UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO
WORKERS' COMPENSATION COVERAGE FOR STUDENT INTERNS

This policy statement describes the Workers' Compensation coverage available to students of the University of Colorado. A student who is solely attending classes is not considered an employee and is ineligible for workers’ compensation benefits.
 

1. To be covered by Workers' Compensation (WC) the student must be considered an employee or "be involved in a bona fide* cooperative education or student internship program sponsored by an educational institution for the purpose of providing on-the-job training for students."
   8-40-302 (7) (a) C.R.S.
    
2. A student is considered an employee of the University of Colorado (CU) and under the CU WC policy when they are on the payroll (student workers, residents, interns, and some fellows), or receive "payment in kind", such as benefits (i.e., health, dental, life, or disability insurance), paid directly by CU.
      
3. If the student in the on-the-job training is paid by the outside employer, the student is considered to be an employee of the outside employer and subject to that employer's WC policy. In some cases, the employer may assume WC coverage for an unpaid student through a written agreement.
   8-40-302 (7) (a) C.R.S.
    
4. Those students who are not paid by the outside employer, who are not by contract covered by the outside employer's insurance, who are not paid by CU, AND who are placed with the outside employer for the purpose of training or learning trades or occupations, ARE covered under the workers' compensation insurance of the sponsoring school (8-40-302 (7) C.R.S. and 8-40-202 (1) (a) IV C.R.S.), the University of Colorado Risk & Insurance Management Fund.  
   
   
   * "Cooperative education or student internship program" means a program sponsored by an educational institution in which a student is taught through a coordinated combination of specialized in-the-school instruction provided through an educational institution by qualified teachers and on-the-job training provided through a local business, agency, or organization or any governmental agency in cooperation with the educational institution.