2024-2025 competition is closed. 2025-2026 competition will open in April 2024. 

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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.

Belgium

6 English Teaching Assistant Award

Accepted Degree Levels
  • Bachelor's
  • Master's
  • Doctoral
Grant Period
Fall Start
Grant Length
9 Months
Award Type
English Teaching Assistant
Award Profile

The Fulbright Commission in Brussels offers 6 English Teaching Assistant Awards to Belgium per year. Assistants are expected to have about 12 contact hours per week with students; activities vary depending on the needs of the students and host institution teachers, and these 12 contact hours do not include prep time for work in front of the classroom. Assistants may be able to enroll in limited courses, including language courses, upon agreement with the host institution on arrival. 

Grantees in this award are expected to receive €1,600/month to cover living expenses along with a one-time travel stipend currently set at €2,000 to cover the cost of round-trip flights to/from Belgium, the costs of applying for the visa and the residence permit process once in the country, and other miscellaneous requirements linked to the grant. These amounts are subject to change and are only confirmed once successful candidates have signed their Terms of Award with the Fulbright Commission in Brussels.

Grant Length
9 Months
Grant Period
Fall Start

The standard grant is for a duration of nine months. Grants will follow the academic calendar, beginning in mid-September 2024 and concluding in mid-June 2025 (Candidates wishing to begin the grant period at another time should explicitly state this in their application).

Orientation
Pre-Departure and In-Country Orientation

Prior to departure from the U.S., the Fulbright Commission will organize a virtual pre-departure orientation for Fulbright grantees to Belgium and Luxembourg. Grantees will be required to attend an in-country orientation with the Fulbright Commission in Brussels upon arrival in September. For Fulbright English Teaching Assistants, the orientation includes an ETA Training Day focused on teaching skills and cultural differences.

Candidate Profile

Candidates to the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program should be well-rounded, articulate individuals with the skills and motivation needed to assist in teaching American studies and English language to Belgian students at the pre-university and/or university level. Students with an academic background or professional experience in a related field (e.g., literature, linguistics) should make sure to state this in their applications. Applications from candidates holding Bachelor's or Master's degrees in any field will be accepted, but preference may be given to students with prior teaching experience.

English Teaching Assistants are expected to serve as cultural ambassadors to Belgium, and preference is given to candidates who demonstrate the initiative to integrate cultural events into their lesson plans and who will continue to promote U.S.-Belgian relations upon their return to the United States. 

Eligibility
Dual citizens of this country are NOT eligible
Residency in host country NOT permitted in year prior to grant
Indicate how many months is considered residency:
6 Months
Accepted Degree Levels
  • Bachelor's
  • Master's
  • Doctoral
Foreign Language Proficiency
Recommended - Novice

Foreign language proficiency is not required, but preference may be given to applicants with some level of proficiency in one of Belgium's three official languages (French, Dutch, and German). There is no guarantee that grantees with prior academic study of French will be placed in a Francophone institution or that grantees with prior academic study of Dutch will be placed in a Dutch-speaking institution. Upon selection, some study of the local language prior to arrival is encouraged to promote deeper engagement with the host community.

Placement Type
  • Secondary School
  • University/Post-Secondary Institution
  • Other Educational/Community Institution

Host institutions in Belgium include secondary schools and community institutions (located primarily in bilingual Brussels) and universities and university colleges (located throughout Belgium). The Fulbright Commission will place selected grantees in a host institution based on the candidate's academic profile and stated interests as well as the preferences of the partner institution. 

Placement types may vary from year to year, based on partnerships with local host institutions. Candidates are encouraged to visit the website of the Fulbright Commission to learn more about the program and to read blog posts from previous Fulbright grantees.

Placement Locations
  • Capital City
  • Regional City

Teaching assistant placements may vary from year to year, based on partnerships with local host institutions. Past participants have been based in the capital city of Brussels as well as in other regional cities in Flanders and Wallonia. Destinations for Fulbright ETAs in recent years include the cities of Antwerp, Bruges, Brussels, Geel, Ghent, Hasselt, Kortrijk, Louvain-la-Neuve, Mechelen, and Namur.

There is no guarantee that grantees with prior academic study of French will be placed in a Francophone institution or that grantees with prior academic study of Dutch will be placed in a Dutch-speaking institution. 

Supplementary Project
Optional

In addition to their work inside the classroom, grantees are expected to engage in other activities related to their personal, career, and/or educational interests. These may include an extracurricular club for students or an independent study/research project or other activity that will complement, but not conflict with, assigned teaching and advising responsibilities. Applicants should include a brief description of their supplementary projects in their statements of grant purpose.

Housing Arrangements

Fulbright grantees are responsible for arranging their own housing in Belgium. Most Fulbright grantees choose to live in affordable shared accommodation with graduate students or young professionals. The Fulbright Commission will provide grantees with advice and a list of resources prior to arrival; additional support in finding housing may be provided by the grantee's host institution. Additional support in finding housing may be provided by the grantee's host institution. More resources will be provided to successful candidates at their pre-departure orientation typically held in April/May before their arrival.

Dependents
Dependent financial support is NOT available

The Fulbright Commission in Brussels does not provide financial support to grantees bringing dependents, but we do provide additional information for how to bring dependents on the grant. Any dependents wishing to come to Belgium for more than 90 days in any 180-day period will be required to apply for a visa as well. This is typically done at the same time as the visa application for the grantee. 

Please keep in mind that childcare is difficult to come by in Belgium, so bringing young children can pose additional challenges. Enrollment in primary or secondary schools is possible in most cases for grantees staying in Belgium for longer than 90 days. More resources can be provided on a case by case basis.

Fulbright Program Management Contact
FBstudent.EUR@iie.org
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Website
https://www.fulbright.be/
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Contact
Jace Jasper: jace@fulbright.be
Additional Online Resources
Fulbright Commission YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn_YjM5wVQ2tO0iupKl6T7A
Fulbright Grantee Blog Posts: http://www.fulbright.be/category/belgium/americans-in-belgium/