Given the fact that colleges today seem to raise tuition and fees to pay for platinum administrator perks and speaking engagements for former first ladies, the results of a new study should be little surprise.

It looks like our young people are no longer entirely buying the concept that internships should merely offer a wealth of experience.

University of Georgia student reporter Gil Golan files this report:

With the summer in full swing, many University of Georgia students have dedicated their time off to unpaid internships. However, a poll conducted by the non-profit organization OurTime.org found that the majority of young people in the United States think unpaid internships are not a fair business practice.

The poll, which included 2,000 student responses, indicated that most young people disagree with the practice of unpaid internships. But some students at UGA have split opinions.

Mollie Benjamin, a senior from Marietta majoring in mass media arts, has spent the summer working two internships, both of which are unpaid.

“One of the companies is sort of a start-up company, so they can’t afford to pay interns, but the other one doesn’t necessarily have any sort of reason other than the fact that they are just cheap,” she said.

Although both of her internships are unpaid, Benjamin said she is still earning valuable work experience.

“I absolutely think I am learning valuable skills at both companies,” she said.

Instead of providing monetary compensation, some companies employing interns offer other means of payment for work.

Jayke Hill, a senior from Lawrenceville majoring in English, philosophy, and comparative literature, traveled to Ibague, Colombia, for an unpaid internship with the international organization AIESEC.

“While unpaid, I have been provided free accommodation, which typically includes three meals a day,” he said.

Hill said the free accommodation gave him an opportunity that may not have been possible if he demanded monetary payment.

“I don’t think all internships should be paid,” he said. “Many provide valuable experience and exciting opportunities otherwise impossible to obtain.”