The Donald M. Payne International Development Fellowship Programme (Fully Funded)

Program Overview:

The Payne Fellowship Program awards up to 30 fellowships valued at up to $52,000 annually for a two-year program. The award includes up to $24,000 per year toward tuition and mandatory fees for completion of a two-year master’s degree at a U.S. institution; a $18,000 stipend for each academic year for room, board, books and other education-related expenses; and up to $10,000 per year in stipend, housing, transportation, and related expenses for summer placements. At the conclusion of two years of study, the Payne Fellow is expected to obtain a degree in international development or another area of relevance to the work of the USAID Foreign Service at a U.S. graduate or professional school approved by the Payne Program. Fellows who successfully complete the Payne Program and USAID Foreign Service entry requirements will receive appointments as Foreign Service Officers with the U.S. Agency for International Development.

2025 Application Deadline: Thursday, October 24th, 2024, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.

The program expects to have all documents to be submitted electronically. Should applicants have insuperable problems submitting a document electronically, they can consult with program staff about alternate methods (paynefellows@howard.edu). However, we strongly encourage you to submit documents electronically.

Selection Process:

A panel of individuals with experience in the USAID Foreign Service and academia makes selections for the Payne Fellowship. The selection panel will consider candidates’ academic work, statements of interest, letters of recommendation, and honors and awards, as well as their community, extracurricular, and leadership activities. Consideration will be given to qualified applicants who, in addition to outstanding leadership skills and academic achievement, demonstrate financial need.

The Payne selection panel will choose finalists in the beginning of December 2024. Candidates selected for final consideration will be invited to participate in the virtual final-round interviews in mid-January. The program will strive to complete the selection process and make offers to thirty fellows soon after the interview.

Applicants should carefully review the USAID Foreign Service requirements for medical and security clearances. Participation in the Payne Program is conditional upon successful completion of pre-employment procedures specified by the U.S. Agency for International Development, including background investigations for a security clearance, medical examinations (to include spouse and eligible family members if applicable) and drug tests. Failure to meet medical and security requirements may result in an applicant’s disqualification from the fellowship program and reimbursement to the U.S. government of financial assistance paid in connection with the applicant’s education.

For more information and to apply, see https://apply.paynefellows.org/

• Payne 2025 Cycle Timeline:
  Application Opens
  Friday July 19, 2024
  Application Closes
  Thursday, October 24, 2024 (11:59 PM EST)
  Finalists Notified
  December 5, 2024
  Virtual Writing Assessment
  January 6, 2025
  Virtual Final Round Interviews
  January 21 – 23, 2025
  Fellows Award Notifications Sent
  January 27, 2025
  Eligibility Requirements:

Applicants must be U.S. citizens.
Applicants must be seeking admission to enter graduate school in the fall of 2025 for a two-year program at a U.S. university. They can be in the senior year of their undergraduate studies, graduating by May 2025, or they can be college graduates.
Applicants must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale at the time of application.