Fully Funded Public Policy Summer Fellowship

The Public Policy and International Affairs Program (PPIA) runs the Junior Summer Institute, a fully funded summer fellowship for college juniors who want to go into public service. Fellows spend summer 2027 at Harvard Kennedy School, Princeton's School of Public and International Affairs or the University of Michigan's Ford School, taking graduate-level classes in policy, economics and statistics while preparing for a master's degree in public policy or international affairs.

What you get:

• Funded graduate-level coursework in policy, economics, statistics and leadership
• On-campus housing and course materials (at Harvard, also a meal plan and reimbursed domestic travel to and from the programme)
• A summer stipend ($2,000 at Harvard Kennedy School)
• Career coaching and GRE preparation
• A lifelong alumni community, and at Harvard Kennedy School a scholarship of at least $5,000 if you are later admitted to a master's programme there

What you'll do:

• Spend about seven weeks on campus at one of three host schools, ranked by preference when you apply
• Take core graduate classes; at Harvard these are economics, quantitative methods, race and racism in public policy, and a Public Policy Incubator where small teams design and test a policy solution
• Attend faculty talks, skill-building sessions and panels with graduate students and alumni

Key dates:

• Applications opened September 14, 2026
• Info seminar: September 23, 2026, 6:00 to 7:00 PM Eastern, virtual
• Fellows panel: October 6, 2026, 6:00 to 7:00 PM Eastern, virtual
• Application workshop with institute directors: October 19, 2026 (tentative), 4:00 to 5:00 PM Eastern, virtual
• Applications close November 6, 2026, 11:59 PM EST
• Decisions (Harvard): mid-February 2027
• Harvard programme: June 13 to July 30, 2027

More information:

• One central application through PPIA; each host school reviews applicants against its own criteria
• Harvard Kennedy School will accept 15 Fellows for summer 2027
• Application asks for academic history, financial information, a resume and supporting documents

• Undergraduates graduating in December 2027 or between May and August 2028 (current juniors)
• Enrolled at an accredited U.S. college or university, working toward a first bachelor's degree
• U.S. citizens, permanent residents and DACA recipients may apply to all three sites; international students at U.S. institutions may apply to Princeton only (stated on a PPIA page still carrying 2026 cycle dates, see notes)
• Competitive applicants show policy-relevant experience, such as a college economics, maths or statistics course, a public policy internship, or other public service work (Harvard's criteria)