Fulbright Scholarship Application 2024 | What to Know
Fulbright scholarships are among the long standing and well-funded scholarships all over the world. These scholarships are fully-funded scholarships offered to international students wishing to study in USA. The scholarships are targeted at masters and doctoral students with requisite academic and research abilities with the aim of offering them world-class education and improving their research skills.
The Fulbright scholarship is an excellent opportunity for students, researchers, professionals, artists, and teachers across the globe who have had outstanding academic/personal achievements. Applications for various fellowships under the Fulbright program are released annually.
The Scholarships are sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the United States government’s foremost international educational exchange program designed to nurture mutual understanding among countries through educational and cultural exchange.
The Fulbright Program, an initiative of a U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright was introduced after World War II. Currently operating in more than 155 countries of the world, the Fulbright Scholarship is one of the most prestigious programs which supports exchange between the U.S. and international participants in the fields of sciences, business, public service, government, and the arts.
Since its inception, the Fulbright Scholarship has evolved into one of the largest academic and cultural exchange programs in the world. More than 310,000 teachers, researchers, graduate students, and professionals have participated in the Fulbright program.
Benefits:
- The grantee’s round-trip airfare to the U.S.
- A settling-in allowance, monthly stipend, housing allowance, books-and-supplies allowance, and computer allowance.
- It also covers basic university health insurance as a primary insurance coverage and the Fulbright ASPE health benefit as secondary coverage.
Please note that the scholarship does not cover travel of dependents, hence grantees will not be allowed to travel with spouse and children to the United States.
Fields of Study
Applicants must note that the Fulbright scholarship covers the following fields of study: Science, engineering, technology, arts, journalism/public relations/media studies, agriculture/food science, economics, environmental science, international relations, political science, public administration/policy, public health, and tourism.
However, candidates are to know that the scholarship is very competitive, especially in the fields of journalism, communication, and business administration, sciences such as chemistry, biology, physics, and engineering related disciplines.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Applicants must have an outstanding academic record and high level of English proficiency.
- International students from 155 countries around the world are eligible.
- Applicants must have high motivation and a serious commitment to completing the program as scheduled and to returning home.
- Only applicants with strong proposals, outlining their research objectives, methodology, time-frame, and justification for conducting the research in the U.S. will be short-listed for interviews.
- Please see the country specific websites to find information about the Fulbright Program in your home country including eligibility requirements and application guidelines.
Application Procedures
Interested applicants for the Fulbright Scholarships 2024 must fill out the applications forms completely and attach their supporting documents online (3 academic and professional references, Curriculum Vitae, academic transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended and writing sample).
Applicants will be expected to log onto the application portal, enter an e-mail address and create a password. Please remember your password as it will be used throughout the application process. Applicants are also advised to read the instructions preceding the application carefully and seek the assistance of senior colleagues who are Fulbright alumni before they fill out the forms.
Applicants should note that a complete application includes:
- An online application which includes: A clearly written research objective, Professional resume.
- Three letters of reference specifying the personal, academic and professional competence of the candidate (submitted electronically and attached to the online application).
- Student copy of academic transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended should be scanned and attached to the online application if available.
- TOEFL score report.
Note that all Foreign Student Program applications are processed by bi-national Fulbright Commissions/Foundations or U.S. Embassies. Therefore, foreign students must apply through the Fulbright Commission/Foundation or U.S. Embassy in their home countries. Deadline varies per country.
