NOAA Internship 2027–2028: Programs, Deadlines & How to Apply

Last updated: October 2026

NOAA doesn't have one internship application; it runs named programs, and two of the biggest are open right now. The William M. Lapenta NOAA Student Internship Program is a paid, 10-week summer internship with applications due on 24 December 2026 for summer 2027. The Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship, which includes a paid 10-week NOAA internship, is open until 31 January 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, and its internship falls in summer 2028. No NOAA intern or student-path posting is open on USAJOBS today. In plain words: for Lapenta you apply this winter and intern in summer 2027; for Hollings you apply as a sophomore and intern in summer 2028. Both require U.S. citizenship.

Quick Facts

Lapenta closes 24 December 2026 and Hollings closes 31 January 2027, so the practical work is lining up recommendation letters over the next two months.

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 ARCeH Data Analytics, Health Outcomes Externship gives you environmental-health data work to describe, and the Center for Improving Youth Justice Data Analytics Externship adds public-sector decision-support practice. Explore all Externships.

What Is an NOAA Internship?

A NOAA internship is a paid student placement at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Commerce agency behind the National Weather Service, ocean and fisheries science and satellite observation. NOAA runs its student pipeline through named programs rather than one cycle. In April 2026 its Office of Education selected 128 Hollings scholars from 95 campuses in 40 states, Guam and Washington, D.C., and the Lapenta program placed 60 interns across 6 line offices in 2026. Interns work with scientists on forecasting, modeling, ocean and climate research.

When Do NOAA Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

NOAA programs don't share a calendar. Lapenta applications are due in late December for the following summer, about 5.5 months before a roughly June start (the page gives no start date), and the program page says applications for 2027 are due 24 December 2026. Hollings opens on 1 September and closes at the end of January, and its internship falls the summer after junior year, so a sophomore applying now interns in summer 2028, roughly 16 to 17 months after the deadline. Cooperative institute programs list winter application periods.

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. The Lapenta form must be completed and submitted in one session, because unsubmitted information isn't saved, and your two recommendation letters go in through a separate link. With 24 December falling during winter break, ask professors for letters now. Hollings gives you until 31 January, but its application also draws on a transcript, essays and recommendations, and NOAA runs its own webinars on 4 December and 8 January. Don't leave either one for the final week.

Which NOAA Internship Programs Should You Target?

NOAA's student opportunities are separate programs with different audiences, so pick by class year.

Details sit on the Lapenta page, the Hollings page and NOAA's student database. NOAA Corps and graduate fellowships are separate and aren't covered here.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

Each program has its own rules. These come from NOAA's program pages.

• Lapenta: U.S. citizens only; undergraduate sophomores and juniors and enrolled graduate students from all STEM areas. Two recommendation letters, at least one from a professor or academic advisor.

• Hollings: U.S. citizen; a full-time undergraduate sophomore at an accredited U.S. college or university, with an anticipated bachelor's graduation date between December 2028 and August 2029; community college students transferring as juniors in fall 2027 also qualify. Minimum 3.0 GPA and a major in a NOAA mission field.

• EPP/MSI: U.S. citizens or nationals at an accredited minority-serving institution, in the same year-in-school windows, with a minimum 3.2 GPA.

• Cooperative institute programs: vary. CICOES lists U.S. citizens and permanent residents, and the Chesapeake Bay program lists U.S. citizens.

• Pathways: per each USAJOBS announcement; none was open on 16 October 2026.

Is the GPA a Hard Cutoff?

For the scholarships, yes: NOAA states a 3.0 minimum for Hollings and 3.2 for EPP/MSI, and says applicants must maintain it. Lapenta publishes no GPA floor, and the application leans on your personal statement, transcript and two letters. If you expect to graduate before December 2028, Hollings isn't open to you this cycle.

What Skills Does NOAA Look For, and How Do You Build Them?

NOAA publishes no skills list. Its Lapenta page describes work in weather and climate modeling, the forecast process, impact-based decision support, product development and social science applications. Hollings names disciplines including oceanic, atmospheric, environmental and biological sciences, engineering, remote sensing, computer and information science, and social sciences. Lapenta interns often present at the American Geophysical Union and American Meteorological Society meetings.

Note: No skills chart: NOAA's student programs publish disciplines and project themes rather than skill lists, and the Lapenta project list was not available when we checked, so there is nothing to count honestly.

How Is Demand for Environmental Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

Each row ties a theme from NOAA's program pages to a remote Externship that gives you a finished project to describe.

None of these Externships is connected to NOAA. They help because your personal statement needs specific examples of analysis you've done, and a finished project is one.

What Is the NOAA Application and Interview Process Like?

The steps below come from the Lapenta and Hollings pages.

1. Pick the program by class year. Sophomores aiming at summer 2028 look at Hollings; sophomores, juniors and graduate students wanting summer 2027 look at Lapenta.

2. Lapenta: read the Lapenta Manual, attend a Q&A session, rank up to 7 projects from the Projects tab, and submit the SmartSheets form in one session with a personal statement, CV or resume and unofficial transcript. Two recommenders submit letters separately.

3. Hollings and EPP/MSI: complete the one shared application on NOAA's site before 31 January 2027, and consider the webinars on 4 December and 8 January.

4. Selection and start. Lapenta project mentors choose from their applicants, according to applicant reports, and Hollings recipients were announced in April in 2026.

Lapenta and Hollings are separate applications, and a commenter on Reddit relayed that the Lapenta program manager said you can apply to both.

What Students on Reddit Say

The r/NOAA community mostly discusses Lapenta timing and how the two programs fit together.

How Do You Stand Out for a NOAA Internship?

First, lock down recommenders early; both programs depend on them and Lapenta needs one from a professor or advisor. Second, tie your statement to NOAA's work: read the Lapenta project list and past scholar projects, and cite the specific problems you want to work on. Third, show research in whatever form you have, from a lab course to a short thesis. NOAA publishes class sizes (128 Hollings scholars in 2026, 60 Lapenta interns) but not acceptance rates.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

Students applying to NOAA often also target these science and environment employers.

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

FAQ

Can I still apply for a summer 2026 NOAA internship?

No. The 2026 Lapenta internship ended on 7 August 2026, and its applications closed months earlier. What's open now is Lapenta for summer 2027, due 24 December 2026, and the Hollings scholarship, due 31 January 2027, which leads to a summer 2028 internship. Cooperative institute programs list winter application periods.

When do NOAA internship applications close?

It depends on the program. Lapenta applications for summer 2027 are due on 24 December 2026. Hollings and the EPP/MSI scholarship share one application that closes on 31 January 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Cooperative institute programs list winter windows, so check each program's own page.

Are NOAA internships paid?

Most named programs are. Hollings pays $700 a week for its 10-week internship plus a scholarship, and CICOES pays $600 a week with travel and housing. Lapenta is described as paid, but its stipend isn't published on the pages we read. NWS Student Volunteers and Central Library roles are unpaid.

Do I have to be a U.S. citizen?

For the main programs, yes. Lapenta and Hollings require U.S. citizenship, and EPP/MSI accepts U.S. citizens or nationals. Some cooperative institute programs, such as CICOES, also accept permanent residents. Check each program page, since requirements differ and Pathways follows each USAJOBS announcement.

Is the Hollings scholarship an internship?

It's a scholarship that includes one. Hollings gives an academic award of up to $9,500 a year for two years and a 10-week, full-time, paid NOAA internship at any facility. Because you apply as a sophomore, the internship comes in the summer after junior year, which is summer 2028 for this cycle.

Can I get a NOAA internship for summer 2027?

Yes. The Lapenta program takes applications until 24 December 2026 for summer 2027, and cooperative institute and Chesapeake Bay programs list winter application windows. Hollings applicants from this cycle intern in summer 2028. Lapenta accepts sophomores, juniors and graduate students from all STEM areas.

Is there a NOAA Pathways internship open?

Not today. A USAJOBS search for NOAA on 16 October 2026 found no intern or student-path posting, only permanent positions. NOAA's student page says Pathways internships are posted as needed, so set a USAJOBS alert for the agency rather than waiting for a specific month.

What GPA do I need for a NOAA internship?

Hollings requires a 3.0 minimum cumulative GPA and EPP/MSI requires 3.2, both maintained through the award. The Lapenta pages state no GPA floor. Cooperative institute programs set their own criteria. NOAA doesn't publish acceptance rates for any of these programs.

Lapenta closes on 24 December 2026 and Hollings on 31 January 2027, so line up your recommenders this month. If you want a finished project to cite in your personal statement, a remote Externship fits around classes at 5 to 10 hours a week.