Competition for internships this fall will be tough as experienced or mature workers and entry-level college students vie for a way to get their foot in the door.

A study released in August by Careerbuilder.com shows that nearly 23 percent of employers report getting applications from experienced workers (more than 10 years of experience) and mature workers (50 years of age and older) for internships at their respective organizations.

While there may be many different reasons that more than 2,500 employers report the recent surge of applicants into entry-level positions, some have used the country’s recent budget issues as a leading factor for the surge.

“The last 18 months have reshaped internships as more than an experience-building [time] for college students. Now, they’re also a way for experienced workers to explore new opportunities,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder.

“Internships can act as an extended, full-time job interview and potentially lead to more opportunities for college students and for more seasoned employees.”

While the application floodgates have seemingly been opened, more than 27 percent of employers said they plan to hire interns before the year is over to help support workloads.

Fourteen percent said it anticipates hiring paid interns, while 7 percent said it won’t be paying its interns.

An additional 5 percent said it will hire both paid and unpaid interns.

Fifty-three percent of employers said they plan to pay interns $10 or more per hour, while 5 percent said it will pay $25 or more per hour.

Engineering major, Mariny Prom-Arak, believes it is a hard time for many students in the workforce.”I think employers consider many things when hiring. They want responsible people with some type of experience–which not many students have–but then it is strange because sometimes employers want student workers just because they want to be able to pay minimum wage.” 

Students like undecided major Angelica Achondo have also felt the pinch. “It is rough out there. I jumped from job to job for a couple years, until finally deciding to come back to school. There are less and less jobs and it’s harder to get a good start at a solid company.”

For students like Achondo, the ability to come back to school is welcomed.

“I’ve always wanted to come back to school to finish my degree. I guess the times have given me the opportunity,” Achondo said.