Payne International Development Fellowship
Application period: September 2022 to November 2022 (8:59 p.m. PT) [TBA]
Eligibility requirements:
- U.S. citizen
- Seeking admission to graduate school for a two-year program at a U.S. university
- GPA of 3.2 or higher
Award summary and conditions: The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship Program provides up to $96,000 in benefits over two years for graduate school, internships, and professional development activities, provides a unique pathway to the USAID Foreign Service. The Payne Fellowship encourages the application of members of minority groups who have historically been underrepresented in international development careers and those with financial need. The initiative is funded by USAID and administered by Howard University. Fellowship recipients can use the award to attend U.S. graduate programs throughout the country; they will join the USAID Foreign Service upon completion of the program, as long as they successfully complete the Payne Program and USAID entry requirements.
Application process: online (http://www.paynefellows.org/?pg=account)
Application requirements:
- Biographical information
- Personal statement (600 words max)
- Statement of financial need (400 words max)
- Letters of recommendation (2); students provide names of individuals willing to write letter
- Proof of citizenship (PDF format)
- Student aid report (SAR), generated from FAFSA
- Official financial aid statement from senior year (if student received financial aid)
- Official transcript(s) from all colleges and universities
Faculty representative: Keith Raether
Selection process: The Payne selection panel will choose finalists in February, and program staff will communicate decisions to both successful and unsuccessful applicants by the end of the month. Candidates selected for final consideration will be invited to Washington, D.C. for interviews and to prepare a writing sample in mid-March. The program will pay the cost of accommodations and travel. Offers will be made soon after the interviews are concluded.
Contact: Christian Joel Sosa, Payne Program Manager
(202) 250-5355 or paynefellows@howard.edu