Financing Supervised Practice
What are the financial options for funding your
Supervised Practice?
Financial Aid &
Student Loans
University-based Supervised Practice
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Dietetic interns enrolled as a student are typically eligible for financial aid (student loans).
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If enrolled as a student, student loan deferment is typically possible. Contact the Program Director for more information and to provide documentation of one's status as a dietetic intern. The loan agency may have documents that need to be completed to verify the intern's status in an accredited program.
Non-university Based Supervised Practice
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Dietetic interns enrolled in non-university internships (private or corporate DIs) are typically not eligible for financial aid (student loans).
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Student loan deferment, if allowed by the intern's lender, may be possible during the internship. Contact the Program Director for more information and to provide documentation of one's status as a dietetic intern. The loan agency may have documents that need to be completed to verify the intern's status in an accredited program.
Scholarships
Dietetic interns may apply for outside scholarships on an individual basis.
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Each state's Academy has scholarships for members.
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The California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation (CANDF) has scholarships for applicant members who attend a CA dietetic internship program. For more information: https://dietitian.org/
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The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation has scholarships for student/ dietetic intern members.
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Academy Student Membership is required ($58).
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UC Davis Department of Nutrition has a DI scholarship. Accepted DI applicants will be notified in late April/early May.
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There are a number of Diversity Scholarships specifically intended to increase the diversity of the profession:
Housing
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In the majority of cases, dietetic interns are required to locate their own housing. Rental costs depend on location, type of unit, and whether or not you have roommates.
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Housing arrangements need to be made well ahead of the start of the internship.
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When exploring supervised practice locations, here is an excellent resource to compare cost-of-living for different areas: https://money.cnn.com/calculator/pf/cost-of-living/
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Most programs require reliable transportation to travel to and from sites.
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Medical center-based programs tend to have the majority of rotations on-site; however, you may be required to have a car for off-site rotations and field trips.
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Personal vehicles will need to be insured and most programs require proof of liability insurance.
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Something to think about: if a program is based in a medical center, and public transportation is readily available, it may be less expensive to rent a car as needed or use a car share service for the occasional off-site rotation.