The White House program that gives young Americans the chance to work under top government officials announced Nov. 1 that it will be accepting applications for the 2019-2020 class.
The White House Fellows program, started in 1964 by Lyndon B. Johnson, is designed to encourage nonpartisan public service by giving participants a year of high-level federal employee experience.
“This uniquely nonpartisan program has a distinguished legacy that reaches back more than half a century, and we hope that Americans with a passion for leadership and public service will take a look at the website, examine the criteria, and consider applying — or urge others to consider applying,” said Robert M. Duncan, chairman of the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships, in a news release.
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Of potential applicants, the program accepts approximately 100 regional finalists in the spring before the fellowship program is planned to start. Those finalists then undergo one day and one evening interviews to narrow the pool to about 30 national finalists.
National finalists then go through a background check and selection weekend in June, interviewing with members of the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships, who then recommends between 11 and 19 individuals to the president for appointment as fellows.
Applicants to the program must be U.S. citizens, have completed their undergraduate education and not already be federal employees, with the exception of career military personnel.
According to the White House Fellows website, 44 alumni of the program have been elected to public office and 70 have been confirmed by the Senate to federal office.
Applications for the new class of fellows remain open until Jan. 16, 2019, and the program is scheduled to run from August 2019 to August 2020.
Jessie Bur covers federal IT and management.
