Applicants must:

• be U.S. citizens;
• be full-time undergraduate students at the time of application; and
• have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale at the time of application. 

If you are a full-time undergraduate on the day the application closes, you are eligible to apply, even if you are a senior graduating in May.

All applicants must be registered as a full-time undergraduate student for the Spring of 2024. Therefore, seniors graduating in December are not eligible to apply. Please do consider applying to the Rangel Graduate Fellowship during the next application cycle.

No. The 3.2 GPA requirement is for cumulative GPA. The Program has no flexibility on the GPA requirement.

Applicants must meet the minimum cumulative GPA eligibility of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale.  To determine cumulative GPA eligibility, the Program uses: 1) the undergraduate GPA issued by the institution which will confer the applicant’s degree at the time of application or 2) a combination of the GPA issued by the undergraduate degree-conferring institution and GPAs obtained at other institutions where the applicant was enrolled for a minimum of one full academic year as defined by the institution. The Program will confirm this GPA based on the transcripts provided.

Applicants who attend schools that do not provide formal GPAs must provide, on official school letterhead, a signed statement from their university’s registrar, academic advisor, or other similarly ranked university official. This letter should state that the school official has reviewed the applicants’ transcript/coursework/evaluations, etc. and has determined, to the best of his/her ability, the applicant’s equivalent GPA on a 4.0 scale. The letter must specify the GPA equivalent. In such circumstances, applications without this written record are ineligible.

Yes. For applicants who are U.S. citizens attending foreign institutions, the program will determine U.S. GPA equivalents based on published standards for determining equivalency between foreign and U.S. grades from a particular country or university. The applicant should submit information on grade equivalency with their application, to be confirmed by the Program staff.

You must have sophomore status or beyond in order to apply.

Applicants should have at least 30 credit hours completed before the application deadline. If the applicant’s college or university has another standard for determining sophomore status, the student can attach an official letter from a university official attesting that they are considered a sophomore.

No. Students who meet the eligibility requirements can apply, no matter where they are doing their undergraduate studies. Rangel Scholars come from schools around the country.

The Rangel Summer Program is open to students with a wide variety of majors, as long as they have an interest in international affairs. There is no requirement for a specific major. In the past, we have had successful participants with majors as diverse as political science and art history, economics, biology, business, and English.

If you were offered an internship, fellowship (i.e., Fulbright, Boren, etc.), or job opportunity that was canceled due to COVID-19, you may still enter this into your application, noting its cancellation.

Your home institution will determine whether or not you can transfer credits. However, most participants in the Summer Program have been able to transfer credits for the classes. The courses in the program are regular for-credit Howard University courses.

The Rangel Program International Affairs Summer Enrichment Program encourages the application of members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the Foreign Service, women, and those with financial need. Applicants must be prepared to discuss the context of their financial situation in a 400-word essay, provide parents’/guardians’ employment and income information, indicate whether or not they received Pell Grant or Stafford Loans, and upload their current school year financial aid statement, if available.

The Program will make every effort to select participants by the end of March and contact them directly with an offer to participate. The Program will also inform those who are not accepted or are program alternates.

You can check the status page on the application to see if you have completed all the requirements and if your recommenders have submitted their letters. It is up the applicant to ensure that all of their transcripts, including those from different schools, are uploaded onto the online application. 

The Rangel Program covers the cost of tuition, room, board, and air or train travel from home/school. It also provides a stipend of $3,300 (budget permitting). Participants should expect to pay for books, ground transportation from the airport or train station to Howard University, public transportation to get around Washington during their time in Washington, dinners or meals outside of Howard University if desired, and entertainment not related to the program.

The Summer Enrichment Program will be mid-June through mid-July 2024.

Please apply on the online system. All materials, including transcripts, letters of recommendation, Spring courses, and proof of citizenship must be submitted via the online system and by the deadline.

The Rangel Program is currently planning for an in-person summer. However, directives from the Department of State may cause the program to switch to virtual. All applicants will be notified of any status changes. 

Rangel Scholars programming take place Monday through Friday from the early morning until the late evening and attendance is mandatory. There may be some weekend activities as well. Work or participating in other programs during SEP is not advised.