Q. Is there a stipend for the Fellowship Program?
A. Yes. Fellows are paid a salary in accordance with the Federal Office of Personnel Management’s General Schedule (GS) Locality Pay Tables for Washington, D.C., Grade 12, Steps 1 through 7. For 2009, this range is $73,100 to $87,717.
Q. Are moving expenses paid?
A. An additional $3,000 is added to salary to help with moving expenses.
Q. Is there a housing allowance?
A. The Fellowship does not include a housing allowance. However, a Housing Search is held in August to assist Fellows in locating convenient and affordable housing.
Q. What about health insurance and other benefits?
A. Fellows receive their salaries and a range of employee benefits through the Head Start Resource Center at Pal-Tech, Inc. Benefits include 10 vacation days and 10 sick days for the year. After 30 days, Fellows are eligible for medical insurance, including dental and vision coverage; short- and long-term disability insurance; and life insurance.
Q. Can I bring my family?
A. You may do whatever works best for you and your family. Some Fellows have moved here with partners and children. Others have elected to maintain long-distance relationships for the Fellowship year.
Q. Will I need a car?
A. Washington, D.C., and its surrounding suburbs have an excellent mass transportation system, including subway and bus. Some Fellows choose to bring cars. Others rely on mass transportation. Some Fellows live within walking distance of the Office of Head Start. It’s all a matter of personal preference, and where you end up living!
Q. Is D.C. an expensive place to live?
A. The cost of living in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area is expensive relative to costs in many other areas of the country. How much you pay in rent (and transportation) depends largely on how close you live to downtown Washington, D.C. To live downtown, you can expect to pay $1,250 to $1,750 per month for a studio or 1-bedroom apartment. The Maryland suburbs (within a half-hour commute from downtown) will cost in the range of $750 to $1,250 for a 1-bedroom apartment; the Virginia suburbs will cost in the range of $1,000 to $1,500 for a 1-bedroom apartment. These are rough ranges – there are always more and less expensive places to be found! In addition, current Fellows are often willing to pass along apartments and/or furniture to the incoming group.
Q. How will I know whether I’m being invited to an interview?
A. Applications are due April 1st. By late April, finalists for the Fellowship—those who will be invited for interviews—should be identified. OHS will send an invitation to interview by email. Before this, though, a date for the interviews will be announced, so that you can save the date on your calendar – just in case!
Q. What happens after the interviews?
A. By early June, OHS will offer Fellowships to a select number of finalists. These folks will then be brought to Washington, D.C., in August for the Housing Search and to begin the orientation process. The Fellowship itself begins on October, 1, 2009.
Thank you for your interest in the National Head Start Fellowships Program! We look forward to receiving your application!
The 2009-2010 National Head Start Fellowships Application Brochure and Form [PDF, 158KB]
