Scholarships
We know that graduate education is an investment. The MIDP program partners with a number of organizations to offer competitive funding to highly qualified applicants. We also offer a limited number of partial tuition scholarships. See below for opportunities to fund your studies, or search by country or region.
Funding Opportunities Offered by Our Partners
Worldwide Fellowship Opportunities
The Duke-UNC Rotary Peace Center offers individuals committed to peace and cooperation the opportunity to pursue a two-year master’s-level degree in international studies, peace studies, and conflict resolution. Applicants are chosen based on their ability to have a significant, positive impact on world peace and conflict resolution. Applicants who are awarded a Rotary Peace Fellowship may indicate their preferred Rotary Center placement, ultimately assigned by the Rotary Foundation, and must then apply and be accepted to that graduate program. Rotary awardees who are assigned to Duke will apply to the MIDP. The fellowship includes full funding for tuition and other university fees, a monthly stipend for room and board, a contingency fund, funding for conferences and research, summer internship support, and transportation between the fellow’s home and study destination at the start and end of the fellowship period. Learn more about applying for fellowships.
Country/Region- Specific Fellowship Opportunities
ATI Fellowship and Scholarship Fund (FSF)
The Fellowship and Scholarship Fund (FSF) is funded by the Agricultural Transformation Initiative (ATI). The ATI FSF aims to strengthen the capacity of researchers and professionals in Malawi in high-priority areas that will help the country transform its agricultural sector by reducing dependence on tobacco exports. The ATI FSF is offered to Malawian citizens and residents to pursue master’s or postdoctoral study and/or research in the areas of agriculture, business, data science, ecology/environment, economics or engineering. Learn More
The Bolashak Program brings qualified Kazakh students to study in the MIDP program. The program is designed to train future Kazakh leaders in economics, public policy, science, engineering, medicine and other key fields. The scholarship was established in 1993 by the President of Kazakhstan and is extremely competitive. It offers full coverage of all study-related costs.
Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program
The Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program, which aims to attract and prepare outstanding U.S. citizens for careers in the Foreign Service, selects 30 outstanding Rangel Fellows annually in a highly competitive nationwide process and helps support them through two years of graduate study, internships, and professional development activities, and entry into the Foreign Service. MIDP provides a complementary 50% tuition scholarship. Learn more.
COLFUTURO is a joint public and private sector initiative aimed at facilitating the access of Colombian professionals to further education abroad. MIDP has an agreement with COLFUTURO under the Scholarship Loan Program designed to finance a significant number of Colombian citizen graduate students abroad. The scholarship, for Colombian citizens only, finances up to a maximum of US $25,000 per year, for a maximum of a two-year stay abroad. Learn more.
Donald Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship Program
The Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship Program seeks to attract outstanding U.S. citizens who are interested in pursuing careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The fellowship, which provides up to $76,000 in benefits over two years for graduate school, internships, and professional development activities, provides a unique pathway to the USAID Foreign Service. MIDP provides a complementary 50% tuition scholarship. Learn more.
JuventudEsGTO is a decentralized public organization in the Mexican state of Guanajuato that supports students from Guanajuato to pursue master’s degrees abroad. Under our agreement with JuventudEsGTO, students selected for the scholarship and admitted to any Sanford graduate program (MIDP, MPP, iMEP) will receive a 25% tuition scholarship and additional support from JuventudEsGTO for tuition and living expenses.
The Sanford School of Public Policy has formed a partnership with a Mexican foundation that will provide financial aid and scholarships for Mexicans pursuing master’s degrees abroad at the world’s finest universities. The agreement between the school and Fundacion Mexicana Para La Educacion, La Tecnologia y La Ciencia, A.C. (FUNED) combines the resources of both Sanford and FUNED, with Sanford offering a 25 percent tuition scholarship for accepted students, and FUNED covering up to 40 percent of the remaining costs.
Guatefuturo is a Guatemalan non-profit foundation established in 2006 to provide financial support and increase the possibilities of Guatemalan citizens to access high-quality postgraduate study programs abroad. Guatefuturo offers each student up to US$25,000 per year for a maximum of two years. Learn more.
Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP)
The LPDP provides funding for recipients of the Indonesian Education Scholarship to study in MIDP. The scholarship is designed to fund master’s and Ph.D. programs for qualified Indonesian students in order to prepare the country’s future leaders.
Organization of American States
The Organization of American States (OAS), offers scholarship opportunities to citizens of OAS member countries as a way to assist these member states in their domestic efforts by supporting human resource development in priority areas. Scholarships are intended to serve as a complement to funds which the recipient may receive from other sources. Applicants may apply to the OAS for a scholarship on a self-placed basis after they have applied and received admission to a graduate program of their choice, or may apply directly to the OAS for a scholarship before seeking admission to a program. MIDP has a formal agreement with OAS to match OAS scholarship offers for those accepted to the MIDP program. Learn more.
The Paul D. Coverdell Peace Corps Fellows Program
This fellowship is in partnership with United States Peace Corps. To be eligible, one must be a returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) and submit a Description of Service (DOS) with their application. All RPCVs are considered for this award. The award carries a 50% tuition scholarship. In exchange, Fellows use the skills they developed working abroad to complete community service internships for local, underserved communities during the academic year. Learn more.
The Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program
Funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, the Thomas R. Pickering Fellowship Program provides graduate students with financial support, mentoring and professional development to prepare them academically and professionally for a career with the U.S. Department of State. Women, members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the Foreign Service, and students with financial need are encouraged to apply. Accepted MIDP candidates will receive a 50% tuition scholarship. Learn more.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (Yellow Ribbon Program)
In partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Duke University and the Master of International Development Policy program offer tuition fellowships to eligible veterans through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Learn more.
MIDP Scholarships
MIDP offers a limited number of partial tuition scholarships. The scholarships allow participation by the most qualified program applicants who otherwise could not attend due to financial limitations. The standard of competition for these awards is extremely high. Since MIDP cannot offer full scholarships, all applicants to the program who need financial assistance should explore every possible source of financial support for their study.
In order to be considered, MIDP scholarship applicants must submit their completed application to the program by the application deadline (January 5 for fall) and demonstrate that they have applied to at least two appropriate funding agencies.
Magdalena Yesil Fellowship
The Magdalena Yesil Fellowship Fund is a scholarship endowment for graduate students in the Sanford School of Public Policy. It provides full or partial fellowships to incoming MIDP or MPP students interested in sustainable development or conflict resolution in Armenia and/or the surrounding region.
Note: Availability of funds under this fellowship varies from year to year.
Global Service Fellowship
The MIDP program offers one Global Service Fellowship every year to an admitted fellow who has completed at least one year of service outside their country of origin. The GSF is competitive and consists of a tuition scholarship (25 percent of tuition costs). The award is in recognition of overseas service done with an organization engaged in the broad field of international development. Such organizations may include faith-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, corporate volunteer programs, government volunteer programs (e.g. World Friends Korea, Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV), or the United Nations volunteer program).
Eva Staton Scholarship for Latin American and Caribbean students
A scholarship endowment that provides partial scholarships to graduate students who are, or shall be at the time of receipt of this scholarship, enrolled in the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University and pursuing a Master of International Development Policy (MIDP) or, secondarily, a Master of Public Policy (MPP).
Note: Preference shall be given to students from Latin America (Mexico, Central America, South America) and the Caribbean.
External Funding
Please refer to our External Scholarships document for information on additional funding opportunities (last updated March 19, 2020)
