To be eligible for the 2025 cohort, you must:

• Be a U.S. Citizen, when you submit your application for the FAIT Fellowship.
• Be enrolled, or planning to enroll, in a full-time IT-related bachelor’s or master’s degree program at a U.S.-based accredited institution.
• Be on a timeline to graduate with your bachelor’s or master’s degree in spring 2027 after completing four full-time semesters as a FAIT Fellow starting in fall 2025. (If you are in an accelerated bachelor’s/master’s degree program, please email FAITFellowship@twc.edu to see if you are eligible).
• Hold a cumulative 3.2 GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale.

As a selected FAIT Fellow, you must:

• Maintain a 3.2 GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale throughout the FAIT Fellowship program.
• Obtain and maintain security clearances and suitability requirements, and meet the minimum medical qualification standard.
• Agree to a five-year commitment as a Foreign Service Diplomatic Technology Officer upon successful completion of the program and the State Department’s entry requirements.

As one of several high-profile U.S. Department of State recruitment programs, the Foreign Affairs Information Technology (FAIT) Fellowship seeks to attract top technology talent to the Foreign Service.

A merit- and need-based program, the FAIT Fellowship encourages applications from individuals across the United States, including those with financial need.

The program is designed for highly talented individuals who want to pursue an IT-related undergraduate or graduate degree (such as computer science, information technology, cybersecurity, computer engineering, IT services administration, and computer systems networking and more), and a career in the Foreign Service as a Diplomatic Technology Officer.

FAIT Fellowship Benefits
• Undergraduate candidates: Up to $37,500 annually for tuition, room and board, books, mandatory fees and some travel expenses for junior year and senior year of undergraduate studies related to an IT field.
• Graduate candidates: Up to $37,500 annually for tuition, room and board, books, mandatory fees and some travel expenses for a two-year master’s degree in an IT related field.
• Two summer internships, one at a domestic office of the Department of State in Washington, D.C. and one overseas at a U.S. embassy or consulate. The program provides stipends, transportation and housing for these internships.
• Orientation to the Foreign Affairs IT Fellowship program, the Foreign Service career path and to the Department of State.
• Mentoring from a Foreign Service IMS throughout the duration of the fellowship.
• Employment in the Department of State Foreign Service for those who successfully complete the program and the Foreign Service IMS entry requirements.

Obligations of an FAIT Fellow
• Must be able to obtain medical, security and suitability clearances in order to remain in the program.
• Attend Summer orientation in Washington, D.C.
• Fulfill two years of summer internship obligations
• Be prepared to enter the Foreign Service in fall at the conclusion of the program.
• Complete a minimum of five years of service in an appointment as a Foreign Service Information Management Specialist (IMS). Candidates who do not successfully complete the program and meet Foreign Service entry requirements may be subject to a repayment obligation to the Department of State.