VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
There is no internship application fee, and we do not charge tuition to attend the internship program. Cost of living during the internship depends upon your choice of living arrangements. The Department of Veterans Affairs does not provide meals or housing. Interns may choose to share an apartment. Meals can be purchased in the Canteen Service cafeteria, or lunch can be carried from home.
Stipend:
The Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA) allocates a stipend for dietetic interns. The 2024-2025 stipend is estimated to be $20,160 for the supervised practice portion of the DI. The hourly rate is $15 per hour, subject to tax withholdings and is paid bi-weekly. The stipend received is generally used to cover some of the cost-of-living expenses.
Please note: The allocated stipend is only provided during the first year of the program while completing supervised practice hours. You must be a U.S. citizen to receive a stipend.
Estimated Dietetic Internship Program Expenses
- Application Fee for Internship - None
- Dietetic Internship Centralized Application Services (DICAS) - $50
- Housing - $1,200 - $1,800 / month
- Transportation - varies
- Health Insurance - Eligible for VA health benefits (cost varies based on plan)
- The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Student Membership - $50 / year
- RD Exam Review Course - $350
- RD Exam Application Fee - $200
- Drug Screening - $30 (if required by affiliation site)
- University of Alabama Application fee - $65 (combined MS/DI track only)
- Tuition: Interns enrolled in the combined MS/Dietetic Internship Track will be responsible for the tuition costs at the University of Alabama including additional textbooks and supplies. The program is a total of 30 credit hours with tuition of $440 per credit hour for the 2023-2024 academic year. Graduate Students are eligible for financial aid at the University of Alabama. Expenses related to program tuition, fees, financial aid and scholarships for the master’s degree is located here: Tuition Rates - Online Degrees - The University of Alabama (ua.edu)
Liability Insurance:
Interns are protected from personal liability while at VA healthcare facilities. Additional liability insurance can be purchased through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as a student member if interns are interested.
Health Insurance:
Health Professional Trainees (HPTs) with a stipend will be eligible for VA health benefits. Resources will be provided to interns during orientation for accessing health insurance as needed.
Parking and Transportation
A car is required for transportation to all rotations, affiliations, and off station tours / field trips. Parking at all the Medical Center and ECHCS Sites is free. Information on public transit services can be found here: RTD - Regional Transportation District (rtd-denver.com). There is an RTD stop, Colfax Station, at the main Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center.
Financial Resources
Interns enrolled in the MS/DI Track are eligible for financial aid and scholarship through the University Financial Aid - Online Degrees - The University of Alabama (ua.edu)
Scholarships:
Please visit Scholarships and Financial Aid (eatrightpro.org) for a list of scholarships provided by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In addition to the AND scholarships, the Colorado Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics offer scholarships for students. Awards and Scholarships - Colorado Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics - Eat Right Colorado
Student Loans:
We do not offer student loans for this program. If you currently have student loans, you may be eligible for forbearance during your time in the program. (Discuss with your loan institution for more information.) If considering loan forbearance, contact the Dietetic Internship Director. Forbearance is often the best choice but depends on each individual loan agreement.
* Links above will take you outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs Website. VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked websites.
