Students serving in internships or practica may have some insurance protections and coverages provided by CSU.

The protections provided against liability and the coverages for workers’ compensation are both statutory under Colorado law. However, they are different laws, and there may be cases where a student intern will have one but not the other. The following applies for CSU students registered for internship classes at Colorado State University and serving internships at CSU. Regardless, protections and/or coverages provided only apply while the student is engaged within the scope of assigned internship/practica duties.

Liability protection is provided through immunity under the Governmental Immunity Act. These protections are only provided for required internships at CSU and are never provided for optional internships. Student interns are protected by the University’s liability while under direct supervision and control of the university. As with employees, no protection is provided if acts are willful, wanton, intentional or criminal.

Workers’ Compensation insurance is provided to student interns serving in internships at a cooperative agency either by the cooperating agency if the student is remunerated in any way (including salary, or stipend, or room and/or board), or by the workers’ compensation insurance of the University if the student is not remunerated. It is preferred that all internship courses end in the numbers 86, 87, or 88 to allow the University to track student internship insurance provided. Workers’ Compensation insurance is provided, by law, only to students serving in unremunerated internships with cooperative agencies.  Please note: students serving in unremunerated internships at Colorado State University are not covered by Workers’ Compensation insurance.