Felicida Barajas, a counselor at Jurupa Valley High School, is passionate about helping students get to college. She often shares her own story of navigating higher education as a first-generation student.

Counselors can make the difference between a student heading to college with a robust financial aid package and a plan of study—or not applying to college at all. Yet many counselors receive little or no training in college counseling. Instead, the focus is on student mental health.

Internships have long aimed to fill the “experience gap” for college students, allowing them to get their foot in the door with prospective employers and gain relevant experience for their resumes.

Yet the models that work for 20-something students often do not suit the realities of working adults who now make up 39 percent of the higher education market. These individuals cannot put their life on hold—especially for in-person internships that are unpaid.