<p>Most schools count internships as a for-credit class. That means it is usually assigned to a faculty member as part of their workload. How much work this actually involves for the faculty member can vary greatly.</p>
<p>The internships I am familiar with have faculty involved as the coordinator. They make periodic phone calls to the intern and supervisor. They grade reports that are required. They often make one or more visits to the intern on site. They can help the intern if the company isn’t holding up their end of the agreement. Likewise, they can help iron out any potential problems that the company may be having with the intern. They can also drum up support at the company for hiring future interns. </p>
<p>While you may not like the above, that is the reasoning behind charging tuition. The tuition covers the cost of paying the faculty member as well as their expenses (mileage, airline tickets, hotels, meals, etc.).</p>