Since 1992, the HACU National Internship Program (HNIP) has placed nearly 8,500 undergraduate and graduate students in challenging paid internship assignments with federal and private sector agencies in Washington, DC and nationwide. Nearly 700 students participated in HNIP in 2009.

HNIP is considered a model program for both student development and outreach to the Hispanic community by providing a comprehensive range of services to students, supervisors, federal agencies and corporations. The objectives of the program are:

* Provide professional experience for students from Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) and other colleges and universities to enable them to make more educated career choices.

* Expose students to research, development, technology, and administrative career opportunities.

* Supplement academic study with practical applications for students majoring in relevant fields and related disciplines.

* Extend and strengthen the relationship between government agencies, corporations, and HSIs and other institutions that have significant Hispanic enrollment and that offer related academic programs. These ties will continue to offer an expanded recruitment resource to federal agencies and corporations.