Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program

Paul D. Coverdell Fellows are guaranteed 50 percent scholarships for our in-person master’s degree programs.

The Middlebury Institute values your Peace Corps experience, and RPCVs are encouraged to apply for the Fellows program. Those accepted to the Fellows program and admitted to our in-person degree programs receive 50 percent ($24K+ annual) scholarships (instead of the 25 percent scholarship available to all RPCVs).

Academic Programs

In today’s job market, RPCVs often find they need an advanced degree to supplement their field-based Peace Corps experience. We regularly enroll RPCVs in all of our degree programs, but Peace Corps fellowships are available in the following programs:

Internships

Fellows work closely with the Center for Advising and Career Services to secure a professional internship with an underserved American community. Internship hours depend on the length of the degree program, and students can fulfill their hours working with one or multiple organizations. This flexibility makes the internship both rewarding and manageable. The following are examples of local internships that past fellows have pursued:

  • Jewish Family Services (Refugee Resettlement Volunteer)
  • American Red Cross, Central Coast Chapter (Climate Change Task Force Volunteer/Disaster Response Volunteer)
  • Coalition of Homeless Service Providers (Coordinated Entry Intern)
  • Carmel River Watershed Conservancy (CRWC/CWD Intern)
  • Middlebury Institute of International Studies (Peace Corps Programs Graduate Assistant)
  • Big Sur Land Trust (Grant Planning and Research Coordinator)
  • Lyceum of Monterey County (Program Coordinator)
  • International School of Monterey (Community Project Coordinator)
  • United Way of Monterey (Media Intern)

Internship Hour Requirements

Peace Corps Fellows are required to complete internship hours for each semester that your degree programs require you to be on campus (or temporarily online due to the hybrid nature of some programs and classes). The hour requirements are listed below.

  • 4 semesters of academic requirements: 225 hours
    • 60+ credits: IEP, NPTS, MPA/IEM, MPA/ITED, IPD/ITED, T, TI, CI,
  • 3 semesters of academic requirements: 150 hours
    • 42–48 credits: IEM, IPD, ITED, MPA, TESOL

Eligibility Requirements

All volunteers who have satisfactorily completed their service have lifetime eligibility. Satisfactory completion is indicated by one of the following:

  • Completed the full two-year tour of Peace Corps service, or the full tour minus up to 90 days if returned home on emergency leave.
  • Granted Early Close of Service or Interrupted Service status due to circumstances beyond the volunteer’s control.
  • Medically separated as a volunteer.
  • Returned PCR and GHSP volunteers who have served a full 12 months. This can come through one 12-month tour or a combination of shorter tours.

Selection Process

Coverdell Fellows are selected based on the quality of their applications and the availability of fellowships. Fellowships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Fellows are required to complete an essay (prompt below) that highlights their Peace Corps service and outlines their plans for the Coverdell Fellowship internship:

  • “The Coverdell Peace Corps Fellowship requires students serve in an underserved community. For most students, this takes the form of an internship or series of internships totaling between 150-300 hours, depending on the length of the degree program. In 500 words or fewer, please describe how you might fulfill these hours in the local community and how this works complements the skills and knowledge that you developed during your Peace Corps service.”

Next Steps

Partner Representatives

Contact Senior Director of Institutional Partnerships Jill Stoffers.

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