A growing number of college students are facing uncertainty as their internships with the federal government are put on hold or potentially canceled.

Morgan Standley, a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and a current master’s student in public affairs at Indiana University, is among those affected.

Standley was set to complete an internship with the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C., as part of her graduation requirements.

“Once I got my offer in December, I started making plans to move in and go downtown and live there,” said Standley.

However, Standley received an unexpected email on the day she picked up her apartment keys, informing her that her internship offer had been rescinded.

“On the day I picked up my keys and walked into my apartment, I received the email that my offer was rescinded,” said Standley.

The rescission was due to an executive order by President Donald Trump mandating a federal hiring freeze, part of an effort to reduce the size of the federal workforce.

“When you read that notice that the internship had been rescinded, at least temporarily, maybe permanently, what did you think?” Local 12 asked Standley.

“I actually thought I was being scammed or like something went wrong in some way because I was just so taken aback that I just never imagined that they could take back their offer,” said Standley.

Last modified: February 17, 2025