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Fulbright Grant Information Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Fulbright Grant?

The Fulbright program was established by Senator William Fulbright after WWII to encourage more American students to travel outside of the United States and to facilitate world peace through cross-cultural understanding. Today, the Student Fulbright program is administered by the Institute of International Education's New York office and annually awards close to 1000 scholarships for students to spend one year of academic study and/or research, or to engage in creative projects, in 140 countries around the world.

There are three different types of grants:

  • full
  • travel
  • teaching assistantships 

Who is eligible?

The funding is basically for graduate study/research/creative projects abroad. Applicants must be:

  • US citizens
  • Have their bachelors degree by the beginning of the program of study
  • Not have a PhD

 

What are the criteria?

There is no GPA requirement, but applicants must:

  • be very good students
  • have strong academic preparation for proposed study or project
  • be proficient in the language of countries where English is not the native language (in most cases)
  • be able to produce three strong academic references
  • have excellent and very specific reasons for wanting to pursue the project in the chosen country

 

What does the application involve?

The application is comprised of:

  • the statement of purpose, 1-2 pages long
  • narrative curriculum vitae, 1 page
  • foreign language evaluation report, if applicable
  • three academic references
  • official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended to date
  • creative and performing arts students must submit supplementary materials, slides/videos of work

All supporting documents must be handed/mailed directly to applicants by recommenders/registrars in sealed envelopes with signatures across the seal. Applicants must then submit the sealed envelopes directly to International Programs by the deadline.

What makes an application competitive?

 

  • a good academic record
  • strong, supportive references that speak to the applicant's accomplishments generally, but also specifically to his/her ability to carry out proposed project
  • an excellent proposal/statement of purpose.

 

What exactly is the Statement of Purpose?

 The Statement of Purpose/Academic Proposal is the crux of the Fulbright application and spells out in detail what you want to do, and why, where, how and when you want to do it. It is normally not longer than two pages. This essay should also address:

  • how well you are prepared for the project
  • that whatever you intend to do follows naturally on what you've already been doing
  • how your proposed study/research will further your academic or professional development
  • the significance of the project
  • why you must go abroad and to that specific country to carry out the project
  • the contribution the project will make to the Fulbright objective of promoting cross-cultural interaction and mutual understanding.

The proposal must be feasible, well-researched, and carefully thought out, and your proposed study/research must have intellectual merit. The essay itself must be well-written. Be prepared for many re-writes and seek out as many readers as possible for constructive criticism and help with proofreading.

What is the process?

 

  • Students enrolled as full-time Temple students must apply through Temple University and meet the Temple University deadline (September 28, 2009 for 2010-2011)
  • Students not enrolled may apply as at-large candidates and apply directly to the Institute of International Education in NY for their October 19 deadline.
  • Start now! Through spring and summer:
    • Work on essays.
    • Establish contacts overseas who can support the project and increase feasibility.
    • Line up references.
    • Request official transcripts - these can take several weeks so request well in advance of deadline.
  • Students submit application and supporting documents to International Programs by September 28, 2009.
  • Applicants are interviewed by the Campus Fulbright Committee October 5-9.

 

How do I get started?

 

  • Go to Fulbright website, www.fulbrightonline.org, and review:
    • individual country summaries, which outline the requirements/preferences for each country
    • Application statistics - these indicate how competitive each country is
    • Annual Directory of Awardees to see the kinds of projects that have been funded in the country that you're interested in.
  • Talk to your faculty
  • Make an appointment with Denise Connerty, International Programs, 215-204-0720
  • Attend a Fulbright information session at IIE's New York office.