Discover Your Passion With the Pathway Program

You don’t need to have your whole career figured out—especially if you’re early in your college journey. The Pathway Program is a great fit for students, including college sophomores exploring their next steps, who want to build confidence, try out different kinds of work, and learn in a supportive environment.

Throughout the academic year, you’ll rotate through different areas of the business—gaining diverse experience, working with a variety of teams, and learning from multiple mentors. Each rotation helps you notice where you feel most energized and where your strengths naturally shine. By the end, you’ll have a clearer direction, stronger skills, and a better sense of what you want to pursue next, whether that’s a traditional internship or a full-time role down the road.

Program Structure

The Pathway Internship Program gives you the chance to explore different sides of business while gaining real experience in each of five core tracks: Accounting/Finance, Human Resources, Marketing, Product/Project Management, and Workday.

Each track offers opportunities to innovate, think independently, and build meaningful relationships with supportive leaders. Along the way, you’ll start to understand where your strengths and interests align—and where your future could lead. To get the most value from the program, interns are expected to work 15 to 20 hours per week during the academic year.

The Pathway Program gave me the chance to explore areas such as recruiting that I didn't even know I had an interest in but ended up really enjoying. The ability to work with so many team members and see how different departments work is an opportunity I wouldn't have been able to get anywhere else.

Lexi Smith

Accounting/Finance

  • Support budgeting, reporting, and financial analysis that help teams plan and make informed decisions.
  • Assist with month‑end processes, forecasting tasks, and identifying financial trends.
  • Gain exposure to how finance partners with business units across the company.
  • Learn how data informs strategy and how financial insights shape real projects.
  • Work with teams in Corporate Accounting, Financial Reporting, and other financially focused areas.

Marketing

  • Enjoy all the fun, flexibility, and opportunities of an agency, right here at Nelnet. Interns in this track will support Nelnet’s various marketing groups across the organization.
  • Expect to see the project creation process from creative brief through implementation.
  • Execute digital content, website creation, written copy, trend research, and more—with the goal of producing high-quality work for Nelnet’s various business lines.
  • Experience departments like Corporate Marketing, Nelnet Diversified Services Culture, Corporate Communications, and more.

As a pathway intern I’ve been given a place to grow both professionally and personally. The pathway program molds to your strengths, for me this was design. My mentors valued my opinion and allowed me to take initiative on new projects. I’ve been given the opportunity to do actual work that has impact and value. There’s nothing like working with and learning from people who are truly passionate about what they’re doing.

Ashleigh Kawaoka
Ashleigh Kawaoka

Having a mentor has been one of the most valuable parts of my Pathway experience. She has helped me grow both professionally and personally, and she consistently gives me the kind of career advice that I know I will carry with me long after this internship is over. My Pathway experience has been a year of growth, exploration, and meaningful connections that helped me build a strong network and discover the career path I want to pursue.

Ellie LeBlanc

People Services (Human Resources)

  • Help us create an awesome work environment that’s powered by people.
  • Support various departments within our Human Resources teams.
  • Learn about supporting associates through benefits, compensation, training, and more.
  • Gain exposure to our hiring practices and assist in the process.
  • Experience departments like Campus Recruiting, Wellness and Benefits, Corporate Training, Global Training and Development, and Corporate Recruiting.

The Pathway Program allowed me to explore all of my interests and discover what I value in a future career. I was so grateful for the unparalleled opportunity to work with so many different teams and be paired with mentors that were genuinely invested in my success. I could not have developed the width or depth of skills I learned in any other program!

Ellie Foral
Ellie Foral

Product/Project Management

  • Help scope new work, gather requirements, and organize project details to keep teams aligned.
  • Support timelines, roadmaps, and cross‑functional coordination for active initiatives.
  • Gain exposure to Agile practices, product lifecycles, and how ideas move from concept to launch.
  • Learn how to communicate clearly with stakeholders and translate needs into actionable tasks.
  • Work with teams in Technology, Innovation, Corporate Marketing, Business Operations, and other project‑driven areas.

Workday

  • Assist with testing, configuration updates, or reporting within Nelnet’s Workday platform.
  • Support process improvements that help HR, Finance, and other teams work more efficiently.
  • Gain exposure to how enterprise systems power hiring, onboarding, payroll, and reporting.
  • Learn how data flows through Workday and how system changes impact real teams.
  • Work with People Services, Finance Operations, HRIS teams, and other system‑driven departments.

The Pathway Program allowed me to explore all of my interests and discover what I value in a future career. I was so grateful for the unparalleled opportunity to work with so many different teams and be paired with mentors that were genuinely invested in my success. I could not have developed the width or depth of skills I learned in any other program!

Kevin Jacqmein
Kevin Jacqmein

The Experience

Expectations

As a Pathway intern, you’ll work with two teams within Nelnet – rotating through a variety of tasks, adding value to projects already in place or creating new ones to manage yourself. In addition, you’ll collaborate with other interns to complete projects based on real business scenarios Nelnet faces today.

With a wide variety of events like periodic Lunch-and-Learns, networking events, and mentorship opportunities, expect to keep in touch with other departments and learn from their diverse experiences.

To make the most out of your Pathway Program experience, we invite you to:

  • Be energized to work both independently and in a team-based environment.
  • Engage in and maximize various professional and community-building opportunities.
  • Be comfortable adapting to multiple rotations throughout the academic year.
  • Show interest in sharing new ideas, managing time efficiently, and welcoming feedback.

Mentors

Pathway mentors are committed to leveraging your professional goals and current strengths to include you on real work during your time in their department. You can expect to work alongside various mentors throughout the program, broadening your network and receiving the support you deserve.

Interns are integral to my team. We could not produce as much as we do without them. All their work is associate-facing and becomes part of our broader segment of communications. From communications to videos to behind-the-scenes work, they really keep our team and communications moving. I enjoy learning from them, as well as providing them with low-stake opportunities to fail ‘in the real world.’ Many of them are just entering the professional workforce and are exposed to some scenarios they don't yet know how to navigate

Alex Ricaurte

Mentoring is a huge benefit to everyone involved. We get to share our experiences, and the interns get to contribute in lots of ways. We learn from each other, and the Pathway rotations give us a chance to work with a variety of people throughout the year, each of whom brings new talents and perspectives to the team. BenefitEd is a small company inside Nelnet. We run a lean team, so there is always plenty to do. Our interns aren’t doing busy work. They are actively participating in the business and providing an important resource to our team.

Bill Miller

Perks of Being a Pathway Intern

Pathway interns will walk away from the program with lifelong skills and a diverse network. No matter which track you choose, Nelnet’s core value of creating an awesome work environment is at the forefront of the Pathway Program.

Employee Referral Bonuses

Cohort Style

With more than 20 interns in each Pathway Program class, Pathways interns share similar experiences and bond quickly to form a unique community.

Build your Resume with Nelnet Internships

Projects

We’re all about empowering our interns, so we prioritize your preferences for the teams you’ll work on.

Grow with Nelnet

Based on the networks you build and connections you make, you have the opportunity to carry on your experience with Nelnet, post-Pathway Program. In fact, historically, over 50% of our Pathway interns have been hired at Nelnet in varying roles after the program concludes.

Special Events

If you’re not having a good time, we’re doing something wrong. We organize fun and interactive events including Lunch-and-Learns, community building, and speed networking to foster the awesome culture we’re committed to.

Application and Hiring Process

Interested in applying for the Pathway Program? Check out our hiring process below to see if the timeline aligns with your professional goals. Please email any questions to [email protected].

  1. Mid-February: Applications Open

  2. Early March: Applications Close

  3. Mid-March: Interviews

  4. Late-March: Offers Extended

  5. August: Internship Begins

  6. May: Internship Ends

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