Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program

The Coverdell Fellows program offers financial support to Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who want to pursue educational studies.

Becoming a Coverdell Fellow

Information for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

We can help you continue your unique service and educational journey. The Paul D. Coverdell Fellows program is an educational fellowship program that offers financial assistance to Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs).

Bring your service home

Become a Coverdell Fellow and use your Peace Corps-acquired skills closer to home. Prospective schools value the skills you've gained abroad in intercultural exchange, developing and managing projects, learning a new language, and leveraging limited resources.

All fellows complete internships in the U.S., allowing them to continue to collaborate with communities on locally prioritized projects, to expand upon skills they gained as Volunteers, and to meet Peace Corps’ third goal.

Why become a Coverdell Fellow?

The Coverdell Fellows program provides a great opportunity for RPCVs to continue their service while also pursuing educational degrees and certificates at a reduced cost.

As a Coverdell Fellow you receive the following:

• Financial assistance: Financial aid may include tuition reduction, full scholarships, stipends, or assistantships.
• Professional experience: Your internship will allow you to apply what you learn in the classroom to a professional setting.
• Supporting communities: As part of the program internship requirement, you’ll provide much-needed assistance to communities in the United States.
• Furthering the Peace Corps mission: By sharing your experiences in classrooms and in communities, you will help fulfill the Peace Corps’ third goal: to promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.
• Choice: Earn degrees and professional certificates from more than 150 educational partners across the country.
• Federal jobs: If you enroll in school soon after service, your one-year non-competitive eligibility status for federal jobs applications may, at the hiring agency's discretion, be extended up to three years from your close of service date.

Eligibility

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers earn lifetime eligibility for the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows program if they fall into one of the following categories:

1. Peace Corps Volunteers who complete the full tour of Peace Corps service or are otherwise given “completion of service” (COS) status
2. Peace Corps Volunteers who are medically separated
3. Peace Corps Volunteers who are given "interrupted service" status because of circumstances beyond their control
4. Peace Corps Response Volunteers or Advancing Health Professionals who complete 12 months of service within a 24-month period
   Exception: The 12-month requirement was waived for all Peace Corps Response Volunteers evacuated in March 2020 due to COVID-19

Volunteers who resign or are administratively separated are not eligible for Coverdell Fellows unless they had already earned eligibility through a previous Peace Corps tour.

If you have questions about your eligibility status, you may contact the Peace Corps’ Office of Volunteer Entry and Return at [email protected].

Application process

Partner universities, not the Peace Corps, handle all applications for the Coverdell Fellows program. The number of fellowships awarded by each school depends on many factors, including available funds, employment opportunities, and enrollment capacities.

See the list of participating universities for more details.

Tips for applying

• Contact the program coordinators at the universities that interest you to request program and application information.
• Follow each university’s application instructions and deadlines. In many cases, you can even apply online while abroad.
• Deadlines for programs vary, so be sure to check each school's application due dates.
• Some programs might ask applicants to take a standardized test, such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the National Teacher Examination (NTE). If you apply during or shortly after volunteering, you may need to take standardized tests prior to service or before returning to the U.S. Check with the programs that interest you and appropriate testing service to learn more about test locations, schedules, costs, and how long test scores are valid.
• Keep a signed copy of your description of service (DOS). Coverdell programs will request this during your application process as it is an official record of your Peace Corps activities. If you lose your DOS, you may request a copy via the certification of service process.

Information for universities and colleges

Recruit a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, a unique type of student who will add value on your campus and in the community.

Become a partner university

The Paul D. Coverdell Fellows program is an educational program for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCV). Through this program, schools across the country offer financial support to RPCVs who, in turn, complete substantive internships related to their program of study in communities in the United States.

There are no limits on the number or kinds of degrees or certifications that can be offered through the Coverdell Fellows program.

Why partner with the Coverdell Fellows program?

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers are a unique type of student who will add value on your campus and in the community.

On campus: RPCVs bring with them a wealth of international experience in a variety of fields. In the classroom, Peace Corps Fellows are motivated, ready to learn, and eager to expand upon their Peace Corps experiences. Peace Corps Fellows also help create a community of those interested in the mission of the Peace Corps, often organizing campus-wide volunteer events and promoting international understanding.

In the community: RPCVs are experienced in intercultural exchange, developing and managing projects, overcoming language barriers, and capitalizing on limited resources. These skills and experiences are transferable to communities where Peace Corps Fellows complete their internships.

University partners also enjoy the benefit of having their Coverdell Fellows program placed on the Peace Corps website frequented by prospective, current, and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers.

How colleges and universities apply

If your department or institution is interested in learning more about the program, please contact the Peace Corps at [email protected].

New partners are added through a competitive proposal submission process, which occurs on a rolling basis. To prepare, explore the following:

• Identify supporters on campus. Gather faculty and administrators interested in bringing the skills and experience of RPCVs to campus and discuss how the program would be supported on campus.
• Identify a Coverdell Fellows program coordinator. This individual develops a framework for a Coverdell Fellows program partnership and will be instrumental in the proposal process. Having someone committed to shepherding the program from inception to establishment and maintenance is critical to a program’s long-term success.
• Identify resources. There are two key pillars of the Coverdell Fellows Program: 1) Financial support for the Fellow equal to at least 25% of the program’s tuition and mandatory fees. 2) An internship related to the program of study in a community in the United States.
• Identify a community partner. Each Coverdell Fellow is required to participate in a meaningful internship related to their program of study. A critical element is identifying a community and/or organization in the United States that would benefit from hosting a fellow.