Become a PMF
Eligibility
The PMF Class of 2012 application closed on September 25,
2011. Please continue to monitor this website for information
regarding the PMF Class of 2013, which is expected to launch in the
fall 2012.
If you will meet all graduate degree
requirements (even though you have not necessarily graduated),
including the completion or successful defense of any required
thesis or dissertation (as required), between September 1, 2011 and
August 31, 2012, you are eligible to apply in the fall of 2011, for
the PMF Class of 2012. If you obtained your advance
degree prior to this eligibility period, you are not eligible to
apply based on current PMF Program regulations and
policies.
As a graduate student from any academic discipline and expected
to complete an advanced degree (master's, law, or doctoral-level
degree) from a qualifying college or university during the current
academic year, you are eligible to apply.
Eligibility is based on completion of current graduate work
by August 31, 2012. If you have a prior graduate degree, you may
still participate in the PMF Program so long as you are currently
completing a different advanced degree which will be completed by
August 31, 2012. However, if you have previously applied to the PMF
Program while pursuing another graduate degree, you must contact
the PMF Program Office at
pmfapplication@opm.gov to determine
eligibility. Generally, applicants are permitted to apply and
participate in the PMF selection process only once per graduate
degree.
A qualifying college or university is an academic institution
that meets the requirements as stated in the "General Policies and
Instructions" section of OPM's "Operating Manual: Qualification
Standards for General Schedule Positions", under "Educational and
Training Provisions or Requirements". The Operating Manual is
available on OPM's website at www.opm.gov/qualifications 
. Generally, the
institution must be accredited or must have acquired
"pre-accreditation" or "candidate for accreditation status" by an
accrediting body recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department
of Education.
You can search the U.S. Department of Education's Federal
Student Aid website at https://fafsa.ed.gov/FAFSA/app/schoolSearch?locale=en_En
to see if your college/university has a valid Federal Title V
School Code (see FAQ No. 7 from the "Become a PMF\FAQs"
webpage). If your college/university is listed, then most
likely it is accredited and recognized for eligibility in applying
to the PMF Program.
UPDATED: 09-30-2011, 8:50 AM (ET)