Frequently Asked Questions

Eligibility

What are the eligibility requirements for a Princeton in Africa fellowship?

How do I know if my school is accredited in the United States?

Are graduate students or those who completed their undergraduate education some time ago eligible to apply? If so, are they at a disadvantage in the selection process?

I am not a U.S. citizen. Can I still apply?

Is prior experience on the African continent necessary?

Are a certain number of spots “reserved” for Princeton alumni?

The Application

What is the timeline?

How many applications do you receive each year?

What is the deadline for submitting application materials?

What else is required?

  • INTERVIEWS: Should you be invited for an interview, you must be available for one of the interview sessions that will be held on January 5-9th, 2026. PiAf staff will be contacting those invited to interview by early December 2025 with more information. Please do not contact the PiAf office about interview invitations. 
  • ORIENTATION: Those candidates who receive a fellowship placement must attend every day of PiAf’s MANDATORY virtual pre-departure orientation program, which will be held Friday, June 5th to Sunday, June 7th, 2026.
  • YEARLONG COMMITMENT: All Fellows must make a yearlong commitment. Fellowships will end 12 months after one’s start date (end dates will fall between June 8 and August 9, 2027 depending on the start date).

What is Princeton in Africa’s stance on the use of AI in application materials?

Where will fellowships be available? May I apply to work for a specific organization or in a specific country?

Which fellowships will be available next year?

Is there an application fee? How do I pay it?

The application instructions say that I have to submit an online application and upload supplemental documentation to this application. What must be uploaded? What should be mailed or emailed?

Where should I send any mailed application materials (i.e. official transcript)?

When will placements be made?

What is the timeline when a candidate is put forward for consideration for a specific post at a host organization?

Can you let me know if my official transcript(s) or LOR was received?

Do I need to submit a transcript from the school where I studied abroad or transferred from?

Who should I ask to write my letter of recommendation and how should I submit it?

What is the purpose of the “Alternative Plans” question? I am considering applying to other programs. Will this negatively affect my application?

Is there a certain GPA I have to have in order to qualify for a fellowship? How much does my GPA matter?

Why am I logging into a Princeton University system to complete my fellowship application for Princeton in Africa?

How and where will interviews be conducted?

May I suggest my own organization? I have an organization in mind that I’d really like to work with.

The Nexus Program

What is Nexus?

What are the eligibility requirements?

What are the application requirements for Nexus?

How many placements are available for Nexus program applicants?

Is there a limit to the number of applications PiAf will accept for the Nexus program?

Are Nexus candidates eligible to be placed in their home countries?

Are Nexus applicants eligible to apply if they have one or more degrees from outside of the African continent?

Is proficiency in the English language required?

Will Nexus Fellows attend the 2026-27 Princeton in Africa orientation?

Fellowship Experience

How long are fellowships and when do they begin/end?

Does PiAf offer fellowships that are longer than one year? Do people stay longer than a year?

Where can I find more information about PiAf fellowships?

What is PiAf’s Travel Restrictions Policy?

Fellows must adhere to PiAf’s Travel Restrictions Policy.

Please note that Princeton in Africa (PiAf) has specific travel policies and restrictions in place for our Fellows. As of March 1, 2022, Princeton in Africa advises that Fellows MUST NOT travel to or through:

  • (1) Any country with a S. Department of State (DOS) Travel Advisory of Level 4 “Do not travel” (see here for more info)
  • (2) Any country with a S. Department of State (DOS) Travel Advisory of Level 3 “Reconsider travel” provided that the higher rating is based on any factors besides COVID-19. Travel to countries in this category shall require review and approval by staff in advance of any travel (see here for more info) UNLESS PiAf and the fellow have agreed to an exempted fellowship placement within a Level 3 country under the terms of section III.
  • (3) Any city or region specifically designated as “Do not travel” or “Reconsider travel” within the country’s S. Department of State Travel Advisory OR any city or region where travel restrictions are in place for U.S. government personnel (see here for more info) UNLESS PiAf and the fellow have agreed to an exempted fellowship placement under the terms of section III.
  • (4) Any country which has a S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Level 3 warning for diseases other than COVID-19 (see here for more info) or a CDC Level 4 warning.

Exceptions:

(5) The first exception to 1-4 above is when Fellows are traveling to/from their fellowship host country to begin or end their onsite fellowships or to/from the PiAf retreat, they may transit through U.S. Department of State Level 4 countries or U.S. CDC Level 4 countries ONLY if the Level 4 is due solely to COVID-19, and ONLY if Fellows do not leave the airport and if their transit time through the Level 4 country does not exceed 24 hours. Transit through U.S. Department of State Level 3 or 4 countries should only occur if there is no reasonable Transit through U.S. Department of State Level 3 or 4 countries whose levels are due to reasons other than COVID-19 is not permitted.

(6) The second exception to 1-4 above is when Fellows have agreed to a fellowship placement at a host site within a Level 3 country that has been specially vetted and approved under section III of this policy. Fellows in this circumstance are allowed to travel within PiAf-approved areas within their host country during the period of their fellowship. This travel approval may be amended, restricted, or rescinded at any time due to changing in-country conditions at the sole discretion of PiAf. This travel approval applies only to the assigned Fellow, and not to any visiting Fellows from other countries.

I.  Additional Specific Travel Restrictions & Clarifications:

  • All travel to refugee camps or settlements, with the exception of a camp that is also considered the primary location of a fellowship post, as agreed upon by PiAf and the host organization, is restricted. Under certain limited circumstances, upon advance written request, PiAf may authorize travel to certain locations in this subparagraph A.
  • Travel Restriction Policy applies to all travel during the fellowship year, including, but not limited to, travel to the host country at the onset of the fellowship and departure from the host country at the close of the fellowship. Restrictions apply equally to both transit countries and final destinations.
  • Further advisories may be provided by PiAf, during the fellowship year due to staff or the board’s concern for the safety of our Fellows as well as the potential limitations of our insurance provider in assisting Fellows with medical emergencies, medical evacuations or safety evacuations in countries outside of their fellowship post.
  • Travel to any country or location listed above will result in the immediate termination of a fellowship with no right of refund or other Fellows are responsible for remaining updated on all DOS, CDC & PiAf advisories, warnings and restrictions. PiAf reserves the right to request that Fellows alter travel plans that are not in compliance with our policies, without compensation to the Fellow.
  • Any additional costs incurred due to travel shall be the responsibility of the Fellow, including any testing or quarantine-related costs.
  • Note that PiAf’s travel restrictions may not cover country or regional travel restrictions due to COVID-19 or otherwise, including country restrictions against travelers from specific locations.

II. Waivers

(A) For countries or regions categorized as Level 3 “Reconsider travel” due to reasons outside of COVID-19 by the DOS and for refugee camps or settlements, PiAf will consider work-related waiver requests only if the travel is central to the Fellow’s work and if the supervisor submits a travel request form that provides detailed information about the travel arrangements and risk Waiver requests must be made at least 2 weeks in advance of travel. Each Fellow will be granted no more than five such travel restriction waivers over the course of their fellowship.

(B) Waivers will not be considered for personal travel nor for countries or regions categorized as Level 4 “Do not travel,” unless it is for travel to a Fellow’s primary country of residence. A primary country of residence is defined as the Fellow’s permanent address as listed in the Fellow’s VITALS form and/or the Fellow’s country of permanent residence. Such waivers are granted on a limited basis and are intended only as a means for Fellows to visit immediate family.

III. Site-Specific Assessment and Approval of Fellowship Sites within Level 3 Countries

(A) In rare cases, PiAf may consider fellowship placements within countries or regions categorized as Level 3 “Reconsider travel” due to reasons outside of COVID-19 by the In such cases, PiAf will conduct a thorough site-specific assessment of safety and security conditions.

(B) Mandatory criteria to be considered in the site-specific assessment will include:

  • International SOS rating of the locality (must be rated medium risk or lower; localities rated high risk will not be approved)
  • Current presence of other volunteer-sending organizations in the locality; volunteers from the U.S. Peace Corps, Fulbright program, UN Volunteers, Global Health Corps, or other similar international volunteer organizations must be present in the locality during the time of the assessment (localities with no current presence of other international volunteer organizations will not be approved)
  • Host organization’s assessment of local safety and security conditions, host organization’s health and safety policies, and host organization’s emergency plans

(C) Secondary criteria which may be considered in the site-specific assessment could include:

  • Safety reports from the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC)
  • Travel advisories from other national governments (e.g., U.K. government, Australian government, European Union)
  • Cultural Insurance Services International Advisory

(D) The PiAf Health, Safety and Security Committee, in close consultation with PiAf staff, will review the safety assessment information collected above and will make a determination on-site approval. For any approved sites under this section, the Health, Safety and Security Committee will also set applicable restrictions on Fellow in-country travel or activities.  All placement approvals will be subject to amendment, restriction, or rescinding, based on changing security conditions.

What about safety and security?

What is PiAf’s stance on racism, discrimination and harassment?

What does a fellowship package include?

How much are Princeton in Africa Fellows paid?

As a Fellow, who will I be working with? What will my work environment be like? Are there a lot of opportunities for field work?

How much are Fellows in contact with each other?

What are Fellows’ social lives like?

What expectations does PiAf have of Fellows once they have been placed and begun their fellowships?

I have educational loans from my time in college/university. Can Princeton in Africa help me with loan deferral?

Is it possible to apply to law/medical/graduate school from Africa? What if I need to return to the United States for school interviews?