Returning Peace Corps volunteers have the option to become a Paul D. Coverdell Fellow at the USF College of Public Health.

This graduate fellowship program awards financial assistance to returning Peace Corps volunteers pursuing an MPH or MSPH degree and will include an internship in underserved communities in Tampa, Fla., under the supervision of faculty.

The Peace Corps currently ranks USF second among more than 150 Peace Corps Prep partner universities.

The Peace Corps Coverdell Fellows program is offered to students interested in pursuing a graduate degree in public health, civil and environmental engineering, applied anthropology and global sustainability at USF.

“This program is extremely rewarding as it allows Coverdell Fellows to serve the Tampa community,” said Patricia Roque, academic services administrator for the COPH Experiential Learning team and Coverdell Fellows coordinator. “Coverdell Fellows also get the opportunity to advance the Peace Corps mission—to promote world peace and friendship by helping to further a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.”

Additional benefits include financial assistance in the form of a scholarship from the COPH for $2,000 when students enroll in the Fellows program, renewable in year two as long as the student is making satisfactory progress in their degree program. Fellows may receive this award twice, for a total of $4,000 of scholarship support. All Fellows receive an out-of-state tuition waiver, which covers approximately 58 percent of in-state tuition.

The College of Public Health prioritizes Coverdell Fellows for Graduate Assistantships (GA) in their academic program and at the discretion and need of each program. If selected for a GA, this includes the payment of the health insurance premium, if elected by the student, and also pays a stipend for that term. The GA is equivalent to 80 percent of in-state tuition.

For more information on becoming a Coverdell Fellow, students may visit the COPH’s Peace Corps Coverdell Fellows website. The last day to apply for Fall 2023 is May 1.

Story by Caitlin Keough, USF College of Public Health