Applying for a Fulbright

Application details and grant terms for the Fulbright Program vary by country of citizenship and program.  Potential applicants should consult individual country pages for program availability and contact information or see a list of current programs.

The Fulbright Program's application process is lengthy and rigorous, and prospective applicants are encouraged to consider carefully their intentions, goals, future plans and prospective projects before applying for a Fulbright grant. Applicants for the Scholar and Teacher Exchange programs may also need to consider additional work-related issues (for instance, campus leave policies) before applying.

The competition for Fulbright Program grants is merit-based. Eligibility criteria will vary by program and by country. Candidates are selected based on a variety of factors, that may include (but are not limited to) academic qualifications, project feasibility, personal leadership ability, and available grant funds.

Fulbright operates on a yearly application cycle, which generally (but not in all cases) opens approximately 15 months before the anticipated start of the grant with a deadline approximately 11 or 12 months before the grant's start date. For instance, the U.S. Student Program's application is generally available in May with an October deadline for grants beginning the summer or autumn of the next year. Specific exceptions to this are the Fulbright-mtvU grant for U.S. students, the Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship Program for U.S. Students and Professionals, Fulbright Specialist Program for U.S. academics and professionals, and the Distinguished Fulbright Awards in Teaching Program for U.S. and international teachers.

Because a variety of cooperating agencies, binational Commissions and U.S. Embassies administer the Fulbright Program in the participating countries, this site (fulbright.state.gov) neither provides nor accepts applications directly.

The links below will provide all the information you will need to prepare your Fulbright application. Once you're ready to apply, please see the country pages for contact information by country and program for further instructions on the application process.

• Eligibility
• Advising
• Testing
• Placement/Affiliation
• Language Requirements
• Visas
• Selection