Jim Costa Washington D.C. LEgislative Intern
Scholar Program
Open to all majors
Paid Internship
Full-time
Washington D.C.
The Jim Costa Washington, D.C. Legislative Intern Scholar Program offers qualified college students the opportunity to work full-time in the nation’s capital. Named after Congressman Jim Costa, this prestigious program allows students to actively observe the legislative process while participating in the administrative operations of a San Joaquin Valley U.S. Representative’s office.
This summer internship, offered from June to August (8 weeks) in Washington, D.C. provides placements with members of the San Joaquin Valley congressional delegation from both sides of the aisle. Maddy Interns assist with legislative research, attend hearings, draft communications, respond to constituent inquiries, give tours of the Capitol, and closely observe the policymaking process.
Important Dates
The application period annually opens in November and closes in December.
Opens
November 21, 2025 6:00 am
Final Deadline
December 28, 2025 11:59 pm
Eligilibity
- Must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher.
- Must have completed a minimum of 30 units or be enrolled in a graduate program during the semester of the internship.
- Must be able to work in Washington, D.C. full-time from June to August.
- Must be currently enrolled at Fresno State, CSU Bakersfield, CSU Stanislaus, UC Merced, or an SCCCD community college.
- Open to all majors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Our programs are open to all majors.
You must be currently enrolled (graduate programs are included) in one of our partnering institutions. If accepted, we will ask you to verify this through an unofficial transcript.
Our partnering institutions include:
- California State University, Bakersfield
- California State University, Fresno
- California State University, Stanislaus
- University of California, Merced
- Clovis Community College
- Fresno City College
- Merced Community College
- Reedley Community College
Yes! Interns receive a $7,000 scholarship upon completion of their internship, with a portion allocated toward the housing we provide.
Currently, we provide dorm housing for our interns at George Washington University or UCDC, though this is subject to change from year to year. Interns may choose to arrange their own housing; however, we are unable to cover the upfront costs of alternative accommodations.
At this time, we are not able to cover travel or relocation expenses for students. However, we do cover the upfront costs of dorm housing, parking passes, and public transit passes if applicable.
Our internships are in-person, but depending on your assigned office, you may experience occasional remote work.
Yes! You can apply to any of our open programs, but please note that each program has a separate application.
Once accepted as an intern, we will send you onboarding paperwork, and you will be required to attend an orientation at our office. Some offices will require that you complete separate onboarding paperwork in addition to ours.
For our summer internships, you can expect to start in early June and end in early August. You will work with your assigned office supervisor to determine an official start and end date.
Possible intern responsibilities include attending hearings, researching legislative issues, responding to constituent inquiries, processing tour and flag requests, opening and routing incoming mail, giving tours of the Capitol, and performing general office duties.
You may wish to work with your assigned office supervisor on determining more specialized projects and attending events that pertain to your interests.
First, our internships do not require ANY experience. For this reason, we hold an orientation at our office and provide you with a detailed handbook for extra information before your official start date. The Maddy Institute staff are also a great resource if you have questions!