Pay to work: Internships for college credit can be a hefty bill for students

Frequently, students will excitedly come to me – new internships in hand – and ask about receiving college credit for their experience.

They're certainly right to be excited: I think that getting on-the-job experience in the field of one's choice is a great way to meet a portion of the academic requirements toward college graduation.

At that point, unfortunately, I frequently have to veer into the dreaded role of Potential Buzz-Kill. Never a fun position ... especially on a college campus.

The reality is when internships count as academic credit, it means that they literally are counted as a college course, which means that they carry tuition – which means they cost money. At some colleges, this can amount to hundreds of dollars per credit hour ... so unless it is planned carefully to fit into one's college plan, a three-credit-hour internship that is unpaid could cost upward of $1,000 if done for credit. This is a factor that students don't always consider right away.