Student Benefits
Student Eligibility Co-op/internship students must be enrolled in a curriculum at VHCC to be eligible to participate. Prospective students must have a minimum number of college credits, have at least a 2.0 curriculum grade point average, and be employed or employable. Students may enroll for academic credit as part of their curriculum studies or as add-on credit. Associate degree students are encouraged to participate for two semesters. Specific co-op/internship guidelines for individual curricula are available from faculty co-op advisors or by reviewing programs under the student links at www.vhcc.edu.
Student Responsibilities During the work experience students are first considered to be employees (not students) by the employer. Therefore, students are subject to the rules and regulations of the employer regarding such issues as absences, time-off, and lay-offs. As with any job, the individual characteristics of punctuality, initiative, personal appearance, and attendance are extremely important. Students who do not display these characteristics could very easily cause their employer to refrain from using future VHCC students. The Faculty Co-op Advisor should be notified immediately of any major changes at the work site. Getting Started Co-op/internship students must pay regular tuition and fees and may register for and earn from 1 to 5 academic credits. Work sites must have the prior approval of the appropriate Faculty Co-op Advisor before the work experience starts. Additionally, an ‘Application for Cooperative Education/Internship and Assumption of the Risk Form’ must be completed and returned prior to obtaining the experiential learning workbook.