The alumni website is currently undergoing changes, and we hope to back up soon. In the meantime, if you’re an exchange alumni, check out exchangealumni.state.gov to connect with fellow alumni, join groups and events, search for job opportunities, and more! And check out eca.state.gov to find out more about our exchange program opportunities.
NCE allows U.S. federal government agencies to hire eligible exchange program alumni outside of the formal competitive job announcement process and allows eligible exchange program alumni to compete for certain federal employment jobs that are only open to federal employees.
Does applying through NCE guarantee employment by the federal government?
No, noncompetitive eligibility does not entitle an applicant to a job with the federal government. The applicant must meet qualifications standards and additional requirements for the job, such as a background investigation. The decision to hire eligible candidates is at the discretion of the hiring agency.
Is this effective immediately?
This Executive Order went into effect on November 29, 2016. If you are an alumnus or alumna of one of the three qualifying programs, you are eligible to utilize your NCE status when applying for or soliciting a position within the federal government if you successfully completed your program after November 29, 2015 or as otherwise provided by the E.O. (see question below, “Does this benefit me if I completed my academic exchange program more than a year ago?”).
How do I demonstrate my NCE status?
Starting in spring of 2017, a certificate of achievement will be provided to eligible participants upon successful completion of their programs. This document certifies the start date and validity of noncompetitive eligibility, and activates such status under E.O. 13750. If you need a copy of your certificate of achievement, or completed your grant within an eligible timeframe but before these certificates were issued on completion, please email ExchangeNCE@state.gov. To establish your noncompetitive status when applying for a federal job, you should include the certificate of achievement as proof of eligibility for NCE when requested or in the “required documents” area of the application.
Does this benefit me if I completed my exchange program more than a year ago?
Federal agencies may extend the period of eligibility for up to two additional years, or a total duration of up to three years in all, if, after your completed program, you:
Served in the military.
Studied at a recognized institution of higher education.
Were involved in another activity, which in the agency’s view, warrants an extension.
If I joined AmeriCorps or Peace Corps after my eligible exchange program, do I get an extension?
No, extensions are not granted for participation in AmeriCorps or Peace Corps. However, both of these programs themselves provide noncompetitive eligibility status for 12 months following volunteer service. For more information, visit this website: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/peace-corps/
How do I notify a federal agency that I’m eligible for NCE?
You should attach your certificate of achievement to your application and make sure to mention your noncompetitive eligibility status in your resume. You should also indicate you have NCE when answering qualifying questions on USAJOBS postings.
What grade and series do I fall under when listing my NCE on an application?
Many federal applications require that you enter a grade and series when demonstrating NCE status. As an exchange program alumnus or alumna, you were not a federal employee and therefore do not have a grade or series. You are encouraged to contact the hiring official at the federal agency where you are seeking employment to determine how you should fill out the application if it requires a grade and series in order to claim NCE.
How do I find NCE jobs?
As an NCE-eligible candidate you may work with your career services center on campus, attend career fairs, and utilize online tools such as USAJOBS (the official job site of the United States Federal Government).
Does participation in one of the eligible exchange programs count as “time in service” towards a federal career?
No.
Program-Specific Questions:
Which Fulbright Program alumni are covered under the Executive Order?
The Executive Order only applies to the Fulbright U.S. Student program. Participants who received the following awards on the U.S. Student program are included:
Fulbright U.S. Student Study/Research Awards
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Awards (ETAs)
Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Award
Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowships in Public Health (U.S. Students only)
If I received a Gilman Scholarship award while attending a community college, and subsequently pursue a four-year degree, can I utilize my NCE once I complete my studies?
Federal agencies may extend the period of noncompetitive eligibility for up to two additional years, or a duration of three years total, for applicants who studied at a recognized institution of higher education after completing their exchange program. Note that applicants must begin applying for jobs and be selected before their eligibility expires.
Note: This competition is only open to former participants of ECA's Professional Fellows Program who participated in the program between 2010-2015.
The U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce the 2017 Professional Fellows Program Alumni Impact Award which recognizes the positive contributions made by Professional Fellows Program (PFP) alumni. The Professional Fellows Program, the flagship program of the Professional Fellows Division within the Office of Citizen Exchanges in the U.S. Department of State, brings approximately 450-500 international fellows to the United States to participate in four-to-six-week long fellowship placements while sending approximately 250-300 American fellows on reciprocal fellowships abroad. The fellowship has succeeded in motivating these fellows to make a difference in their home communities through their post-Fellowship work.
The U.S. Department of State will select international and American alumni of the PFP to be honored during the 2017 Spring and Fall Professional Fellows Congresses (PFC). The awardees will be selected based on the positive impact the alumnus has made to his or her community, workplace, and/or country. Specifically, awardees will be selected according based on their ability to demonstrate how their participation in the PFP enhanced their ability to make a deeper impact on their community, country and/or their country’s diplomatic relations with other countries, including the United States. Applicants may apply in coordination with, but separately from, their American/international exchange participant. Awardees will be selected independently, but the impact of the collaboration between pairs of participant will be taken into consideration when applications are reviewed.
The Alumni Impact Award winners will be flown to Washington, DC to take part in the PFC, the concluding segment of the 2017 PFP. In addition to being publicly recognized for their achievements, the Alumni Impact Award winners will be asked to make a presentation at the PFC and will be provided the opportunity to organize, lead, or moderate a session during the PFC.
Selection Criteria
Applicants must meet all of the below criteria in order to be considered:
Be an alumnus/alumna of the Professional Fellows Program who participated in the program between 2010-2015
Be able to clearly demonstrate how their PFP experience enhanced their ability to positively impact their community, country, or region; and
Be able to travel to Washington, DC to take part in one of the two 2017 PFCs; either May 28- June 2, 2017 or November 12-17, 2017
How to Apply
Applicants must complete the online application by 11:59 pm EST, Friday, March 3, 2017. After completing the application form, the applicant should email their resume or curriculum vitae, and two letters of recommendation to PFPAlumniAward@state.gov. Please include “PFP AIA 2017 – [Your Name, Your Country]” in the subject line of the email. The letters of recommendation should be from 1) the applicant’s American grantee organization or host organization from their fellowship and 2) a professional reference from the applicant’s country that talks about the impact of their work (limit of no more than 100 words). Both the online application and the supplemental email documentation are required for the application to be complete. Incomplete applications will be found ineligible.
A selection committee within the State Department will determine the winners. The top-ranked candidates will be contacted in March for an interview via phone or Skype. Announcement of the selection is anticipated to be made by April 2017. The award covers the following expenses: roundtrip airfare to Washington, D.C., health benefits under a J-1 visa for foreign awardees, meals, and hotel accommodation at the PFC.
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s U.S. Exchange Alumni Citizen Diplomacy Challenge! More than one hundred alumni representing nearly twenty U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs and hailing from thirty-eight U.S. states and territories participated by sharing their inspiring international exchange stories and photos, thereby serving as advocates for study abroad and encouraging more Americans to experience the immense benefits of exploring another country and culture. In this year’s competition, alumni had the opportunity to participate in three separate challenges:
Instagram Photo and Caption Challenge: Upload an inspirational original study abroad photo that showcases the value of international exchange. The photo caption should finish this sentence: “#StudyAbroadBecause___”
Share your Story Challenge: Share a brief, compelling personal narrative that demonstrates the benefits of international exchange and would inspire more people to go abroad.
Back to School Challenge: Go “back to school” to give presentations on what participating in an exchange program meant to you and share information about relevant U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs.
We are pleased to announce that out of the nearly two hundred submissions received, the following alumni were selected as winners. Thank you to all who participated. We appreciate your efforts to encourage more Americans to explore exchange opportunities and promote cross-cultural understanding in their communities.
PHOTO AND CAPTION CHALLENGE
The following alumni were selected as the Photo and Caption Challenge winners. Click on their names to see the winning submissions. To see all submitted photos, please visit the ECA Flickr album.
Ariana Ananda, Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to Tanzania, 2015: With funding provided by the Gilman Scholarship, Ariana Ananda studied abroad in Tanzania through the School for International Training (SIT) and the Wildlife Conservation and Political Ecology Program. This study abroad experience truly changed her life and influenced her in countless ways. Her time in Tanzania was filled with thrilling and grueling challenges, amazing animals, fascinating culture, and incredible people whom she will remain close to forever. The program strengthened her passion for working in wildlife conservation in Africa. At the end of 2015, Ariana graduated from UC San Diego with a degree in an independent major she created: Wildlife Conservation and Photography. She spent part of 2016 interning in China, researching giant panda breeding. She is currently working as a temp for her alma mater and she hopes to move to Australia in late 2017 to either pursue graduate coursework or work in conservation. In the coming years, she intends to pursue a career in wildlife conservation by conducting behavioral or human-wildlife conflict field research.
Pa Chia Thao, National Security Language Initiative (NSLI-Y) and Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) to China, 2013 and 2015: Pa Chia Thao is a junior at Mount Holyoke College, majoring in astronomy and physics. She participated in the National Security Language Initiative (NSLI-Y) program to study Mandarin in Suzhou in 2013 and later received the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) to study Mandarin in Beijing in 2015. Her experiences abroad have taught her the challenges of starting over in a new country -- similar to the experiences her parents went through as Hmong refugees who immigrated to the United States from Thailand. As an aspiring astrophysicist, she plans to conduct research at an observatory or lab and hopes to one day take part in joint US-China space missions.
Elise Harwell, National Security Language Initiative (NSLI-Y) to Morocco, 2015: Elise is currently a senior at Tucker High School and studied Arabic in Rabat, Morocco with the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) in the summer of 2015. In college, she plans to pursue a double major in Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies and hopes to follow her undergraduate studies with a Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies or Human Rights Law. Her studies will lead to a career in in conflict resolution, focused on the Middle East and Caucasus regions. Her exchange experience opened up her eyes to the many possibilities she has for using Arabic in the future and she is forever grateful for the opportunity to study abroad with NSLI-Y. Through her exchange, she also learned important cross-cultural sensitivity skills that she will continue to use in her post-program education and career.
Jayson Wang, Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) to Tajikistan, 2015: Jayson Wang participated in the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) program in Dushanbe, Tajikistan where he studied the Persian dialects of Farsi and Tajik. A recent graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, he will be serving in the Peace Corps in Indonesia from 2017 to 2019 as a secondary education English teacher. The CLS program confirmed his passion for language and cultural immersion, not least living and building long term relationships with people of other countries. He hopes to build on his exchange and Peace Corps experiences by working in international development and humanitarian aid in the future.
Shaheed Sabrin, English Language Fellow to Malaysia, 2014 – 2016: As an English Language Fellow, Shaheed had the opportunity to teach Business English at University Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), the only entrepreneurship university in Malaysia. He also had the opportunity to work on curriculum development, facilitate over 100 workshops throughout six countries in Southeast Asia, train teachers, coach Ministry of Education officials, and support the U.S. Embassy’s English ACCESS Microscholarship program. During his time as a Fellow, he started the edcamp “unconference” movement in Malaysia, presented at regional TESOL conferences, and won Gold for “Best Workshop” at the International Conference on English Language Teaching (ICELT). His exchange experience made him more than just an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher, but a workshop specialist, teacher trainer, and youth motivator as well. In 20 months, he taught 3,006 students and trained 2,940 teachers. Shaheed currently teaches at Irvine Valley College, helping adult-ESL students develop the language skills they need in order to thrive in the United States.
Victor Yau, NSEP Boren Scholarship to South Korea, 2016-2017: Victor is a business student from the University of Houston currently studying Korean at Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea via the NSEP Boren Scholarship. Over the past eight months, he has immersed himself in Korean language and culture while building relationships within South Korea’s hip-hop scene as a b-boy dancer. After graduating, Victor wants to become a Foreign Service Public Diplomacy Officer, combining his interest in international diplomacy, Asian languages, and hip-hop dance. Moreover, he hopes to provide at-risk youth in underserved communities worldwide with a positive emotional outlet through hip-hop youth culture.
SHARE YOUR STORY CHALLENGE
The following alumni were selected as the Share your Story Challenge winners. Click on their names to see the winning submissions.
Cara Price, National Security Language Initiative (NSLI-Y) to Moldova, 2016: After three weeks in Nepal with the State Department-sponsored Youth Leadership Program, Cara spent her senior year of high school studying Russian in Chisinau, Moldova through the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y). As her first experiences abroad, these exchanges offered a variety of new perspectives on politics, culture, and tea. She currently attends the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a first year Robertson Scholar; works as a Computer Science Learning Assistant; and contributes to the Coalition for Human Rights, Splash UNC, and Russian Club. Moving forward, Cara hopes to explore the intersection of technology and education in an international context.
Julie Ammons, Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program to Russia, 2016: Julie Ammons studied in Vladimir, Russia with the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program this past summer. She graduated in December 2016 with a B.A. in Russian and a minor in history from the University of Montana, and she is returning to Russia for the spring semester with the American Councils Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program with a Title VIII Language Fellowship from the U.S. Department of State. Julie plans to pursue graduate school for Russian language and literature and is particularly interested in studying concepts of Russian identity and using this knowledge to help improve international dialogue between Russians and Americans. Through her participation in CLS Julie increased her Russian Oral Proficiency Interview score by three levels and had the experience of a lifetime sharing Russian poetry with new friends, peers, teachers, and her host family.
Jessye Kass, Fulbright U.S. Student to Thailand, 2013-2014: Jessye Kass's Fulbright experience teaching in Thailand advanced her cross-cultural communication skills and ability to be present in, and enjoy, each moment; these skills translated significantly into how she approaches her hectic work. Jessye currently works with high-needs clients as a mid-level manager at a non-profit in Massachusetts where she provides crisis management and assists previously homeless HIV positive individuals and at-risk youth find and maintain affordable housing. Jessye's future aspirations are to use her passion for social justice and creative problem-solving to ameliorate societal inequities in a range of educational and public health fields.
Linda Austin, Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program to Burma, 2015: Linda Austin was a Fulbright U.S. Scholar to Burma in 2015. The veteran journalist taught undergraduates at the National Management College in Yangon. A former professor of practice at Arizona State University’s Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, she serves as project director for NewsTrain, a journalism-training program sponsored by Associated Press Media Editors. “Teaching journalism in Burma shortly after independent daily newspapers returned following a five-decade absence was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. For most of my students, I was the first American they had ever known, and the concept of a free press was a novel and exciting one. One wrote at the end of the semester: ‘You are my best teacher. I love you so much, and I will never forget you throughout all of my life.’”
Ashley Karlsson: Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to Chile, 2008 - As a 2008 Benjamin A. Gilman Scholar, Ashley Karlsson studied abroad in Viña del Mar, Chile. While taking classes at the Universidad de Valparaíso, she developed cross-cultural communication skills, learned Spanish, and gained experience teaching English to speakers of other languages. Karlsson is currently working as an English Language teacher with Minneapolis Public Schools, where she helps high school students learn about cultures around the world and develop their academic language skills.
Leona Amosah: Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program to Russia, 2016 - Leona is a senior at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill pursuing a double major in Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literature and Global Studies. Upon graduation, she hopes to work in some capacity in the field of international relations and foreign policy and aspires to join the Foreign Service. Leona’s exchange program enabled her to not only learn about contemporary Russian language and culture, but also to strengthen her desire to build and maintain relationships with people abroad and promote lifelong, cross-cultural connections.
Qorsho Hassan: Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) to Malaysia, 2013 - Qorsho Hassan is a devoted bilingual educator and researcher in Columbus. She graduated from the Ohio State University with a Bachelor's in Sociology and is currently obtaining a Master’s in Education. She has conducted health and wellness research in an effort to raise more awareness about STDs/AIDS within the Somali community. Qorsho is a co-curator and author of an art project called Urur Dhex-Dhexad Ah (Community In Between), which aims to look at the lives and experiences of young Somali-Americans through a photo-narrative lens. In 2013, she was a part of the Fulbright ETA Program in Malaysia. Her experience inspired her to become an educator and catalyze change through intercultural interactions.
Italy Deputy Head of Mission Kelly Degnan at the Consulate’s reception with Amerigo President Vito Cozzoli (left) and ENAM Secretary General Massimo Cugusi (right)
On December 15th, 2016, the Italian Alumni Association Amerigo held a ceremony in Florence to honor the winners of the 8th Amerigo Media Award. In front of a large audience, Amerigo presented to ten journalists who had been selected by a jury for having contributed significantly to the improvement of Italians’ awareness of America. The U.S. Embassy’s Country Public Affairs Officer, the Consul General of the United States in Florence, the President of Amerigo, the Secretary General of the European Network of American Alumni Associations (ENAM), and Amerigo’s Florence chapter coordinator were all in attendance for this momentous occasion.
The following journalists received the 8th edition of the Amerigo Media Award in each of the following categories:
Press Associations: Stefano Polli from National Associated Press Agency (ANSA)
Daily Newspapers: Giuseppe Sarcina from “Il Corriere della Sera”
Periodicals: Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI)
Radio: Vatican Radio
Television: Francesca Forcella from Mediaset
Photography: Nanni Fontana and Massimo Di Nonno from “Corriere della Sera – Sette”
Websites: Luca Ciarrocca
Under 35: Silvia Berzoni from CNBC TV
Special Award: Mario Calabresi, editor-in-chief of “Repubblica”
Left to right: President of the Hellenic American Alumni Association, Danae Bezantakou, ENAM Secretary General Massimo Cugusi, Hellenic American Alumni Association Vice President Tonia Arahova, and European Award winner Nikolas Vafiadis
A number of Greek attendees were also present to honor the winner of the European section of the award: Greek journalist Nikolas Vafiadis. Guests included the president and vice president of the Hellenic American Alumni Association. Both Amerigo and the Hellenic American Alumni Association are full and active members of ENAM.
On December 14th, U.S. Embassy Rome’s Deputy Chief of Mission and the Consul General for Florence spoke of the importance of free speech and journalism at the Consulate’s reception in honor of the recipients of the Amerigo Media Awards.
A team of Armenian alumni organized a flash mob in order to show support for youth with disabilities by showcasing their participation with professional dancers in a public performance. To the tune of “Waltz of the Flowers” by Peter Tchaikovsky, 80 dancers of all abilities waltzed on the steps of Cafesjian Center for the Arts in Yerevan on October 15, 2016.
The flash mob is part of a winning Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) project titled “Unlimited Movement” led by a team of five Armenian exchange alumni. The project aims to address the challenges that children and youth with physical and mental disabilities face in today’s society in Armenia.
In addition to the flash mob, the team also created a film about animal therapy in healing and helping people with disabilities. The film tells the story of the Centaur Association of Animal Therapy and Equstrian Sports, a facility unique in the region which specializes in therapy for people living with disabilities. The film is directed by Aleksandr Baghdasaryan and is in Armenian with English subtitles. The film premiered on December 22, 2016 at the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) Yerevan building.
Ultimately, the alumni team’s Unlimited Movement project aims to promote physical and artistic freedom among people living with disabilities and encourage their integration into society. It aims to demonstrate ways in which they can overcome their disabilities.
The flash mob is part of a winning Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) project titled “Unlimited Movement” led by a team of five Armenian exchange alumni.
Ultimately, the alumni team’s Unlimited Movement project aims to promote physical and artistic freedom among people living with disabilities and encourage their integration into society.
A team of Armenian alumni organized a flash mob in order to show support for youth with disabilities by showcasing their participation with professional dancers in a public performance. To the tune of “Waltz of the Flowers” by Peter Tchaikovsky, 80 dancers of all abilities waltzed on the steps of Cafesjian Center for the Arts in Yerevan on October 15, 2016.
The STAR concert fundraiser raised nearly $5.500 toward scholarships for refugee students.
After studying Arabic in Morocco as a National Security Language Initiative (NSLI-Y) student, Adam Sella gained far more than impressive language skills. While abroad he spent time with fellow NSLI-Y scholars who worked with refugees in their hometowns, and began learning about the growing global refugee crisis. According to Adam, “My experience as a NSLI-Y scholar in Rabat, Morocco…was a turning point in my life. Apart from learning Arabic and enjoying the Moroccan culture, I met amazing people, from fellow American scholars to local Moroccans. One thing I did not anticipate was that I would become so passionate about helping refugees in my community.”
Upon returning home to Ohio, Adam was determined to help refugees in the United States. Last year, he started a club at his high school called STAR: Students Together Assisting Refugees. The group has already made huge strides in supporting refugees in Ohio and around the United States. To help raise awareness, STAR held two assemblies at Adam’s high school: one where two refugee students from Bhutan told the emotional stories of their resettlement in the US, and another where the German Consulate General of Chicago discussed the refugee crisis and Germany’s response. The group also organized a collection of household items that were donated to 266 refugee families in Cincinnati. In October, STAR held a benefit concert featuring musicians from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra that raised nearly $5,500 for scholarships that will be given to local refugee students. Additionally, STAR members volunteer each week tutoring refugee students. Adam encourages other schools to start their own local STAR clubs, and there are already seven groups around the country.
Adam is not the only exchange student alum committed to serving the refugee population. Joshua Kriesmann, an alumnus of the Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange Program, started a similar organization in Germany called Schüler Treffen Flüchtlinge e.V., or “Students Meet Refugees”. Adam and Joshua recently connected thanks to the State Department’s Alumni Network, and they have already started collaborating. The work of these alumni and their organizations has an incredible impact on the lives of refugees, and we can’t wait to see what they’ll do next.
The flash mob is part of a winning Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) project titled “Unlimited Movement” led by a team of five Armenian exchange alumni.
The project aims to address the challenges that children and youth with physical and mental disabilities face in today’s society in Armenia.
In addition to the flash mob, the team also created a film about animal therapy in healing and helping people with disabilities.
Ultimately, the alumni team’s Unlimited Movement project aims to promote physical and artistic freedom among people living with disabilities and encourage their integration into society.
