By Delaney Hackett
As of June 1, 2026, the Watson Fellowship ended its partnership with the University of Puget Sound, which means students are no longer able to apply to the fellowship. The Watson Fellowship is a one-year grant, gifted to graduating seniors “for purposeful, independent exploration outside the United States,” according to their website. This grant is specifically for small, selective liberal arts colleges, with 39 schools currently meeting the necessary eligibility requirements.
Fellowship Advisor Madison Howard stated, “Campus interest in Watson had dropped off. It was no longer aligning with student interests in the way that it once did.”
During the 2018-2019 academic year, there were 25 applications to the Watson Fellowship. This contrasts sharply with the four applications submitted by Puget Sound students in the past two years. The University and the Watson team were in close contact to recruit applicants, but their efforts were rendered largely unsuccessful.
There were aspects of the Watson Foundation that seemingly no longer appealed to students. Howard stated, “The leadership part was connecting, but the unstructured nature was not of interest to most of the people that I talked to.” The Fellowships Office and University began to look for different opportunities that have a structured nature, leadership boosts, and a more career-oriented experience to try to align with students’ interests.
The University has plenty to offer when it comes to one-year post-grad opportunities. Fulbright, Peace Corps, and the new addition of Princeton-In, to name a few. Pierre Ly, International Political Economy and Global Affairs professor as well as chair of the fellowship committee, stated, “Just in the last three days, one or two emails we sent about ‘Princeton-In’ have already resulted in more replies and appointments made than we got Watson applicants in a long time. And that’s only the beginning of our outreach.”
Princeton-In is similar to the Watson Fellowship and is a great alternative for those looking to travel while maintaining career opportunities. Ly commented, “Princeton-In offers possible job placements in organizations across many fields. It is very prestigious and competitive, and Puget Sound students have so many strengths for this. They would be awesome participants. We highly recommend they come to see us in fellowships, because we have a lot of experience helping them submit the best application they can.”
While the Watson Fellowship discontinuation was disappointing for many, the University still offers a wide variety of alternatives. If you are interested in these opportunities, Madison Howard recommended that you speak with the Fellowships office about other post-grad funding opportunities.