will be asked to provide the following information:
- Details about the internship experience (location, salary, coordinator contact information, etc.)
- Formal offer letter from the internship
- Description of the internship (title, name of organization, what you will do for the company, etc.)
- Information on how this internship experience will support your overall career goals
- Information on why your internship is unique and worthy of support
- Information on any financial circumstances the Career Enrichment Network should be made aware of
- List of expenses tied to the completion of your internship
- Résumé/CV
Application Deadlines
The Kleppinger Internship Program is currently available only for the summer semester. Internship applications will be due late spring 2026 semester. After selected students accept their internship offer, they must submit their enrichment funding application prior to the summer semester deadline in late May.
Students must submit their enrichment funding application prior to the deadline for the semester they are completing their internship. Awarding decisions will be made within two to three weeks of the application deadline.
I was selected for the Kleppinger Internship Program Funding! What’s next?
Once you’ve accepted your internship offer, the Career Enrichment Network will reach out to you to apply for the Kleppinger Internship Program funding through the enrichment funding application process. Recipients are eligible to receive $6,000 in enrichment funding. After accepting the enrichment funding award, the funds will be deposited into your Penn State student Bursar account the semester their internship takes place.
Program requirements may include:
- Participating in a pre- and post- career readiness assessment including required internship supervisor feedback.
- Writing a letter thanking the donors responsible for the award.
Meet the Kleppingers
David Kleppinger, a 1977 Liberal Arts alumnus and vice chair of the Penn State Board of Trustees since 2020, and his wife, Joanne, created the David M. and Joanne M. Kleppinger Pennsylvania Government Relations Internship Program Endowment to provide students with advanced access to hands-on experience in government relations.
After graduating from Penn State with his bachelor’s degree in Political Science, David earned his juris doctor from Temple University School of Law in 1980. For more than forty years, he practiced at McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC, a Harrisburg-based law firm, and was elected chairman of the firm in 2006. After serving in that capacity for twelve years, he was given the honorary title of chairman emeritus.
David has also served on the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry Board of Directors since 2008, acting as chair from 2019 to 2020. He is a member of the Department of Political Science Board of Visitors, and he and Joanne support the Jeffrey L. Hyde and Sharon D. Hyde and Political Science Board of Visitors Early Career Professorship and The McCourtney Institute for Democracy.
Miranda Nace
Evelyn Chick
