Bank of America Student Leaders: who can apply and what the paid internship involves

For two decades, about 300 American high school students a year spent their summer working full-time, for real wages, at nonprofits in their own communities. Then they flew to Washington, D.C., to meet leaders from government, business and the nonprofit world. That is Bank of America Student Leaders, and for students applying to US colleges it became one of the best-known examples of the leadership experience admissions officers notice.

Two things are worth knowing before you read further. The program is open only to students who live in the US and can work there legally, so students based in Korea cannot apply. And starting with its 2026 cycle, Bank of America rebuilt it for first-year college students instead of high schoolers.

What the program is

Bank of America launched Student Leaders in 2004. In its high school format, the program chose roughly 300 juniors and seniors from across the country each year and gave them an eight-week paid summer internship, capped by a leadership summit in Washington, D.C. Interns worked at local nonprofits such as the YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs and Habitat for Humanity. Over its first 20 years, the program supported more than 4,500 students, and Bank of America invested more than $42 million in it.

This is more than a corporate giving project. The program is built around three clear aims:

• Financial independence. A job with real wages is a first step toward standing on your own.
• Community. Working inside a local organization builds an understanding of the community and a habit of taking part in it.
• A national view. The summit widens students' perspective to the national level and deepens their understanding of social issues.

Who can apply, and what changed in 2026

Under both the old and new rules, eligibility is tied to living and being able to work in the US. The main differences are summarized below.