RALEIGH, (SGRToday.com) - Seventy paid state governments internships are available for summer 2016, but applicants must complete the application by December 18 to be considered.

The internships are open to North Carolina residents attending a college, university, technical institute or community college.

All internships will begin on May 24, 2016 and conclude on July 29, 2016.

The internships are designed to provide students real-world experience in a wide range of state government workplaces. More than 4,000 students have participated since the program was established in 1969.

Paid summer internships are available in locations across the state. Interns will earn a stipend of $8.25 per hour and work 40 hours per week for 10 weeks in the summer.

To be eligible for the program, a student must be a permanent North Carolina resident with an overall grade point average of 2.5 or better on a 4.0 scale, have graduated from high school and subsequently completed their sophomore year of college before beginning the internship. Community college students must complete their first year before beginning the internship.