DURHAM, N.H. -- The Peace Corps and the University of New Hampshire (UNH) have teamed up to launch a Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program partnership, an initiative that provides graduate school scholarships to returned Peace Corps volunteers who wish to pursue a Master of Arts in Development Policy and Practice.

"The Peace Corps is delighted to have the University of New Hampshire as a partner in the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program," said Carrie Hessler-Radelet, acting Peace Corps director. "This new partnership enables returned Peace Corps volunteers to continue their work in public service through meaningful internships in underserved American communities. Experience overseas and graduate studies position Peace Corps Fellows to launch a career by combining coursework with service." 

Fellows selected for the Coverdell program will receive between $1,000 and $2,000 tuition scholarships for the summer, fall, and spring semesters that can be applied to the cost of the Master of Arts in Development Policy and Practice program.

"More than 670 alumni of UNH have entered the Peace Corps over the years," UNH President Mark Huddleston said. "The university's interdisciplinary Master of Arts in Development Policy and Practice program will help these and thousands of other returning Peace Corps volunteers to further their education and expand their impact, both overseas and domestically. This partnership with the Coverdell Fellows Program will further our goal of making UNH a more global and diverse institution by expanding programs that bring New Hampshire to the world and vice versa."

UNH ranks No. 12 on Peace Corps' 2013 Top Colleges for medium size schools. The annual list recognizes the highest volunteer-producing colleges and universities in the United States for small, medium, large and graduate institutions. This year's ranking marks an increase for UNH, which held the No. 18 spot in 2012.

A program of the Center on Social Innovation and Finance at the Carsey Institute, the Master of Arts in Development Policy and Practice is a 14-month program that prepares individuals for advanced policy- and practice-oriented work in sustainable development both in the United States and in developing countries. Applicants to the program come from both international and domestic organizations and work in areas ranging from public policy, planning, economic development, sustainable development, environmental policy, public health, education, and microenterprise.

Internships in underserved communities will be an integral part of each recipient's degree, allowing returned Peace Corps volunteers to bring the skills they acquired during service back home to make an impact in the United States. In addition, students will be able to further bolster their skills with professional internships at nonprofits and governmental organizations.

The Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program started in 1985 at Teachers College, Columbia University and now includes more than 80 university partners in 31 states and the District of Columbia. The program is specifically reserved for students who have already completed their tenure abroad with the Peace Corps. More details can be found at www.peacecorps.gov/fellows.

The Carsey Institute conducts policy research on vulnerable children, youth, and families and on sustainable community development. The institute gives policy makers and practitioners the timely, independent resources they need to effect change in their communities. For more information about the Carsey Institute, go to www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.

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Lisa MacFarlane, senior vice provost for academic affairs at the University of New Hampshire, signs the memorandum of agreement for the Coverdell Fellows program.
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