The Foreign Affairs Information Technology (FAIT) Fellowship, a program funded by the United States Department of State, is a path to a career in the Foreign Service as a Diplomatic Technology Officer (DTO). Whether you are thinking about pursuing an IT-related master’s degree for a career change, or you are a student at a community college or four-year institution, you may be eligible to apply for this “opportunity of a lifetime.”
First, some background: The FAIT Fellowship is designed as a two-year cohort model and offers both undergraduate and graduate fellowships. As a FAIT Fellow, you’ll receive up to $43,500 annually in academic funding for two years, as you complete your IT-related undergraduate or graduate degree program. See the eligibility requirements below, as you must be on the timeline to complete your degree program during the FAIT Fellowship.
The academic funding is applied toward your tuition, room and board, books, mandatory fees, and some travel expenses. Plus, you’ll receive stipends, housing and travel allowances for the two summer internship experiences – one that will bring you to Washington, D.C., and another that will take you to a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad.
When you’ve completed the FAIT Fellowship program requirements and the State Department’s entry requirements, you will receive an appointment in the Foreign Service as a Diplomatic Technology Officer. You’ll have a minimum five-year commitment with the Foreign Service – and hopefully it will be a life-long career!
Eligibility criteria to apply. To be eligible to apply for the 2025 cohort, you must meet all the criteria below:
- Be a U.S. citizen.
- Enrolled or planning to enroll in a full-time IT-related degree program at a U.S.-based accredited institution.
- For the undergraduate fellowship:
- Community college students in an associate degree program must be seeking admission to enter a full-time, IT-related bachelor’s degree program in fall 2025 AND on a timeline to graduate in spring 2027 after completing four full-time semesters.
- Four-year college/university students must be enrolled full-time in an IT-related bachelor’s degree program AND on a timeline to graduate in spring 2027 after completing four full-time semesters starting in fall 2025.
- Students enrolled in an accelerated bachelor’s/master’s IT-related degree program must be on a timeline to graduate in spring 2027 after completing four full-time semesters starting in fall 2025.
- For the graduate fellowship:
- Individuals must be seeking admission to enter a full-time, IT-related master’s degree in fall 2025 AND be on a timeline to graduate in spring 2027 after completing four full-time semesters.
- Hold a minimum 3.2 GPA on a 4.0 scale at the time of the application, and maintain this GPA throughout the program.
As a selected fellow, you will need to:
- Obtain and maintain security clearances and suitability requirements, and meet the minimum medical qualification standard.
- Agree to a five-year commitment with the Foreign Service upon successful completion of the program and the State Department’s requirements.
What does “timeline to graduate mean? Because the FAIT Fellowship is a two-year cohort model, the timeline is important for your eligibility. To be on the timeline for the undergraduate fellowship, you need to earn your bachelor’s degree or combined bachelor’s and master’s degree in an accelerated program, after attending four full-time (spring and fall) semesters beginning fall 2025. To be on the timeline for the graduate fellowship, you would need to enter a full-time master’s degree program and earn your degree after attending four full-time (spring and fall) semesters beginning fall 2025. All fellows in the 2025 cohort will be on a timeline to earn their degrees in spring 2027.
What degree programs are eligible? Most IT-related programs are eligible for the FAIT Fellowship, such as computer science, information technology, cybersecurity, computer engineering, IT services administration, and computer systems networking. Online degree programs from an accredited institution are also eligible. If you’re not sure whether your degree program is eligible, email us at FAITFellowship@twc.edu and provide a link to the degree program in which you are enrolled or planning to enroll.
When you are ready to apply, go to https://www.faitfellowship.org/how-to-apply/ to view the timeline, eligibility and application documents.
