Fulbright U.S. Student Program Applications Now Open for 2026–2027 (Fully Funded Scholarships & Grants)

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program expands views by means of tutorial {and professional} development and cross-cultural dialogue. Fulbright creates connections in a fancy and altering world. In partnership with greater than 140 nations worldwide, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides unparalleled alternatives in all tutorial disciplines to passionate and completed graduating school seniors, graduate college students, and younger professionals from all backgrounds. Program contributors pursue graduate study, conduct analysis, or train English overseas.

Grant lengths and dates differ by award. Please seek the advice of the particular award description for particulars.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) administers the Program underneath coverage pointers established by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB) in shut coordination with binational commissions and foundations in 49 nations, U.S. embassies in additional than 100 different nations, and cooperating agencies within the United States.

 

2026-2027 Competition Deadline: Tuesday October 7, 2025 at 5 pm Eastern Time

For any eligibility questions or considerations not answered within the sections under, please attain out to fbstudent@iie.org for steerage.

 

• Applicants should be residents or nationals of the United States of America on the time of the application deadline. Permanent residents are usually not eligible. Please evaluation the particular Award Description in relation to the eligibility of twin residents.
• Applicants will need to have a conferred bachelor’s diploma or equal earlier than the beginning of the grant interval.
  • This consists of candidates who’re enrolled in a bachelor’s diploma program and can graduate or hav e their diploma conferred previous to the grant begin date of their chosen award
  • In the inventive and performing arts, 4 years {of professional} coaching and/or expertise meets the fundamental eligibility requirement. If you might be an Arts applicant and don’t maintain a BA, please e mail fbstudent@iie.org along with your skilled expertise and academic historical past to substantiate eligibility earlier than starting an application.
• Applicants should meet the language necessities of the award to which they’re making use of and show adequate competency to finish their challenge and modify to life within the host nation.
• Applicants could maintain a J.D. on the time of application.
• Doctors of Medicine could obtain grants for superior tutorial study, however not for internships or residencies. Scholars with an M.D. diploma who’ve accomplished their formal postgraduate coaching and suggest attachment to a hospital or clinic for the aim of impartial or collaborative analysis ought to apply to the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Grants shall not authorize exercise for which a license to observe drugs or nursing is required. The Fulbright Program can not authorize proposals for medical analysis that includes medical coaching, affected person care or affected person contact.

Preferred Qualifications

• In basic, there’s a program desire for those that haven’t beforehand held a Fulbright grant. For the 2026-2027 competitors, 2025-2026, 2024-2025, and 2023-2024 grantees shall be at a aggressive drawback, however are nonetheless eligible to apply, supplied they proceed to fulfill all different eligibility necessities of this system and their chosen award.
• Preference shall be given to candidates whose larger schooling was undertaken primarily at instructional establishments within the United States. Undergraduate study overseas experiences, both within the chosen host nation or elsewhere, won’t be thought of a drawback.
• Candidates who haven’t resided or studied within the nation to which they’re making use of for greater than six months, not counting undergraduate study overseas, are most popular.
  • Duty overseas within the Armed Forces of the United States isn’t thought of disqualifying inside the that means of this part.
• Candidates who’ve served within the Armed Forces of the United States shall be given desire, supplied their {qualifications} are roughly equal to these of different candidates.
• For most applications, candidates who’ve had in depth, latest earlier expertise within the host nation are at a aggressive drawback however are nonetheless eligible to apply.
  • For this part, spending six or extra months within the host nation (outdoors of an undergraduate study overseas program) is taken into account in depth and up to date expertise.

 

2026-2027 Competition Deadline: Tuesday October 7, 2025 at 5 pm Eastern Time

Initial screening of functions  for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards are made primarily based on the under three classes:

• Project Proposal & Grant Purpose:
  • Quality and feasibility of the proposal as described within the Statement of Grant Purpose.
  • For Academic Study/Research functions: Plan, timeline, and methodology of proposed challenge; acceptable in-country affiliation and assets; robust connection between proposed challenge and host nation
• Qualifications:
  • Academic and/or skilled report.
  • Relevant coaching, accomplishments, and extracurricular actions
  • Language preparation (if required by host nation or for challenge)
• Contribution to the Fulbright Mission:
  • Preference elements as established by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB) and the Fulbright Commissions/Foundations.
  • Extent to which the candidate and the challenge will assist to advance the Fulbright purpose of selling mutual understanding amongst nations by means of engagement within the host neighborhood, amongst different actions.
  • Desirability of attaining broad institutional and geographic distribution.
• Additional choice elements:
  • Ability of the supervising businesses overseas to rearrange/affirm supervision and facilitate analysis clearance, if essential.
  • Requirements of this system in particular person nations. In some nations, advanced-degree candidates are most popular, and in some nations, sure fields of study are usually not really helpful.
    • Refer to the award description earlier than starting an application to grasp the necessities of your chosen award and ensure with IIE if you don’t meet nation specs.

Note: It is the coverage of the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board that causes for non-recommendation and non-selection of functions are usually not given.

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Overview of the Selection Timeline

After the nationwide deadline, submitted functions transfer by means of the next levels of the choice course of:

• Technical Review: All functions are screened for eligibility and completeness by IIE workers earlier than being moved ahead to the National Screening Committee. Application which might be deemed ineligible or don’t meet the award necessities for their host nation are usually not moved ahead within the choice course of.
• National Screening Committee (NSC): In November and December, functions are reviewed by National Screening Committee panels. Reviewers on the NSC are full-time school members of U.S. establishments who’ve self-discipline or region-specific expertise. Reviewers learn and price functions forward of a full-day assembly, the place they talk about functions and make suggestions for additional consideration by the host nation.
• Host Country Review & FFSB Approval: By the top of January, really helpful semi-finalists are forwarded on to the Fulbright Commissions or Posts within the host nations for remaining choice. The host nation evaluation course of could embody applicant interviews, requests for further application supplies, or different motion gadgets relying on the nation’s necessities and evaluation course of.
  • All chosen functions are authorized by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board previous to the discharge of ultimate selections.
  • IIE workers are unable to remark or advise on the host nation choice course of.

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The following apply to all sorts of Fulbright U.S. Student Awards:

Departure from the United States – Departure dates normally correspond to the educational calendar of the host nation. Approximate dates of the educational years within the varied nations may be discovered within the Award Descriptions for every nation. Requirements for attendance at orientation applications within the host nation, the place relevant, are indicated within the Award Descriptions.

Grant interval – In most circumstances, award dates should correspond to the educational calendar of the host nation. Exceptions could also be made for grants with full-time analysis initiatives. In any case, grants should start by March 31, 2026 for the 2026-2027 tutorial yr. Research candidates are anticipated to supply a possible timeline for their challenge within the Statement of Grant Purpose.

 

FOR MORE INFO AND TO APPLY PLEASE VISIT

 

Funding Level: The Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant numbers are topic to the provision of federally-appropriated funds. The U.S. Department of State reserves the suitable to change, with out discover, taking part nations, numbers of awards, phrases of settlement, and allowances.

Grant advantages for all Fulbright U.S. Student grants embody:

• Accident & Sickness Health Benefits
• 24/7 assist line for pressing and non-urgent conditions
• 12 months of non-competitive eligibility (NCE) hiring status inside the federal authorities
• A stipend broadly primarily based on the price of dwelling within the host nation. These funds could also be utilized by the grantee to cowl to room, board, and incidental prices in the course of the grant interval.

Additional grant advantages for Fulbright U.S. Student grants to Post nations:

• round-trip transportation to the host nation
• pre-departure and/or in-country orientations

Additional grant advantages for Fulbright U.S. Student grants to Commission nations:

• please evaluation the web site of the suitable Fulbright Commission as advantages could differ considerably.

Based on award and nation, some grants may embody:

• e book and analysis allowances*
• mid-term enrichment actions
• full or partial tuition
• language study applications

*Grantees with initiatives that require in depth analysis assist, in-country journey, study supplies, or tools ought to discover further funding from different sources to complement the Fulbright funding.

Grantees could not obtain duplicative funding:

• Fulbright grant advantages could also be diminished if they’re duplicated by one other grant.
• Grantees could, nevertheless, retain these advantages not particularly lined by one other grant (e.g. worldwide journey).
• No deduction shall be constituted of a Fulbright grant for advantages supplied by one other grant, however not by a Fulbright grant.

All English Teaching Assistants (ETAs) obtain an extra grant profit: 60-hour on-line TESOL Fundamentals Course

• This course should be accomplished previous to the pre-departure orientation within the United States for contributors in Post nations or the in-country arrival orientation for contributors in Commission nations.
• Those ETAs who have already got TESOL certification or equal coursework are exempt from finishing this on-line course.

Renewal or 2nd-year English Teaching Assistants (ETAs) obtain an extra grant profit: 120-hour on-line course and 20-hour instructing practicum

• This course should be accomplished in the course of the grant interval.
• Those ETAs who have already got TESOL certification are exempt from finishing this course.

Accommodation for Grantees with Disabilities

As part of the pre-departure course of, the Fulbright Program has developed a protocol to work with disabled grantees, on a case-by-case foundation, as requested, to supply affordable lodging to facilitate the success of their change expertise.

Please evaluation the related Award Description for particular particulars about award advantages.

 

FOR MORE INFO AND TO APPLY PLEASE VISIT

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