Eligibility note: This fellowship is only for people with at least seven years of public service in the United States, such as US government employees, US military veterans and servicemembers, or alumni of programmes like the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps. Your nationality doesn’t matter, but the service must have been in the US. Public servants in African countries aren’t eligible. If that’s you, see the related opportunities open to Africans at the end.
Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) is offering the American Service Fellowship, a US$100,000 scholarship for US public servants to study the one-year, on-campus Mid-Career Master in Public Administration (MC/MPA) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It covers full tuition and fees plus a partial living stipend.
The admission deadline is 1 December 2026 at 12 noon ET.
At a Glance
| University | Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA |
| Programme | Mid-Career Master in Public Administration (MC/MPA) |
| Award | US$100,000: full tuition and fees plus a partial living stipend |
| Length | One year, full-time, on campus |
| Who can apply | Public servants with 7+ years of service in the United States (any nationality) |
| Admission deadline | 1 December 2026, 12 noon ET |
| Financial aid deadline | 15 January 2027, 12 noon ET |
Benefits
- A US$100,000 scholarship covering full tuition and fees plus a partial living stipend
- A one-year Harvard Mid-Career MPA with a flexible, customisable curriculum
- A year-long leadership programme with Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership, including monthly seminars and experiential learning
- Access to Harvard-wide resources, career support and a mid-career peer network
- The application fee is waived for those applying to the fellowship
Eligibility
- A bachelor’s degree with a strong academic record.
- At least seven years of public sector service in the United States, regardless of your nationality. This includes:
- veterans of the US armed forces or active-duty military
- federal, state, local or tribal government employees, for example public school teachers, firefighters and police officers
- town or municipal employees
- alumni of full-time civilian service programmes such as the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps
- You must be ready to study full-time on campus for a year.
- Applicants through the Public Leadership Credential (PLC) pathway, and part-time MC/MPA students, aren’t eligible.
HKS reviews applications holistically, looking at academic potential, professional achievement and leadership, and public service motivation.
How to Apply
- Apply for admission to the HKS MC/MPA programme by 1 December 2026, 12 noon ET.
- Complete the HKS financial aid application by 15 January 2027, 12 noon ET.
- Optionally attend the virtual information sessions on 16 November (MC/MPA admissions) and 19 November (American Service Fellowship).
Decisions are expected in mid-March 2027.
Official HKS American Service Fellowship page
Contact: [email protected]
