Whether you’ve experienced them first-hand or know someone personally who has, we all know of the horror stories of unpaid internships. Fortunately, according to Essence, a new partnership is coming to the financial rescue of students who want to move forward with great unpaid opportunities, but don’t have the luxury to afford missing out on coins.

Gen Z hair care brand Next of Us (NOU) and D.C.-based nonprofit Pay Our Interns have teamed up for the “Next of Us Intern Opportunity Fund.” The new funding “will award $50,000 in need-based stipends to help Gen Z BIPOC and working-class college students overcome financial hurdles that often create barriers to career advancement,” according to the outlet.

“NOU believes in the power of the next generation to make the world better for themselves and generations to come,” said Lela Coffey, Vice President, Multicultural Hair Brands and North America Hair Care Portfolio, P&G Beauty in a news release. “We are proud to partner with Pay Our Interns to establish a program that tangibly serves the unique needs of Gen Z communities of color, helping to make their hair and life journey a more fulfilling experience.”

Next of Us Intern Opportunity Fund

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