Last updated April 7, 2023
Are you planning to attend graduate school for public affairs or policy, but unsure how you’ll come up with those hefty tuition fees? These fellowships are for incoming MPP or MPA students and cover all tuition costs. This list showcases opportunities to attend Harvard, George Mason University, and the Woodrow Wilson School, among others, as well as programs at universities in China, Australia, and the United Kingdom. If one of these sounds like it might be a great fit for you, be sure to bookmark it to your ProFellow account!
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Duke University Fully Funded Master of Public Policy (MPP) Program
The Master of Public Policy Program at Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy provides merit-based scholarships to all accepted MPP applicants who are not receiving full funding from outside sources. Sanford issues merit-based awards to our domestic and international students in the form of tuition scholarships and/or teaching, research or staff assistantships. US citizens are also guaranteed assistantships for two academic years of study, conditional upon satisfactory coursework progress during the first year. International students may apply to positions that remain open.
Princeton University Fully Funded MPP/MPA Programs
The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs offers a fully funded Master in Public Policy (MPP) degree for rising leaders in international and domestic public policy. The School also offers a fully funded Master in Public Affairs (MPA). The School aims to enable graduate students to earn a graduate degree without incurring debt, thereby making it more feasible to pursue careers of public service in the public and nonprofit sectors. Unless applicants receive outside scholarships from governmental or other funding agencies, the School will offer each candidate a full scholarship for tuition and a need-based stipend to cover living expenses.
Yale University Fully Funded Master of Public Policy (MPP) in Global Affairs Program
The Yale University M.P.P. in Global Affairs offers a four-course interdisciplinary core curriculum that provides students with a shared intellectual foundation focused on the acquisition of the ideas, ways of thinking, and skills needed for leadership in global affairs. The Jackson School is committed to making our Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.) program accessible to every student who is admitted. 100% of entering students entering have their tuition fully covered through a Jackson tuition fellowship, external funding, or a combination of both. Typical funding levels include fully covered tuition through a combination of a Jackson tuition fellowship and/or external funding, with some fellowships also providing a stipend for living expenses.
Robertson Foundation for Government Fellowships
The RFG Fellowships fully fund master’s degrees in international relations, policy, and related fields at select partner universities. Individuals interested in a fellowship may apply to one or more of RFG’s partner schools. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and have functional fluency in a foreign language (or attain by graduation). Fellows agree to the fellowship requirement to work for the federal government for a minimum of three of the first seven years after graduation. Contact the individual schools for more information on their application and selection processes and deadlines to pursue a fellowship.
Frank Knox Memorial Fellowships
Frank Knox Memorial Fellowships are awarded each year for students from Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom for graduate study at Harvard University. A Knox Fellowship pays full Harvard tuition and mandatory health insurance fees and provides a stipend sufficient to cover the living expenses of a single Fellow for a 10-month academic year. Each Knox Fellowship applicant must also submit an application for admission directly to the Harvard graduate or professional school of his/her choice. Each country has a different deadline – check website.
Fulbright-Anne Wexler Master’s Award in Public Policy
The Fulbright-Anne Wexler Scholarships enables Australian and U.S. postgraduate students with strong academic credentials and leadership potential to undertake a two year Master’s degree in Australia or the U.S. focusing in public policy. These may include key areas such as health, sustainability, energy, climate change, regional security, education, political science, history or governmental relations. The award includes tuition, a living stipend and travel. Two Fulbright Anne Wexler Scholarships will be awarded annually: one for an Australian citizen and one for an American (US) citizen.
Gleitsman Leadership Fellowship
The Gleitsman Fellowship sponsors Harvard Kennedy School students who are emerging social activists and innovators who are interested in pursuing a career with transformative impact on society. Gleitsman Fellows will participate in an enriching co-curricular experience designed to enhance their skills and engage their development as the next generation of public leaders. The fellowship is for 2 years and includes tuition and health fees as well as leadership training co-curricular courses. Open to domestic and international applicants entering their first year at Harvard Kennedy School. Applicants must apply to HKS by December 1.
Marshall Scholarships
Marshall Scholarships finance young Americans of high ability to study for a graduate degree in the United Kingdom. Up to forty Scholars are selected each year to study at graduate level at an UK institution in any field of study. To be eligible, candidates must be U.S. citizens and have obtained a grade point average of not less than 3.7 (or A-) on their undergraduate degree. Apply through your university and check with your university for internal deadlines.
Mercatus MA Fellowship
The Mercatus MA Fellowship is a two-year, competitive, full-time fellowship program for students pursuing a master’s degree in economics at George Mason University who are interested in gaining an advanced degree in applied economics in preparation for a career in public policy. Students who anticipate working in public policy—as researchers, policy analysts, journalists, etc.—are ideal candidates for this fellowship. The total award of up to $80,000 (over two years) includes a monthly stipend, full tuition support (nine credits per semester), and practical experience conducting and disseminating research with Mercatus scholars and staff on pertinent policy issues.
National Urban Fellows
National Urban Fellows’ leadership development program is a rigorous, 14-month, full-time graduate degree program comprising two semesters of academic coursework and a nine-month mentorship assignment. Fellows receive a $25,000 stipend, health insurance, a book allowance, relocation and travel reimbursement, and full payment of tuition, in addition to their ongoing personal and professional development. The program culminates in a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the City University of New York’s Bernard M. Baruch College, School of Public Affairs.
Schwarzman Scholars
Schwarzman Scholars is a highly selective, one-year master’s program at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. Whether in politics, business or science, the success of future leaders around the world will depend upon an understanding of China’s role in global trends. Students will live and study together on the campus of Schwarzman College, a newly-built, state-of-the-art facility, where all classes will be taught in English. Students can pursue a degree in Public Policy, Economics and Business, or International Studies. Schwarzman Scholars receive tuition and a stipend, room and board, RT travel, and an in-country study tour.
Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship
The Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellowships are supported by the U.S. Department of State and administered by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. The Pickering Fellowships provide funding to graduate students as they prepare to join the U.S. Foreign Service as diplomats. Fellows are funded $37,500 per year to help cover tuition costs first then room and board, books, mandatory fees and travel, pending availability of funds. Graduate-level Fellows receive stipends during participation in one 10-week domestic summer internship, and one 10-week summer overseas internship following the second year of graduate school.
Zuckerman Fellowship
The Zuckerman Fellows Program equips people from the fields of medicine, law, and business to provide leadership for the common good by making it possible for them to pursue public service degrees at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard School of Public Health, or Harvard Kennedy School. The Zuckerman Fellowship provides recipients with full tuition and health insurance fees plus a stipend of $17,000 for one year. In addition to their formal coursework, Zuckerman Fellows participate in a yearlong co-curricular program that includes small-group discussions, professional skill-building workshops, and a field trip.
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