The Office of  Postsecondary Education (OPE) seeks motivated students who are excited to learn  and work with our staff in advancing our mission to “promote student  achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by  fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.” OPE  offers unpaid full- and part-time internships during the summer, fall, and  spring. Specifically, we offer internships in the following five divisions:  Higher Education Programs (HEP), Policy, Planning and Innovation (PPI), International  and Foreign Language Education (IFLE), Management Support Unit (MSU), and the  front office of the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education. Below, we  describe what functions these divisions respectively carry out.

**The Higher Education  Programs (HEP)**
- Institutional Service :  Administers grant programs designed to improve academic quality, institutional  management and fiscal stability, and strengthen physical plants and endowments  of institutions of higher education, with an emphasis on institutions that  enroll large proportions of minority and financially disadvantaged students.
- Student Service:  Administers grant programs supporting low-income, first-generation students and  individuals with disabilities as they progress through the academic pipeline  from middle school to graduate school, in addition to programs focused on college  readiness, campus-based child-care and graduate fellowships.

**The Policy, Planning  and Innovation (PPI)** office develops  Federal postsecondary education policy and regulations including policy which  supports the Federal student financial assistance programs and programs  authorized by the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) and  administers the review process for accreditation agencies to ensure that the  education provided by the institutions of higher education meets acceptable levels  of quality.****

**The International and Foreign Language Education (IFLE)** office administers Title VI (domestic) and  Fulbright-Hays (overseas) grant and fellowship programs that strengthen foreign  language instruction, area/international studies teaching and research,  professional development for educators, and curriculum development at the K-12,  graduate, and postsecondary levels.

**The Office of Management and Planning**
- The Management  Support Unit (MSU) , which is responsible for operations management for OPE. The  unit serves as the primary catalyst for developing and implementing effective  management practices, continuous improvement processes, and organizational  capacity building to align and implement OPE’s Annual Program Performance Plan  in accordance with the Department's Strategic Plan. The Director of MSU reports  to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Management and Planning.
- The  Executive Office , headed by an Executive Officer, provides general  administrative and management support services for OPE. Under the direction of  the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Management and Planning, the office  establishes procedures, devotes sufficient resources, and clarifies lines of authority  and accountability to ensure that the administrative service needs of OPE are  met in a timely and consistent manner.

**The Front Office of the Assistant Secretary** is responsible for working with the Assistant Secretary to  manage and oversee all functions within OPE. Interns in the front office will  generally work on special projects that will encompass an array of issues  facing OPE at the time. Many of these issues will require research into  different policy initiatives, grant-making activities, and speaking engagements  that fall within the Assistant Secretary’s duties at the Department.   Below you will find the type of applicant we  are looking for, and additional information for you to take under  consideration. If you believe interning with OPE is the right fit for you, we  invite you to apply through this link. 

**Required skill set:**
- Strong academic background       (college sophomores, juniors and seniors or first-year graduate students);
- Excellent oral and written       communication skills; 
- Good research skills with       emphasis on internet-based research;
- Interest in higher education       policy and grantmaking;
- Flexibility, initiative, and       teamwork skills

NOTE: You must be  enrolled in a higher education institution to participate in this program.

**Available internship  terms:**

Summer, fall, and/or  spring

**For information:**

Applications can also be submitted via USAJOBS with this link.