USA Scholarships
FAO Schwarz Fellowship 2027 - $105K-$115K Over 2 Years
The FAO Schwarz Fellowship turns your first job out of college into a two-year training ground for a career in social impact. Fellows work in paid, salaried positions at carefully chosen nonprofit organisations in Boston, New York City and Philadelphia, splitting their time between direct service and strategic projects, with retreats and mentoring layered on top. For the cohort starting in summer 2027, total compensation runs to about $115,000 in Boston and New York or $105,000 in Philadelphia across the two years, plus whatever benefits entry-level staff get at the host. One hard limit is worth knowing before you invest a weekend in the essays: host organisations cannot sponsor work visas, so you need to be able to work in the United States for the full two years. Applications open on 1 November 2026 and close at 9:00 PM ET on 1 February 2027.
What is the FAO Schwarz Fellowship?
Most people treat their first job out of college as something to survive. The FAO Schwarz Fellowship takes the opposite view, and builds two years of paid nonprofit work into a deliberate training programme for people who want to spend a career on social impact. You are hired by a nonprofit host organisation in Boston, New York City or Philadelphia, you do real work there for two years, and the FAO Schwarz Family Foundation wraps professional development, mentoring and a cohort around you while you do it.
The money is unusual for this kind of role. Fellows who start in summer 2027 receive total compensation of about $115,000 if they are based in Boston or New York City, or about $105,000 in Philadelphia, across the two years, along with the same benefits package entry-level employees get at their host. The foundation reviews income benchmarking data in the three cities each year and sets the figure from that, which is why the New York and Boston numbers sit higher. Relocation is the one gap worth planning around: there is no relocation allowance, though the start-of-Fellowship bonus can absorb some of the moving costs.
Your week splits roughly in half. About 45 percent of your time is direct service, the hands-on work of tutoring, mentoring, running workshops or leading programmes for children, teens and young adults. Another 45 percent is a strategic project that leaves the host organisation stronger than you found it, something like designing an alumni engagement programme, running research, or drafting a policy agenda. The rest goes to two four-day retreats a year, weekly meetings with your supervisor, an alumni Fellow mentor, and time with the other Fellows. Only 5 to 7 new people join each year, so the group stays small and the programme knows everyone in it.
Two practical points before you apply. The first is timing: hosts post their own positions, applications open on 1 November 2026, and everything is due by 9:00 PM ET on 1 February 2027. The foundation gives slightly different dates in different places for when the new hosts are named, ranging from early September to early November, so watch the site through the autumn and sign up for the newsletter rather than trusting one page. The second is work authorisation. Host organisations cannot sponsor work visas, and the rule that you must be able to work in the United States for the full two years is applied to every applicant. If you are an international student who would need sponsorship, this one is not open to you, and the Fellowship says so directly rather than leaving you to find out in April.
Eligibility
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✓A college senior graduating in the 2026-27 windowYou must be a college senior at the time you apply, graduating between November 2026 and summer 2027. Someone who already graduated in an earlier year does not fit the 2027-2029 cycle, and neither does a junior planning ahead.
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✓An accredited four-year institutionYour degree has to come from an accredited four-year college or university in the United States. Fellows have come from more than 45 institutions, from large state universities to small liberal arts colleges, so the name on the diploma matters far less than what you did while you were there.
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✓Able to work in the US for the full two yearsHost organisations cannot sponsor work visas. The Fellowship states plainly that applicants must be eligible to work in the United States for the duration of the Fellowship, which rules out most international students on F or J status who would need sponsorship to stay for two years.
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✓Ready to commit to two full yearsYou cannot apply for a single year. Accepting an offer means committing to the whole two-year programme with the same host organisation, so treat it as a job you are signing up for rather than a stopgap before graduate school.
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✓A strong academic record and real leadership experienceHosts look for graduating seniors with solid grades, demonstrated leadership in their campus or community, and a genuine commitment to social justice. Selection is competitive, and roughly 5 to 7 positions open each year across three cities.
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✓Any major, and no nomination neededNo specific major is required and your college does not have to nominate you. Past Fellows have come from the social sciences, education, the sciences and the humanities. Hosts do post positions in specific fields, so a major that matches the role can help you at the interview stage.
Benefits
- Total compensation over two years About $115,000
- Host organisation benefits Same as entry-level staff
- Start-of-Fellowship bonus Paid, amount set by cycle
- Professional development retreats Two four-day retreats a year
- Mentoring Weekly supervisor plus alumni mentor
- Alumni and cohort network Included
- Relocation assistance Not provided
- Work visa sponsorship Not available
- Total compensation over two years About $105,000
- Host organisation benefits Same as entry-level staff
- Start-of-Fellowship bonus Paid, amount set by cycle
- Professional development retreats Two four-day retreats a year
- Mentoring Weekly supervisor plus alumni mentor
- Alumni and cohort network Included
- Relocation assistance Not provided
- Work visa sponsorship Not available
Document checklist
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✓Résumé in PDF formatOne résumé covering your academic record, jobs, internships and leadership roles. The Fellowship asks specifically for a PDF, because other formats may not display for the reviewer.
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✓Four short essay responsesThe application asks four short questions covering why you want to be a Fellow, why that particular host organisation, what you have accomplished, and why you would be a good fit. Draft them before the portal opens rather than writing them in the form.
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✓A host organisation you have researched properlyYou apply to a named position at a named nonprofit, so read the role description and the organisation's work closely. Generic answers stand out for the wrong reasons when a host is reading applications for one job.
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✓Proof you can work in the USApplicants confirm their eligibility to work in the United States as part of applying. You do not upload immigration paperwork with the application, but the host will need to establish work authorisation before you start.
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✓Your graduation dateYou will need to state when you graduate, which must fall between November 2026 and summer 2027 for this cycle. Check your registrar's official date rather than guessing from your course plan.
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✓Contact details for follow-upHosts screen applications and run their own interviews between February and March, so give an email address and phone number you actually check over that period.
How to apply
Deadline and timeline
FAQ
What is the FAO Schwarz Fellowship?
The FAO Schwarz Fellowship is a paid two-year programme for new college graduates who want to build a career in social impact. Fellows hold salaried positions at nonprofit host organisations in Boston, New York City and Philadelphia, spending about 45 percent of their time on direct service, 45 percent on strategic projects that strengthen the host, and the rest on professional development and cohort activities. It is run by the FAO Schwarz Family Foundation and has placed more than 100 Fellows since 2006.
How much does the FAO Schwarz Fellowship pay?
Fellows starting in summer 2027 receive total compensation of approximately $115,000 in Boston and New York City, or $105,000 in Philadelphia, spread across the two years, plus benefits. The gap reflects cost of living in the three cities. Benefits match whatever entry-level employees get at your host organisation, so they vary from job to job, and each role page lists its own figures when positions go live on 1 November 2026.
Who is eligible for the FAO Schwarz Fellowship?
You must be a college senior at the time you apply, graduating between November 2026 and summer 2027 from an accredited four-year institution, and eligible to work in the United States for the full two years. Hosts look for a strong academic record, demonstrated leadership and a real commitment to social justice. No specific major is required and no college nomination is needed.
Can international students apply for the FAO Schwarz Fellowship?
Only if you can already work in the United States for the whole two years without sponsorship. The Fellowship states that host organisations cannot sponsor work visas, so a student who would need an employer to petition for them cannot take up a position. If your work authorisation would expire partway through the two years, the role does not work for you, and it is better to find that out now than in April.
When is the FAO Schwarz Fellowship application deadline?
Applications for the 2027-2029 cycle close at 9:00 PM ET on 1 February 2027, and late applications are not considered. The portal opens on 1 November 2026 when the host organisations publish their roles, which gives you three months to research hosts, attend an info session and write your essays.
How many FAO Schwarz Fellows are chosen each year?
The Fellowship typically offers 5 to 7 new positions a year. Because each runs for two years, there are usually 12 to 14 Fellows in the programme at any one time. That small cohort is part of the design: Fellows meet at retreats twice a year and stay connected with an alumni network that now runs past 100 people.
What do FAO Schwarz Fellows actually do day to day?
Roughly half your week is direct service, which might mean tutoring, mentoring students, advising high school seniors on financial aid or leading environmental field trips, depending on the host. The other half goes to strategic projects such as building an alumni engagement programme, running research or shaping a policy agenda. About two hours a week go to Fellowship activities with the other Fellows.
Do you need a nomination or a particular major to apply?
Neither. Any eligible senior can apply directly, and no college nomination is involved. Hosts have worked in areas as varied as the arts, environmental justice, education, food security, health, civic engagement and economic opportunity, so a relevant major can help for a specific role, but nothing is required beyond the eligibility rules.
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