throw_karma

Not OP, but I was a PCV in Africa and then again in Jamaica. I left right after graduating with a computer science degree, and left behind a lucrative offer at IBM. Peace Corps was the best thing that happened to me. It opened my mind in a way that would have been impossible while doing a 9-5 in a cubicle. The Peace Corps isn't for everyone, but for the right person, it can be the best time of their life.

I was a PC volunteer in Africa and then again in Jamaica. Both times the locals were floored that we were there helping. I've heard rumors about Fiji - many people think it will be the best post (I mean the gov't is paying you to live in Fiji...pretty awesome, right?) but the volunteers are all on separate islands and never see one another. This creates mental issues with them and many will quit early. Can't say anything about the political aspect of it, but I would wager that any US gov't program overseas has US interests at heart.

I don't mean to sound blunt, but if you can't be troubled to fill out a simple job application, then the PC application is going to be way too much for you. Think of it more like a college application. The process may have changed since I applied in 2008, but the main parts are:

• online application: personal info, job and school history, lots of yes/no questions. This can take up to a month on it's own. I believe there are also 2 or 3 short essays in this section.
  
• interview: meet with a recruiter and do an interview to determine if you're the right kind of person for the job.
  
• medical exam: body, eyes, teeth all need checking out before you're accepted.
  
• background check: gotta make sure you ain't on the lamb.

I think that's it. The timeline from submitting your app to getting in a plane headed to the developing world is typically anywhere between 6 months to 18 months. Usually it takes right around 1 year. They want a lengthy process so they don't end up with people who are trying to run away from their problems in the states. By making it so long, people have time to really think about if they want to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer.

The site isn't working right now for some reason, but this link will give you everything you need to know about student loans: http://www.peacecorps.gov/volunteer/learn/whyvol/during/instructions/

The short answer is that you can defer your loan payments while you are a volunteer, and you can get 15% knocked off any Perkins/federal loans for every year you serve (max 30%).

Not OP, but I know a Scott Tuttle if that helps. He was Peace Corps in Africa.