Executive Order 13750: Providing for the Appointment of Alumni of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, and the Critical Language Scholarship Program to the Competitive Service
President: Barack Obama
Made qualifying Fulbright, Gilman and Critical Language Scholarship alumni eligible for noncompetitive federal appointments.
Status: In effect. Is Executive Order 13750 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13750's appointment authority remains unrevoked in the Federal Register disposition table. The State Department's official guidance still describes noncompetitive eligibility for qualifying Fulbright, Gilman, and Critical Language Scholarship alumni under this order, subject to its individual eligibility periods and hiring conditions. Sources: Office of the Federal Register: current 2016 executive order disposition table; Executive Order 13750: signed text; State Department: noncompetitive eligibility for federal employment.
What does Executive Order 13750 do?
EO 13750 permits agencies to appoint qualifying alumni of three State Department exchange and scholarship programs to career or career-conditional competitive-service positions without a new competitive examination. Eligibility generally requires successful program completion and appointment within the specified period, while normal qualifications and suitability still apply. OPM issued government-wide implementation guidance and the authority has not been revoked.
Before and after
Before the order
Alumni lacked this program-specific government-wide hiring pathway.
After the order
Agencies gained an optional noncompetitive source of internationally experienced candidates.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| State Department | Certify qualifying alumni | Continuing |
| Hiring agencies | Verify eligibility and appoint qualified candidates | Continuing |
| OPM | Maintain implementation policy | Continuing |
What happened next
EO 13750 created the authority.
OPM issued policy guidance.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
Civil-service merit, qualification, suitability, veterans’ preference and citizenship rules remain applicable.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- OPM — 2017 implementation guidance (opens in a new tab) Official record
- State Department — alumni resources (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 15, 2026. How we research →