Department of the Treasury Internship 2027–2028: How to Apply

Last updated: October 2026

The Treasury Department's headquarters internship is unpaid, and its spring 2027 window has already closed. The Headquarters Student Internship Program posted its latest announcement on USAJOBS from 9 to 30 September 2026 for a January 2027 start. The summer 2027 announcement is expected between December 2026 and March 2027: Treasury's page says to apply in December, and the last two summer announcements ran 7 to 30 March 2025 and 19 January to 7 February 2026. One paid route is open now, the IRS Office of Chief Counsel's summer program for law students, which closes on 11 December 2026. In plain words: you apply between December 2026 and March 2027, you intern in summer 2027.

Quick Facts

Headquarters spring 2027 closed on 30 September 2026; summer 2027 is expected between December 2026 and March 2027, and the IRS law-student program closes 11 December 2026.

Externships are short, remote programs where you finish a real project for a real company, most commonly over 8 weeks at 5 to 10 hours a week. The Attronica Financial Planning & Analysis Externship builds the budgeting and valuation skills behind Treasury's finance and management offices, and the Center for Improving Youth Justice Data Analytics Externship gives you public-policy data work to describe. Explore all Externships.

What Is a Department of the Treasury Internship?

A Department of the Treasury internship is a student placement in one of the offices that run the U.S. government's finances. The headquarters program, in the Departmental Offices in Washington, lets high school, undergraduate and graduate students "spend a semester" supporting Treasury's mission to "promote economic prosperity and ensure the financial security of the United States", and it is unpaid. Law students can apply to a separate volunteer summer program at headquarters. Treasury's student pages also link career sites for 11 bureaus and offices, including the IRS and the U.S. Mint, and the paid roles sit there: IRS Office of Chief Counsel hires law students at GS-09. Pathways internships are paid, posted bureau by bureau. This page covers the civilian policy, finance and legal routes.

When Do Department of the Treasury Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

Treasury's headquarters program runs three terms a year, and each gets its own short window. USAJOBS records show each recent announcement open for about three weeks: spring 2027 from 9 to 30 September 2026 for a January start, fall 2026 from 13 to 31 May 2026, and summer 2026 from 19 January to 7 February 2026 for a May start. That is a lead of about 3.5 to 4 months. The 2025 summer announcement ran 7 to 30 March 2025 for a July start, so the summer window moved by about seven weeks between years, and Treasury's own page still says December.

How to read this page: our dates come from tracking previous recruiting cycles and daily posting data. Treat them as informed estimates based on historical patterns, not confirmed dates. The company's official careers page is always the most current source. If a role is posted there, go by that, even if this page suggests the window hasn't opened yet.

Why You Must Apply the Week Applications Open

These are hard deadlines, not rolling reviews. Each headquarters announcement stayed open about three weeks in the last year, and USAJOBS closes it on the stated date. The IRS Chief Counsel announcements close at 11:59 pm Eastern on 11 December 2026, and one earlier IRS copy opened and closed on 28 September. Set a saved USAJOBS search now, because Treasury hasn't published a summer 2027 date and the window has moved from year to year.

Which Department of the Treasury Internship Programs Should You Target?

Treasury runs separate routes, and only some are paid. Check the label before you apply.

Treasury's Student/Internship Programs page lists each route, and its law student page still shows summer 2026 dates, so use USAJOBS for the live dates.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

These come from Treasury's headquarters page, the September 2026 announcement and the IRS Chief Counsel announcement.

• Citizenship: U.S. citizens only for the headquarters program; U.S. citizen or national for IRS Chief Counsel.

• Enrollment: enrolled or accepted at an accredited school, at least part-time, through the whole internship. Graduates can't continue past graduation without proof of future enrollment.

• Academic standing: good standing, 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for headquarters.

• Time: 10 or more consecutive weeks at 20 or more hours a week; in person only.

• Cost: if you work in Washington, relocation and housing are your expense.

• Screening: a suitability and fitness background investigation, and Selective Service registration for males born after 31 December 1959.

• IRS Chief Counsel: an ABA-accredited law school with one full year completed, and one of several academic thresholds, such as a 3.35 J.D. GPA, 3.25 LL.M. GPA or top 25% class rank.

Can High School Students Apply?

Yes, for the headquarters program. Treasury's page opens it to high school, undergraduate and graduate students, and the announcement says current high school and college students. The law-student programs need law school enrollment, and the International Affairs Junior Fellowship is for people who have just graduated, with preference given to undergraduates.

What Skills Does the Department of the Treasury Look For, and How Do You Build Them?

Treasury lists what it prefers in one headquarters announcement and not office by office. Teamwork and communication lead: it asks for strong written and oral skills and interpersonal skills, and it notes the pace of "tight deadlines". Tools: a working knowledge of Excel, Word, Access, PowerPoint and Visio. Fields: economics, public policy, finance, accounting, international affairs, legal studies, computer science and statistics are all named.

Note: No skill-frequency chart for this page. The headquarters program is the only large route, and it publishes one announcement per term rather than a posting for each office, so there is no pool of job descriptions to count. The skills above come from the September 2026 headquarters announcement.

How Is Demand for Policy Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

Each row ties a headquarters duty to a remote Externship that gives you a finished project to describe.

None of these Externships is connected to the Treasury Department. They help because they give you a concrete project to describe when you answer the headquarters application's office-preference questions.

What Is the Department of the Treasury Application and Interview Process Like?

The steps below come from Treasury's headquarters page and the 2026 USAJOBS announcements.

1. Wait for the announcement. Treasury says all internship opportunities are announced on USAJOBS, so save a search for the department with the Students filter.

2. Apply with three office choices. Pick up to three offices that match your major, and attach your resume and a transcript (an unofficial one is accepted); a cover letter is optional.

3. Background check. Selected students complete a suitability and fitness background investigation before starting.

4. Law students: apply on USAJOBS and email a PDF copy to the General Counsel's summer program contact; applicants who skip either step may be excluded.

Treasury also runs information sessions, linked from its careers pages, before application windows.

What the Community Says

Community coverage of Treasury's student programs is thin, and no readable first-hand account of the unpaid headquarters internship turned up. These two threads are the usable ones.

How Do You Stand Out for a Treasury Internship?

First, decide which route fits: the unpaid headquarters program if you can afford a semester in Washington, or the paid IRS Chief Counsel program if you're a law student. Second, rank your three office choices deliberately and match each to your coursework in economics, tax policy, finance or international affairs. Third, have your documents ready before the window opens, since headquarters announcements have stayed open about three weeks. Treasury doesn't publish class sizes, applicant counts or a conversion rate.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

Students applying to the Treasury Department often also look at these finance and policy institutions.

For more federal options and USAJOBS timing, see our government internships summer 2027 guide.

FAQ

Can I still apply for a spring 2027 Department of the Treasury internship?

No for the headquarters program: its spring 2027 announcement ran 9 to 30 September 2026 and has closed. Headquarters summer 2027 is expected between December 2026 and March 2027. Law students can still apply to the IRS Office of Chief Counsel summer program until 11 December 2026.

Are Treasury Department internships paid?

At headquarters, no. The Headquarters Student Internship Program is unpaid, and the headquarters law-student summer program is volunteer. The IRS Office of Chief Counsel's summer program is paid at GS-09, $61,722 to $100,315 a year equivalent depending on location. Pathways internships are paid when a bureau posts one.

When do Treasury summer 2027 internship applications open?

Treasury says to apply for the summer period in December, but the window hasn't been announced. The last two headquarters summer announcements ran 7 to 30 March 2025 and 19 January to 7 February 2026. Expect December 2026 to March 2027 and set a USAJOBS alert, since windows have lasted about three weeks.

Who is eligible for the Treasury headquarters internship?

U.S. citizens enrolled or accepted at an accredited high school, college or graduate school, in good academic standing at 2.0 or higher. You must be able to work at least 20 hours a week for 10 consecutive weeks in person in Washington, pass a background investigation, and cover your own relocation and housing.

Can high school students apply to Treasury?

Yes, for the headquarters program. Treasury's page says it is designed for high school, undergraduate and graduate students, and the September 2026 announcement was open to current high school and college students. The law-student programs require law school enrollment, and the junior fellowship is for new graduates.

Is there a GPA requirement for a Treasury internship?

For headquarters, the September 2026 announcement asks for good academic standing, defined as 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. IRS Chief Counsel law-student roles are stricter: a 3.35 J.D. GPA, 3.25 LL.M. GPA or top 25% class rank, with alternatives listed in the announcement.

Does a Treasury internship lead to a job?

Treasury doesn't publish a conversion rate. Its Pathways page says some positions can convert to permanent jobs and others can't. The IRS summer program says participants who graduate from law school by fall 2028 may be considered for non-competitive placement, subject to availability. The headquarters internship is unpaid and carries no stated conversion.

Do other Treasury bureaus hire interns?

Yes, separately. Treasury's student pages link career sites for the IRS, the U.S. Mint, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and other bureaus, and each posts its own roles on USAJOBS. Pathways internships are announced bureau by bureau, so search the bureau you want.

Headquarters summer 2027 is expected between December 2026 and March 2027, and the IRS law-student roles close on 11 December. Set a USAJOBS alert today, and if you want a finished project to talk about, a remote Externship fits around classes at 5 to 10 hours a week.