Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. Citizen or National to apply for this position.
- You must possess a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
- You will be subject to a background and suitability investigation.
- You must sign a Pathways Participant Agreement before starting employment.
- You must be 16 years old to be employed by the Federal government.
- Applicants who graduate college at the conclusion of the Spring 2026 semester may only be considered if they remain enrolled and are also accepted for enrollment for the Summer 2026 or Fall 2026 semester.
Qualifications
ALL PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY AND QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET BY THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT:
To be eligible for the CMS Pathways - Summer Internship Program, an individual must be enrolled and seeking a degree (e.g., diploma, certificate, etc.) in a qualifying educational institution/program on a full or half-time basis for the current
FALL 2025 semester. Additional proof of enrollment for the upcoming
SPRING 2026 and SUMMER 2026 or FALL 2026 semester will be required before a final job offer can be extended.
Click here for a definition of a qualifying education institution/program.
- AND -
Possess and maintain a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on the unweighted 4.0 scale. GPA is based on current enrollment. GPA 2.95 is rounded to 3.0, and GPA 2.94 is rounded to 2.9. NOTE: Students enrolled in a school or college that utilizes a Pass/Fail grading system are required to submit an unofficial transcript, which must include the institution's legend that documents the Pass/Fail equivalency.
TRANSCRIPTS or other applicable education documents (e.g., acceptance letter) are required at the time of application to verify program eligibility.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:
- GS-04: Completion of 2 full academic years of education above high school OR an Associate's or equivalent degree. Two full academic years post high school is defined as 60 credits for degrees that require a total of 120 semester hours or 90 quarter hours for degrees that require a total of 180 quarter hours.
TRANSCRIPTS are required at the time of application to verify satisfactory completion of education as part of the program eligibility and qualification requirements. You must submit an unofficial transcript from your Institution attesting to your possession of the required education. All unofficial transcripts must include the following: current overall GPA, enrollment status, major, and the number of credits for each course.
If you do not submit a transcript indicating your possession of the required education, you will not be considered for this position.
If you are enrolled for the
FALL 2025 semester and do not have a transcript (e.g., a graduating high school student who is enrolled for a bachelor's degree program for
FALL 2025, in addition to your High School (or previous Degree) transcript, you MUST provide proof of acceptance or an enrollment letter from your Institution with your application.
If you do not submit the required documentation, you will not be considered for this position.
Click the following link to view the occupational questionnaire:
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12806927
Education
You must be enrolled, pursuing, or have completed a degree or coursework in actuarial science, mathematics, relevant statistics, business, finance, economics, insurance, or computer science.
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Once the announcement has closed, your online application, resume, transcripts and CMS required documents will be used to determine if you meet eligibility and qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.
You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
- Accountability
- Attention to Detail
- Customer Service
- Decision Making
- Flexibility
- Integrity/Honesty
- Interpersonal Skills
- Learning
- Reading Comprehension
- Self-Management
- Stress Tolerance
- Teamwork
In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.
The rating process used for this announcement does not add veterans' preference points, but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles.
APPOINTMENT EXTENSION OR CONVERSION:
- Intern appointments may be extended or made indefinite at the discretion of management and the availability of a funded position.
- Interns may be converted to the competitive service once they have completed all Pathways Internship requirements to include receipt of a degree. Interns who are converted to the competitive service may be placed into a position with an established career ladder and full performance level of GS-12.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. NOTE: As of September 27, 2025, federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length. Your resume must indicate your citizenship and if you are registered for Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/59. Your resume must also list your work experience and education (if applicable) including the start and end dates (mm/yyyy). For work in the Federal service, you must include the series and grade level for the position(s). For resume and application tips visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include.
2. CMS Required Documents (e.g., SF-50, DD-214, SF-15, etc.). Supporting documents may be necessary to be considered for this vacancy announcement. Click here for a detailed description of the required supporting documents. Failure to provide the appropriate documentation WILL result in an ineligible rating OR non-consideration.
3. College Transcripts. Since this position requires specific education, you must submit a transcript attesting to your possession of the required education. You must submit an unofficial transcript at time of application. An official transcript is required if you are selected for the position. If selected, you must provide an original document before the final job offer may be extended.
College Transcripts and Foreign Education: Applicants who have completed part or all of their education outside of the U.S. must have their foreign education evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure that the foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the U.S. For a listing of services that can perform this evaluation, visit the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services website. This list, which may not be all inclusive, is for informational purposes only and does not imply any endorsement of any specific agency.
4. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please click here to review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 10/24/2025.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE AND/OR EDUCATION, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE OR EDUCATION. We strongly encourage applicants to utilize the USAJOBS resume builder in the creation of resumes. Determining length of general or specialized experience is dependent on the above information and failure to provide ALL information WILL result in a finding of ineligible.
- Official Position Title (include series and grade if Federal job)
- Duties (be specific in describing your duties)
- Employer's name and address
- Supervisor name and phone number
- Start and end dates in the month and year format (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
- Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
- Salary
The application process is as follows:
- To begin the application process, click the Apply button.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
- Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on10/24/2025.
- If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
- Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
- Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
- Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
- Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
Visit the
USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at
https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click
Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit
https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
Commissioned Corps Officers (including Commissioned Corps applicants that are professionally boarded) who are interested in applying for this position must send their professional resume (not PHS Curriculum Vitae) and cover letter to
CMSCorpsJobs@cms.hhs.gov in lieu of applying through this announcement. The cover letter should specifically explain how you are qualified for this position and draw specific attention to your resume that demonstrates these qualifications. Also, send any transcripts, licenses, or certifications as requested in this announcement.
Please send all documents in 1 PDF file. In the subject line of your e-mail, please include only the Job Announcement Number. In the body of your e-mail, please include your current rank name and serial number. Failure to provide this information may impact your consideration for this position.
Additional selections may be made from this announcement for similar positions within CMS with the same geographical location, if applicable. For example, for Woodlawn, MD vacancies, the "same geographical location" includes Baltimore, Maryland; Bethesda, Maryland; and Washington, D.C.
Next steps
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.
Within 30 business days of the closing date 10/24/2025, you may check your status online by logging into your USAJOBS account (https://login.usajobs.gov/Account/). We will update your status after each key stage in the application process has been completed.