Fulbright Scholarship Requirement 2024

The Fulbright Scholarship is a prestigious international scholarship program sponsored by the United States government. It is named after Senator J. William Fulbright, who initiated the program in 1946 with the goal of promoting mutual understanding and cultural exchange between the United States and other countries

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program expands perspectives through academic and professional advancement and cross-cultural dialogue. Fulbright creates connections in a complex and changing world.

 In partnership with more than 140 countries worldwide, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers unparalleled opportunities in all academic disciplines to passionate and accomplished graduating college seniors, graduate students, and young professionals from all backgrounds. Program participants pursue graduate study, conduct research, or teach English abroad. 

Eligiblity Requirement For Fulbright Scholarship

For any eligibility questions or concerns not answered in the sections below, please reach out to fbstudent@iie.org for guidance.

• Applicants must be citizens or nationals of the United States of America at the time of the application deadline. 

• Applicants must have a conferred bachelor’s degree or equivalent before the start of the grant period.

• Applicants must meet the language requirements of the award to which they are applying 

• Applicants may hold a J.D. at the time of application.

• Doctors of Medicine may receive grants for advanced academic study, but not for internships or residencies. Scholars with an M.D. degree

What You Should Know In General

In general, there is a program preference for those who have not previously held a Fulbright grant. For the 2024-2025 competition, 2023-2024, 2022-2023, and 2021-2022 grantees will be at a competitive disadvantage, but are still eligible to apply, provided they continue to meet all other eligibility requirements of the program and their chosen award.

Preference will be given to applicants whose higher education was undertaken primarily at educational institutions in the United States. Undergraduate study abroad experiences, either in the chosen host country or elsewhere, will not be considered a disadvantage.

Candidates who have not resided or studied in the country to which they are applying for more than six months, not counting undergraduate study abroad, are preferred. Duty abroad in the Armed Forces of the United States is not considered disqualifying within the meaning of this section.

Candidates who have served in the Armed Forces of the United States will be given preference, provided their qualifications are approximately equivalent to those of other candidates.

For most programs, applicants who have had extensive, recent previous experience in the host country are at a competitive disadvantage but are still eligible to apply.