How to apply for Fulbright Scholarship

The Fulbright scholarship program is a merit-based scholarship program established by Senator J.William.
Fulbright in 1946.

This prestigious scholarship program is available to graduate students from over 150 countries. It was
founded to help young, artistic, skilled, and international students pursue their graduate studies and carry out
expectational research in the United States of America.

The Fulbright scholarship program is awarded to 4000 deserving candidates yearly. It also offers 2 to 5
years of funding for graduate students.

The U.S Department of State funds this scholarship program. Deserving candidates are awarded
the Fulbright scholarship program regardless of their race, sex, color, disability, national origin, age,
religion, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

This article will discuss this scholarship, its eligibility criteria, benefits, and application process.

Eligibility Criteria for Fulbright Scholarship:

Before applying for any scholarship, it is essential to know the requirements and whether you are
eligible.

Note: selection and eligibility policy vary from country to country. Make sure you visit their website
(https://us.fulbrightonline.org/about) to confirm.

Candidates must be citizens of one of the countries mentioned in the next section of this article.
They must be graduate students who have completed a notable amount of their graduate
studies in their home countries or country of residence.
Candidates must have the approval of their home educational institution.
First-degree are not eligible for this scholarship program.
Candidates must have an excellent academic record and prominent English proficiency.
They must participate in their first TOEFL exam by May of the respective year.
Candidates must get the least score on required standardized tests.
They must be dedicated to their educational program as planned and return home.
Candidates with excellent proposals that outline their methodology, research objectives, time
frame, and justification for carrying out the research in the United States of America are given
preference.
Candidates who have not studied in the United States of America will be given preference.

Eligible countries for Fulbright scholarships

Below are the countries currently eligible for the Fulbright scholarship program.
Angola, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea,
Eswatini, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar,
Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone,
South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, New Zealand,
Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste,
Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Australia, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati,
Korea, South, Laos, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Nauru, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania,
Russia, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and Ukraine.

United Kingdom, Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia &
Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab
Emirates, West Bank, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Maldives,
Western Hemisphere, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,
Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago,
Uruguay, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile,
Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Grenada.

Fulbright scholarship benefits:

The Fulbright scholarship program covers tuition fees, health insurance, a living allowance, airfare, book,
and supplies allowance, computer allowance, housing allowance, etc. for the duration of the recipient study.

It is important to note that the benefits offered by the Fulbright scholarship differ from country to
country.

Please visit their website (https://us.fulbrightonline.org/about/award-benefits) to find out the
benefits you are eligible for according to your country.

The U.S. Department of State, which is funding this scholarship, has the right to change without notice
the benefits offered by this scholarship program.

How to apply for Fulbright scholarship

Below is a guide to applying for the Fulbright scholarship program. Follow it meticulously.
Before applying for the Fulbright scholarship, make sure that the following documents are available;
three professional and academic references, curriculum vitae, academic transcripts from each tertiary institution attended, and two essays.

Candidates must have their GRE (The Graduate Record Examination) score ready before
applying for the scholarship. Candidates should ensure that ETS sends them an official score report, which they must attach to their application form.
Candidates will be required to have a minimum of 138 verbal and 136 quantitative for the GRE to
qualify for the Fulbright scholarship program.
The two essays required by this scholarship program must be approximately 800 words and
written in the space given in the application form. Candidates should write in an understandable
language. This is important, so candidates should take time and think about what they
will write.
Candidates are expected to submit three recommendations letter with their application form. It
can be 3 academic reference letters or 1 professional and 2 academic reference letters or 1
academic reference letter and 2 professional.
Referees must fill out the reference forms, sign, package, stamp, and seal them in an envelope
before submitting them. Referees will be sent an email once candidates submit the application
form.
Candidates must submit their academic transcripts and degrees from their 4-year
undergraduate degree, or it’s equal. As well as their Master’s degrees and transcripts. GPA is not
considered for this scholarship program, but a good grade point average (GPA) won’t hurt.
Another important thing candidates need to get ready is their curriculum vitae (an academic
resume). They must submit the most current resume in the space provided on the application
form.
Candidates will take TOEFL after they are shortlisted for an interview. Please note that IELTS is
not acceptable by this scholarship program.
Once all the candidate documents are completed, they should fill out the application online
and submit it. No application fee is required.
The next step after submitting your application is waiting for a notification of shortlisting.
Only shortlisted candidates are notified for an interview.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview by October. Any candidate that does not hear
from USEFP by October is not selected for the Fulbright scholarship program.
Getting an interview for this scholarship is excellent, but it does not guarantee admission. A panel of 4 people interviews for 15 to 30 minutes.
Candidates selected for the interview must come along with a TOEFL registration slip.
Candidates don’t need to have participated in the TOEFL exam by the interview date.

For more information about the Fulbright scholarship program, visit their website
https://us.fulbrightonline.org/about

Fulbright scholarship deadline:

The deadline for the Fulbright scholarship varies yearly per country but is usually between February to
October yearly. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified for an interview.

Conclusion

The Fulbright scholarship program is a prestigious scholarship program created to help foreign, talented,
and young students pursue their graduate degrees and conduct superb research in the United States of
America.

We hope you found this article on the “Fulbright scholarship program” informative.