Term Length: 2 Years
Financial Need
US Citizenship Required
Minimum GPA: 3.2

• Applicants must be seeking admission to enter graduate school in the fall of 2025 for a two-year program at a U.S. university in an area of relevance to the Foreign Service. They can be in the senior year of their undergraduate studies, graduating by June 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.
• Applicants must be a U.S. citizen.

A panel of individuals with experience in the U.S. Foreign Service and academia makes selections for the Rangel Program. A candidate’s community, academic, extracurricular, and leadership activities will be considered during the selection process. Consideration will be given to qualified applicants who, in addition to outstanding leadership skills and academic achievement, demonstrate financial need.

A panel of individuals with experience in the U.S. Foreign Service and academia makes selections for the Rangel Graduate Fellowship Program. A candidate’s community, academic, extracurricular, and leadership activities will be considered during the selection process. Consideration will be given to qualified applicants who, in addition to outstanding leadership skills and academic achievement, demonstrate financial need.

The Rangel Graduate Fellowship selection panel will choose approximately 90 finalists. The Rangel Program staff will communicate decisions by email to both successful and unsuccessful applicants by November 1. Candidates selected for final consideration will participate in a virtual interview and a written exercise between November 11 – 14 2024.The program expects to award 45 fellowships on November 15, 2024.

FELLOWSHIPS FOR GRADUATE STUDIES  The Rangel Program plans to award fellowships of up to $42,000 annually towards tuition, room, board, books and mandatory fees for completion of two-year master’s degrees. At the conclusion of two years of study, the Rangel Fellow is expected to have obtained a degree in international affairs or another area of relevance to the work of the Foreign Service (See curriculum below) at a graduate or professional school approved by the Rangel Program. Awardees are expected to maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 throughout their period of study.

ORIENTATION New Rangel Fellows will participate in an orientation at Howard University in mid-May, shortly after their selection. The purposes of this orientation are to familiarize the Fellows with all aspects of the fellowship and to enhance their understanding of, and skills for, Foreign Service careers.

INTERNSHIP (CAPITOL HILL AND OVERSEAS AT U.S. EMBASSIES) Rangel Fellows will participate in two internships. The first, an internship working on international issues for Members of Congress in Washington, D.C., will occur in the summer after being selected and before the first year of graduate study. The second will be an overseas internship in a U. S. Embassy that takes place during the summer between the first and second years of graduate study.  The Rangel Program provides a stipend, airline travel, and emergency medical insurance for this internship and reimburses for certain internship-related expenses, such as visas.

MENTORING Each Fellow will receive mentoring from a Foreign Service Officer throughout the duration of the fellowship as well as during his/her early employment at the State Department.

CURRICULUM Fellows must obtain graduate degrees in international affairs or a related subject such as public administration, public policy, international relations, business administration, economics, history, political science, communications, or foreign languages at a graduate or professional school approved by the Rangel Program. Studies in law do not satisfy this requirement.  Applicants apply to two-year graduate programs at U.S. universities simultaneously with their application to the Rangel Program.

EMPLOYMENT/CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS Fellows who successfully complete the Rangel Program and Foreign Service entry requirements will receive appointments as Foreign Service Officers in the U.S. Department of State. Fellows are required to obtain medical, security, and suitability clearances in order to remain in the program.  Each Rangel Fellow who obtains a master’s degree is committed to a minimum of five years of service as a Foreign Service Officer. Candidates who do not successfully complete the Rangel Program and the subsequent five year service obligation may be subject to a reimbursement obligation.

• Background Information (e.g., name, contact information, international travel).
• A personal statement (in 600 words or less) that discusses the applicants’ reasons for applying, interest in foreign affairs, commitment to pursue a Foreign Service career, and any relevant experience or information.
• A statement (in 400 words or less) from the applicant that discusses his/her need for financial assistance to attend graduate school, including an explanation of:
  • The financial assistance received during undergraduate studies
  • Overall education-related debt
  • Ability/plans to pay for graduate school independently
  • Two letters of recommendation:
    • One from a faculty member
    • One from a community leader or other individual who can comment on the applicant’s non-academic accomplishments and his/her potential
• Proof of U.S. citizenship with a copy of: (choose one)
  • Birth certificate
  • Certificate of U.S. citizenship
  • U.S. passport
    (Note: This should be uploaded in easy-to-read PDF format.)
    ** Applicants are required to bring originals to the interview if selected as a finalist.
• Student Aid Report (SAR) generated from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form for the 2024-2025 school year.
  (Note: Applicants will upload this into the application using PDF format. Please remember that the SAR often takes several days to generate after filling out the FAFSA. Applicants must complete the FAFSA even if they are not currently enrolled in a college or university.)
• GRE or GMAT Scores (copy of the report sent to the student) (Optional)
  (Note: Applicants will upload this into the application using PDF format. If the applicant has not yet taken the GRE or GMAT, they can place “0” or “NA” in the score box and upload a document that stating their intent to take the test.)
• Official Financial Aid Statement from applicant’s senior year, if they received financial aid.
  (Note: Applicants will upload this into the application using PDF format. If the applicant did not receive financial aid, they do not have to submit this.)
• Transcripts from all colleges and universities the applicant has attended for credit, including study abroad. Please upload university-generated transcripts. An official transcript would be best; a student copy is acceptable if it is in the format of an official transcript. If selected for an interview, the applicant must bring an official transcript in a signed, sealed envelope to the interview.
  (Note: Applicants will upload this into the application using a PDF format.)