Fair Trade: College Credit for Internships
by K. B. Swain

A college internship is akin to the days of the apprentice when a young lad would be apprenticed to a master craftsman for a period of some years to learn a trade. When the apprenticeship was complete, the boy-now a grown man- would be ready to open his own shop and begin his livelihood. Today, college students can get internships at corporations and further their training. Yet, the intern receives no money for the work and often no college credit, unless they beg and plead and cry. If the college does relent and credit them with hours toward their degree plan, the student must pay tuition equal to the credit hours. This is unfair on so many levels. While an internship is an agreement that is beneficial to both college student and company, the terms should be amended because the benefit is not equal.

College interns should receive college credit for hours toward their degree plan as a matter of course from all colleges. They shouldn't have to ask about it. The experience and knowledge an intern gains by working in the business environment is certainly more valuable than hours spent in a classroom. Furthermore, the corporation receives the benefit of the student's performance without paying any salary. So, it should pay the student's tuition for the credit hours. Payment helps relieve the financial burden of the student's education. Of course, not all college tuition costs are created equal. So not to foreclose on businesses shying away from expensive Ivy League colleges for their interns, corporations should receive a straight tax credit for tuition payments.

A restructuring of the terms of today's internship could prove even more beneficial for all parties. The student could gain experience without incurring further debt. The corporation could invest in tax-sheltered labor.

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Question:

Which sentence from the passage best supports the idea that interns should automatically get college credit for their internship?

A. The student could gain experience without incurring further debt.
B. The experience and knowledge an intern gains by working in the business environment is certainly more valuable than hours spent in a classroom.
C. College interns should receive college credit for hours toward their degree plan as a matter of course from all colleges.
D. Yet, the intern receives no money for the work and often no college credit, unless they beg and plead and cry.