An Elon Law Partnership with the Peace Corps

The Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program offers two returned Peace Corps volunteers a scholarship in the amount of $31,500 toward Elon Law’s total program tuition of $110,000. Fellows also will receive top placements in public interest law firms or organizations during their second year of study through Elon Law’s nationally recognized Residency-in-Practice Program.

Such placements might include Legal Aid of North Carolina, the Family Justice Centers of Guilford and Alamance counties, or law school clinics that serve underserved populations.

Elon Law is first law school in the South to offer Coverdell Fellowships in partnership with the Peace Corps. To be considered for a fellowship, applicants to Elon Law with experience in the Peace Corps should note their service on their applications.

The Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program is a graduate school program for returned Peace Corps volunteers. More than 100 schools across the country offer financial support to returned volunteers in programs that range from law to business to public health to education. Fellows bring with them “a wealth of international experience in a variety of fields” and are described by the Peace Corps as “motivated, ready to learn, and eager to expand upon their Peace Corps experiences.”

In hosting Coverdell Fellows, Elon Law builds upon a longstanding relationship with the Peace Corps. In 2013, Elon leaders signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the universtiy as one of the first five higher educational institutions to adopt the Peace Corps Prep Program. The Peace Corps Prep Program helps a student sharpen their academic ability, leadership and cultural competency for a competitive edge in applying to the Peace Corps and eventually greater success while serving in their Peace Corps host countries.

As of Fall 2017, Elon University and American University are currently the only two private universities in the United States to offer both a Peace Corps Prep Program and Coverdell Fellowships.