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Cornell University

Cornell Brooks Public Policy

Financial Aid

A variety of funding opportunities are available to pay for your MPA Program education, including merit-based fellowships, part-time campus employment, federal loans, MPA Program-supported fellowships and external funding.

Merit-based Fellowships

About 50 percent of our students receive merit-based fellowships from a number of sources. These fellowships, based on previous academic performance, partially cover tuition. If you are admitted to the MPA Program, you will receive notification of your award in your admission letter.

Part-time Employment

Cornell’s Student Employment website is the source for information and policies about student jobs on campus. The site maintains a jobs database open to Cornell graduate students.

Federal Loans

For information on federal loans, please visit the Financial Aid & Loans Page on the Cornell University Graduate School website.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

If you work for a nonprofit organization, you may be eligible for the federal loan forgiveness program. The program forgives loans on the balance of your student loan after you have made 120 qualifying monthly payments while working full-time for a qualifying employer. Qualified employers include government organizations, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and other nonprofits that provide qualifying service.

Fellowships Supported by the MPA Program

Coverdell Fellowship

  • You must be a returned Peace Corps volunteer.
  • Program fellows complete internships in underserved communities.
  • Tuition awards of at least $8,000 a year are extended to fellows. Additional tuition aid, including grants to cover summer internship expenses, may be available for exceptionally qualified fellows.
  • Contact Executive Director Thomas O’Toole for more information about the program, or contact the Peace Corps.

Teach for America

  • TFA offers teaching fellowships in low-income communities.
  • Application fee waivers are available.
  • Fellowships up to 50 percent tuition are available.

Public Policy & International Affairs Program

  • PPIA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing diversity in public service.
  • Accepted applicants are strongly considered for aid.
  • Application fee waivers are available

AmeriCorps

  • This federal program puts volunteers to work in nonprofits, schools, public agencies, and community and faith-based organizations.
  • Application fee waivers are available.

 

Thomas Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program

Thomas Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program

This U.S. Department of State program is for U.S. citizens. Up to $42,000 a year is available to cover tuition and other expenses. Obligations include two foreign service summer internships (one domestic, one foreign) and five years of service as a Foreign Service Officer upon graduation.

Rangel Graduate Fellowship Program

Rangel Graduate Fellowship Program

The Rangel Graduate Fellowship is a program that aims to attract and prepare outstanding young people for careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State in which they can help formulate, represent, and implement U.S. foreign policy.

In 2022, the Rangel Program plans to award 45 fellowships of up to $42,000 annually for a two year period for tuition, room, board, books, and mandatory fees for completion of a two-year master’s degree. This includes up to $24,000 per year for tuition and mandatory fees and an academic year stipend of $18,000. 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 at a graduate school approved by the Rangel Program. Awardees are expected to maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 throughout their period of study.

USAID Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship Program

USAID Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship Program 

The USAID Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship Program seeks to attract outstanding individuals who are interested in pursuing careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The Payne Fellowship, which provides up to $104,000 in benefits over two years for graduate school, internships, and professional development activities, is a unique pathway to the USAID Foreign Service.

Stanley M. Schoenfeld Memorial Scholarship

Stanley M. Schoenfeld Memorial Scholarship

Students who concentrate in finance are eligible. The program is sponsored by the New York State Government Finance Officers’ Association.

National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) Scholarship Program

National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) Scholarship Program

Students of color are eligible. Awards range from $1,000 to $10,000.

Fulbright Foreign Student Program

Fulbright Foreign Student Program

This program is funded jointly by the U.S. and partner governments. It supports non-U.S. citizens who wish to study in the U.S.

Global Sustainable Energy Partnership

Global Sustainable Energy Partnership

You must be a citizen of a developing country and be pursuing studies in sustainable energy development.

Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans

Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans

“New Americans” (see site for eligibility) under 31 years old are eligible.

The Rowe Fund – For Citizens of Latin America & Caribbean

The Rowe Fund – For Citizens of Latin America & Caribbean

Sponsored by the Organization of the American States (OAS), this fund offers interest-free loans of up to US $15,000 to finance studies at accredited universities in the U.S.