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Payback for Internships?

Posted: Thu May 21, 2015 8:02 pm
by question
If we drop out of the program, are we required to pay back money received during our summer internship? We're working for our facility during the internship, so it would seem strange to me that we'd be required to pay back that money... since we performed a service, right?

Re: Payback for Internships?

Posted: Fri May 22, 2015 6:45 am
by readthehandbook
Honestly, does no one know how to read anymore? See section 5.16 in the handbook. It states:
A SSPP subject to debt repayment procedures may be required to promptly refund all amounts expended under the SSPP’s SMART award, including all stipend, tuition, approved related educational expenses, travel expenses, health insurance funds, miscellaneous supplies allowance, and all other funds expended by the Federal Government under the SSPP’s award, plus interest on that amount from the date of the award.
In addition, we've been told over and over that internship payments are NOT payment for services rendered. They are additional support payments for training periods.

Re: Payback for Internships?

Posted: Sun May 24, 2015 8:49 am
by Guest
Dear readthehandbook,

Those standards set in the handbook change every year. The contract we signed indicates that they can change the contract any way they want. ANYTHING could happen! They could decide to make us work off the time 3:1 instead of 1:1. They could quit paying us during phase I. They could drum up some crap that says they don't have to pay us in phase II. The list of things that they actually have done isn't even too far off from my little rant here. The thing is ... this whole changing the contract without our consent thing is legally questionable.

It would seem that nobody who has left the program has been made to pay It would seem that the program would be obligated to treat all of those who have left the exact same. So we don't know yet what monies would be included, and will never know until they actually go after someone and one of those people lets the rest of us know.

Re: Payback for Internships?

Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 8:19 pm
by Guest
readthehandbook wrote:
In addition, we've been told over and over that internship payments are NOT payment for services rendered. They are additional support payments for training periods.
This is why the taxes are good. If we were performing a service, we would have to pay self-employment tax. So, quit servicing everyone...gosh!