Public Policy Fellowship Program

Public Policy Fellowship Program is sponsored by Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI). This nine-month paid fellowship in Washington, D. C.

, is designed for recent college graduates interested in gaining public policy experience and advancing their careers, particularly those committed to advancing the Latino community.

Public Policy Fellowship Program | CHCI Public Policy Fellowship Program Experience: College Graduate Application Launch: August 15, 2026 Program Dates: August 18, 2027 – May 19, 2028 Application Deadline: December 1, 2026 Public Policy Fellowship Program Begin your path toward becoming one of our nation’s future changemakers.

Recent college graduates can take advantage of this paid fellowship , which opens doors for talented young Latinos and individuals deeply committed to advancing the Latino community who are interested in gaining public policy experience and advancing their careers. You will spend nine months working in Washington, D. C.

, with exposure to leaders in congressional offices, federal agencies, national nonprofit advocacy organizations, and the private sector—growing both personally and professionally during your fellowship experience. This nine-month paid program helps talented leaders gain public policy experience and accelerate their careers as emerging leaders.

Applicants to the Public Policy Fellowship Program must have earned a bachelor’s degree in any field within three years of the program start date. As a CHCI Public Policy Fellow, you will immerse yourself in the legislative process, spending four days each week learning all facets of public policy.

Once a week, you will join the Fellowship cohort for a full day of leadership development centered on CHCI’s four Pillars of Leadership—Self Discovery, Transformation through Collective Power, Rooted in my Strength, and Planting Seeds for Tomorrow. The CHCI pillars provide the foundation for culturally relevant programming with timely content to create opportunities, transform, influence, and connect the next generation of leaders.

Weekly programming will refine your leadership abilities, affirm your career goals and area of focus, and allow you to spend time discussing policy issues of national concern. Your weekly programming will also prepare you to fully understand policy issues facing the Latino community and how to propose effective solutions by critically examining all sides and implications of these issues.

Attend a 9 day orientation and weekly leadership development sessions throughout the program Work a minimum of 32 hours a week at placement site Complete community service hours Attend a one-week orientation and weekly leadership development sessions Participate in all CHCI-sponsored activities including Hispanic Heritage Month events, Summits, and receptions Research, write and publish an issue brief on a topic of your choice that impacts the Latino community Comply with CHCI policies regarding work performance and personal conduct Work experience in Washington, D.

C. Over nine months, Public Policy Fellows will receive a gross stipend of $34,200. This salary is in line with that of an individual making $43,200 per year, prorated for 9 months Stipend or voucher to subsidize domestic round-trip transportation to Washington, D.

C. Medical, dental, and vision insurance for the fellow during the program (all premiums paid by CHCI) $200 per month Metro stipend Professional Development stipend for a one-year subscription of LinkedIn Premium Weekly leadership development training Exclusive networking opportunities Applicants must have earned a bachelor’s degree in any field within three years of the program start date High academic achievement (preference of 3.

0 GPA or higher) Evidence of leadership skills and potential for leadership growth Demonstrated commitment to public service-oriented activities Superior analytical skills, outstanding oral and written communication skills Applicants must be U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, asylees, or individuals who are lawfully authorized to work full-time without restriction for any U.S. employer and who, at the time of application, possess lawful evidence of employment authorization.

International students on F-1 or M-1 visas are not eligible for CHCI programs. NOTE: Individuals who are seeking consideration under the “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival” (DACA) policy must be eligible to work and possess valid employment authorization at the time of acceptance, and must maintain continuous lawful employment authorization for the duration of the program for which the person is applying.

The selection process is competitive, consisting of three stages: (1) a written application, (2) a asynchronous interview and (3) a final live zoom interview with CHCI program staff. Written applications and prerecorded interviews are reviewed by a selection committee composed of program alumni, members of the CHCI Board of Directors and Advisory Council, and CHCI staff.

Only top candidates receive an invitation to interview for a select number of fellowship opportunities, based on the quality of their application and demonstrated interest in public policy. What is the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute?

For the last 40 years, CHCI has forged a critical pathway to Educate, Empower, and Connect our nation’s future Latino leaders, creating a transformative and lasting Impact on Latino youth and our nation. Learn more about CHCI’s history . CHCI hosts a platform of leadership development programs, which equip emerging young Latino leaders with the tools they need to be successful in the public and private sectors.

Through our educational and leadership development programs , CHCI is committed to our mission of Developing the Next Generation of Latino Leaders®. When are applications due? The 2026-2027 Public Policy Fellowship Program application is due at 11:59 pm Eastern Time on December 1, 2025.

What are the essay word limits? Please keep your responses to a maximum of 600 words each. The CHCI Public Policy Fellowship Program requires your degree be conferred within three years of the program’s prospective start.

For the 2026-2027 application cycle, you should have completed your degree between May 2023 and August 2026 . You are also only eligible if you do not plan to enroll in a graduate program at the same time as the fellowship. Important note: If you are in an accelerated master’s program, completing your fifth year to earn a master’s degree, you are not eligible for the public policy fellowship.

We encourage you to apply for the CHCI Postgraduate fellowship program . I am in an accelerated master’s program, am I eligible to apply? No , if you are in an accelerated master’s program, earning a bachelor’s and a master’s degree at graduation, you are not eligible for the public policy fellowship.

We encourage you to apply for the CHCI Postgraduate fellowship program . What do I need to complete my application? A complete application consists of: A one-page PDF version of your resume or your curriculum vitae Your most recent unofficial transcript One professional recommendation At least four essays (300-600 words each) How many recommenders do I need?

When and from whom should I make the request? CHCI’s Public Policy Fellowship Program requires one professional recommender to complete a recommendation questionnaire. You should identify and ask your recommenders to complete a recommendation as early as possible in the application process.

Be mindful of who you identify as a potential recommender – be sure the provider indicates having a positive working relationship with you and speaks well to your interests in public policy. My recommendation provider cannot see my application online after receiving the link. Please return to your application page and press the “Save for Later” button.

This will allow our application system to consider your application active for your recommender to provide their letter on your behalf. You may need to populate required fields before saving if you have not already done so. “N/A” is acceptable in our system until you go to submit your application.

If your recommender continues to have issues, please have them email programs@chci. org We encourage all applicants to apply as early as possible to allow us to facilitate the review process more easily. Please note, the application system shuts down at 11:59 pm Eastern Time on December 1, 2025, and will no longer be accessible after that time.

Is there an interview involved? CHCI utilizes two rounds of interviews in the selection process. Semi-finalists will be invited to record an asynchronous interview using CHCI’s online interview portal, hosted by VidCruiter.

Finalists will complete an additional live interview with program staff. Interview questions ask about a candidate’s leadership experience, work style, specific interests in public policy, and prospects for the Latino community.

There are no trick questions; we use the interviews to get to know candidates on a deeper level, get a feel for how they will handle the unique work environment of Capitol Hill, and help us to create a cohort with diverse interests, approaches, and experiences. How is a candidate selected?

A candidate is selected based on their demonstrated leadership experience, commitment to advancing the Latino community, quality of writing, recommendation, and resume. Candidates are reviewed after the closing of each application stage by program alumni, members of the CHCI Board of Directors and Advisory Council, and CHCI staff.

While we strive to provide a timely decision to all candidates, this time period can vary between applications. While we are always interested in individuals with a public policy background, we are also very interested in candidates who have subject matter expertise.

Most years, some fellowship slots are reserved for individuals with expertise and/or experience in: Business and related fields, including finance, economics, and accounting Communications and journalism Engineering and hard sciences Technology, computer science, cybersecurity, and/or data systems We encourage anyone interested in better understanding how public policy impacts their area of expertise to apply, regardless of their major!

How do I stand out as a competitive applicant? Your essays are the best opportunity to tell us about you . We understand that each applicant’s story is unique; we encourage you to take advantage of this space to indicate how you have exercised leadership in your family or community and how that has contributed to your interests in public policy.

Please also ask a friend, professor, or mentor to review your essays in advance or to help you brainstorm what to talk about. Can individuals who do not identify as Latino/a/x apply to CHCI programs? Applicants interested in making an investment in the Latino community and/or working on policies that affect the Latino population are welcome to apply to any and all CHCI programs.

Are DACA applicants eligible to apply? Yes. Applicants are not required to disclose their citizenship status during the application process.

Once admitted, CHCI would ask for that disclosure for onboarding purposes. Any DACA applicant accepted must have their permit at the start of the program and maintain valid employment authorization for the program’s duration. What is the fellowship and placement experience like?

Public Policy Fellowship experiences vary from placement to placement. Fellowship placements are intended to align closely with the fellow’s background and interests in public policy. Fellows are expected to put forth their best efforts in any placement and proactively search for opportunities to demonstrate their work capabilities, in addition to learning from and working with the legislative staff in the office.

Public Policy Fellows are placed based on their professional and academic backgrounds, along with their interests in public policy, with at least one half of the full program term being on Capitol Hill. Admitted fellows enter the placement process soon after accepting their fellowship offer and work closely with CHCI staff to determine a placement option(s).

Fellows also have the option to pursue a placement off Capitol Hill during the program at a federal agency, think tank, nonprofit, or corporate office. How are placements determined? Public Policy Fellows are placed based on their professional and academic backgrounds, along with their interests in public policy, with at least one half of the full program term being on Capitol Hill.

Admitted fellows enter the placement process soon after accepting their fellowship offer and work closely with CHCI staff to determine a placement option. Fellows also have the option to pursue a placement off Capitol Hill during the program, which – in odd-numbered years – would occur during the second half of the program. No. CHCI does not provide permanent housing for fellows during the nine months of the program.

CHCI program staff will share resources and connect all incoming fellows during summer onboarding to support the facilitation of their independent housing search. My school does not appear on the application. How should I proceed?

This happens sometimes, particularly with schools out-of-country. Please send the following information on your school to our programs team , programs@chci. org : Can I hold concurrent employment or other professional development opportunities during the fellowship program?

Fellows are expected to fully commit to this time-intensive and immersive fellowship program, which occasionally requires attendance at evening events. Any concurrent commitment should not interfere with regular work hours and your ability to complete the rigorous fellowship requirements and are subject to approval by CHCI Programs Staff.

CHCI gave me the support I needed to consider my dreams and take meaningful steps to go about achieving them. The CHCI family, and the community of people dedicated to your success as a fellow is an invaluable resource that inspires you to keep pushing forward.

2024-2025 PUBLIC POLICY FELLOW, ADONIS RANDEL ORTIZ MERCADO Current 10th & 11th Graders for 2026-27 Academic Year NextGen Latino Leadership Program The NextGen Latino Leadership Program provides emerging leaders and those deeply committed to advancing the Latino community with the opportunity, as high school students, to spend a week in Washington, D. C.

, exploring the city and the role it plays in our nation’s past, present, and future. Deadline: January 15, 2027 Undergraduate Student & Recent Graduate Congressional Internship Program The CHCI Congressional Internship Program (CIP) provides college students of any major with a paid placement in a congressional office for a period of 12 weeks (Fall) or 10 weeks (Summer).

Applicants to the Congressional Internship Program must currently be enrolled full-time and working towards their undergraduate degree in the academic period prior to participation. Deadline: December 1, 2026 & March 1, 2027 A contribution to CHCI is one of the most important investments you can make toward the Latino community.

When you donate to CHCI you're not just investing in today, you're helping build a stronger Latino community for generations to come. Chip in now.