PPIA fellows participate in the Junior Summer Institute, a rigorous graduate-level preparation program for undergraduate juniors committed to public service careers. The program was started in 1980 to address the lack of diversity across the spectrum of professional public service, including government, nonprofits, public policy institutions, and international organizations. The purpose of the PPI Fellowship is to prepare students to obtain a Master’s or joint degree, typically in public policy, public administration, international affairs, or a related field.

PPIA Fellows that successfully complete a Junior Summer Institute are able to receive fee waivers and a minimum $5,000 scholarship to apply to and attend graduate school. Scholarships are provided by schools in the PPIA Graduate School Consortium, and many schools provide fellows half to full-tuition scholarships after being accepted to graduate school.

There are a variety of factors that come into play during the selection process. Selected students embody PPIA’s diversity goals, demonstrate a commitment to public service and possess the drive to succeed in graduate school. Our students will be impressive academically, and more importantly, they will be culturally aware, socially sensitive, committed to public service, and share a common vision about making the world a better place. Applicants are encouraged to clearly communicate their lived experience and passion for impact during the essay portion of the application.

PPIA is interested in knowing your aspirations in public service, how your background informs your goals, and how participating in the Junior Summer Institute can help facilitate those goals. Successful applications successfully capture these narratives in their resume and personal statements.

This requirement is designed to allow PPIA Fellows time after completion of the Junior Summer Institute to take classes during their senior year to improve, if necessary, in a particular area of study or to register for classes that are more relevant for admission into graduate programs in public and international affairs.

All individuals are welcome to apply. Successful applicants can demonstrate involvement with diverse communities or convey how their cross-cultural experiences enable them to contribute to PPIA’s goal of building a diverse and more representative generation of public leaders. 

All other factors being equal, a student from an economically disadvantaged background will receive extra consideration. However, students are not disqualified based on wealth and there is typically some degree of socioeconomic diversity among PPIA Fellows.

All Junior Summer Institutes share a basic core curriculum designed to prepare students for graduate studies in public and international affairs. However, you can learn more about each site's respective programming and curriculum by attending a fellowship information session. The core curriculum includes statistics, economics, policy analysis, public speaking, writing for policy, and group projects.

The dates for the 2025 Junior Summer Institutes have not been finalized but they will be similar to the dates in 2024, starting in mid-June and running through the end of July.

Applicants will be notified of their selection status on Friday, January 31, 2025. Accepted applicants will need to accept their participation in the PPIA Fellowship by Thursday, February 13, 2025. Waitlisted applicants will be updated on their acceptance status on Friday, February 14, 2025. 

No, if you are accepted to attend a Junior Summer Institute the host university will help you pay for travel expenses, cover the cost of tuition, provide housing and meals, supply all books and materials you need for your courses, and give you a stipend to cover incidental costs throughout the summer.

We recommend contacting your school’s national scholarships or fellowships office, or your undergraduate advisors for feedback on your application materials. They may also be able to connect you with past recipients of the fellowship at your school. You can also attend PPIA webinars to get information on application best practices. Any technical questions regarding the application process or portal can be directed to apply@ppiaprogram.org.

You can include an explanation for an element of your application that you think does not reflect your true academic abilities or conduct by providing this information in the extenuating circumstances section. As needed, you can also tell us more about your personal or family’s finances in this part of the application.

No, current semester grades cannot be submitted after the deadline. The transcript uploaded should be the most current copy available and reflect the courses you are enrolled in for the fall 2024 semester.

Students receiving any financial aid from their universities should submit their university aid letter and parent/guardian tax information.