2026-2027 Competition is Now Closed. Please visit the Competition & Selection webpage for additional information.

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Current U.S. Student

United States citizens who are currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate degree programs are eligible to apply.If you are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at a U.S. college or university, you will apply through that institution, even if you are not currently a resident there. Find the Fulbright Program Adviser on your campus.

U.S. Citizen but not a Student

If you are a U.S. citizen, will hold a bachelor’s degree by the award start date, and do not have a Ph.D. degree, then you are eligible to apply. Non-enrolled applicants should have relatively limited professional experience in the fields (typically 7 years or less) in which they are applying. Candidates with more experience should consider applying for the Fulbright Scholar Program.

The Getting Started page will provide information on eligibility and next steps.

Artist

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program welcomes applications in the creative and performing arts. Arts candidates for the U.S. Student Program should have relatively limited professional experience in the fields (typically 7 years or less) in which they are applying. Artists with more experience should consider applying for the Fulbright Scholar Program.

Creative & Performing Arts projects fall under the Study/Research grant category and are available in all countries where Study/Research grants are offered.

FPA

U.S. Professor/Administrator

If you are a U.S. citizen and a professor or administrator at a U.S. institution and are interested in applying for a Fulbright Scholar Award, you will need to apply through fulbrightscholars.org.

To support your students in applying for a U.S. Student Program award, please connect with the Fulbright Program Adviser at your institution.

Non U.S. Citizens

If you are a non-U.S. citizen interested in applying for a Fulbright Award to the United States, you will need to apply through the Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy in your home country. Find out more information on the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program or Fulbright Foreign Student Program.

Competition & Selection

Competition & Selection

 

2026-2027 Competition is now closed The 2027-2028 competition will open in Spring 2026. Please check back.

Initial screening of applications  for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards are made based on the below three categories:

  • Project Proposal & Grant Purpose: 
    • Quality and feasibility of the proposal as described in the Statement of Grant Purpose.
    • For Academic Study/Research applications: Plan, timeline, and methodology of proposed project; appropriate in-country affiliation and resources; strong connection between proposed project and host country
  • Qualifications:
    • Academic and/or professional record.
    • Relevant training, accomplishments, and extracurricular activities
    • Language preparation (if required by host country or for project)
  • Contribution to the Fulbright Mission:
    • Preference factors as established by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB) and the Fulbright Commissions/Foundations.
    • Extent to which the candidate and the project will help to advance the Fulbright aim of promoting mutual understanding among nations through engagement in the host community, among other activities. 
    • Desirability of achieving wide institutional and geographic distribution.
  • Additional selection factors:
    • Ability of the supervising agencies abroad to arrange/confirm supervision and facilitate research clearance, if necessary.
    • Requirements of the program in individual countries. In some countries, advanced-degree candidates are preferred, and in some countries, certain fields of study are not recommended.
      • Refer to the award description before beginning an application to understand the requirements of your chosen award and confirm with IIE if you do not meet country specifications. 

Note: It is the policy of the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board that reasons for non-recommendation and non-selection of applications are not given.

Overview of the Selection Timeline

After the national deadline, submitted applications move through the following stages of the selection process:

  • October: All applications are screened in a technical review process for eligibility and completeness by IIE staff before being moved forward to the National Screening Committee. Application that are deemed ineligible or do not meet the award requirements for their host country are not moved forward in the selection process.
  • November - December: Applications are reviewed by National Screening Committee panels. Reviewers on the NSC are full-time faculty members of U.S. institutions who have discipline or region-specific experience. Reviewers read and rate applications and make recommendations for further consideration by the host country.
  • End of January: By the end of January, all applicants will receive initial notification of recommended or non-recommended status. Applicants will be notified via email when an updated selection status is available for them in the online application portal. 
    • Recommended: A candidate still under consideration for a Fulbright award.
    • Non-Recommended: A candidate who is no longer under consideration for a Fulbright award.
  • January - April:  All recommended applications are forwarded to the Public Affairs Sections of U.S. Embassies (Posts) or binational Fulbright Commissions overseas, the U.S. Department of State, and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board for review. The host country review process may include applicant interviews, requests for additional application materials, or other action items depending on the country’s requirements and review process. Selection decisions and timing can be influenced by a number of factors, including available funding, the number of applications received, country priorities, and any host institution administrative procedures (if applicable). All three entities must review selection decisions before candidates can be notified. Not all applications that were recommended in the National Screening Committee process will be selected for grants.
    • IIE staff are unable to comment or advise on the host country selection process.
  • March - June: Final selections are traditionally released on a rolling basis in the spring. IIE cannot predict when a specific award decision will be released. Semi-finalists will be notified via email when an updated selection status is available for them in the online application portal. 
    • Applicants are notified by email of the final status of their application, selectee, alternate, or non-select.
    • Principal/Finalist: A candidate who has been offered a Fulbright U.S. Student award, contingent upon several factors. Among these are availability of funding, a suitable placement at an institution in your host country, official research clearance from the host country (where applicable), satisfactory medical clearance, a visa, if required, and submission of all required grant documents.
    • Alternate: A candidate who may be promoted to Selectee status if additional funding becomes available.
    • Non-Select: A candidate who is no longer under consideration for a Fulbright award.
    • If your email address has changed since you submitted your application, please update your application with your new address by logging in to the application portal. You can also log into the application portal to check for a status update if you are concerned about missing an email notification. Please note decisions are not communicated by phone.

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

Departure from the United States - Departure dates usually correspond to the academic calendar of the host country. Approximate dates of the academic years in the various countries can be found in the Award Descriptions for each country. Requirements for attendance at orientation programs in the host country, where applicable, are indicated in the Award Descriptions.

Grant period - Grant dates are outlined in the country’s award description and traditionally must correspond to the academic calendar of the host country. Exceptions to stated start dates may be requested for grants with full-time research projects. For the 2026-2027 academic year, grants must begin no later than  June 1, 2027. Research applicants are expected to provide a feasible timeline for their project in the Statement of Grant Purpose. All grant timelines and start dates must be approved by Fulbright Commissions or Posts.