Peace Corps

SIT has proudly supported the Peace Corps community from its foundation. In 1964, SIT Graduate Institute launched as a training center for the first generation of Peace Corps volunteers as they prepared for overseas service. We remain committed to our history and partnership with the Peace Corps community today.  

Peace Corps members may be eligible for our National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) Scholarship or the Peace Corps Paul D. Coverdell Fellowship Program. Please note you cannot combine this funding with any other scholarship aid. More information can be found below. 

National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) (Option #1) 

The National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) Scholarship provides Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) a 25% tuition discount and application fee waiver for any of SIT’s Global Master’s degree programs.

Eligibility: 

  • Applicants must be a member of the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) with at least one year of significant Peace Corps experience and 
  • Admission into one of SIT’s Global Master’s degree programs  

Indicating Your NPCA Affiliation: 

Please check the NPCA box on SIT’s online application and be sure to contact us to request an application fee waiver and be considered for scholarship. Be sure to reference your NPCA membership! 

Peace Corps Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program

The Peace Corps Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program provides financial assistance to Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCV) and an application fee waiver as noted below.  

Benefits: 

Eligibility: 

  • Satisfactory completion of Peace Corps service* and  
  • Admission into one of SIT Global Master’s degree or Doctoral degree programs. 

*To have satisfactorily completed Peace Corps service, a volunteer must have completed the full two-year tour of service or the full tour minus up to 90 days, if returned home on an emergency leave; have been granted an “Early Close of Service” or an “Interrupted Service” due to circumstances beyond the volunteer’s control; or have been medically separated as a volunteer. 

Coverdell Fellowship Requirements: 

Fellows must complete a 150 to 300-hour practicum over at least six weeks in a high-needs U.S. community. The practicum should align with their coursework and career goals and can be either a paid professional position or an unpaid internship.

  • Global Master’s Degree Fellows: A practicum completed as part of a Global Master’s program may satisfy the internship requirement if it meets all specified criteria. 
  • Doctoral Degree Fellows:  Doctoral candidates already employed by a non-profit or similar organization that serves disadvantaged U.S. communities may fulfill the practicum requirement through their current work. 

SIT’s Office of Global Internships & Career Readiness will assist Coverdell Fellows in securing internships and offer support with interviewing, exploring values and skills, negotiating salaries, and developing other essential professional skills. Host organizations will be required to submit internship evaluations to ensure that the work supports an impoverished and/or socially disadvantaged U.S. community. While an internship does not necessarily have to be completed in the U.S., it does need to benefit a high-need American community. 

To Identify Your Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Affiliation:  

Please check the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows box on SIT’s online application. Note that you will need to submit a copy of your Description of Service (DOS)*. 

*The Description of Service is a certifying document produced by the Peace Corps that contains a written description of the Volunteer’s service and may be used, in this case, to confirm eligibility of Coverdell Fellowship. The form is signed by the country director, and a copy is given to the returned Volunteer upon completion of service. You can request your Description of Service through the RPCV Portal. 

Choosing a Funding Option:

Option 1: National Peace Corps Association (NPCA): If you are a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) and want to do your practicum abroad, you should apply for this scholarship to give you freedom of location for that work.

The NPCA scholarship provides a 25% tuition discount and application fee waiver for any of SIT’s Global Master’s degree programs.

Option 2: Coverdell Fellowship: The practicum component of the Coverdell Fellowship must be completed in a U.S. based community, or at the least, your work needs to impact a U.S. community. If you are intending to do a practicum abroad, it is less likely to meet the Peace Corps internship requirement for this fellowship, and you may want to consider option one.

The Coverdell Fellowship provides a 35% discount for any of SIT’s Global Master’s degree programs and 25% tuition discount for any of SIT’s Doctoral degree programs.