Fulbright Scholarship
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Fulbright Scholarship: The United States Congress created the Fulbright Program in 1946, immediately after World War II. Senator J. William Fulbright, sponsor of the legislation, saw it as a step toward building international cooperation. The Fulbright Program aims to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries, through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills. The U.S. Student Program is designed to give recent B.S./B.A. graduates, master’s and doctoral candidates, and young professionals and artists opportunities for personal development and international experience. Most grantees plan their own research programs (most do not take degrees). The Fulbright program is an excellent way to broaden and deepen one’s educational and cultural experiences and, in some cases, even do valuable field research for graduate study. A full-year (9-11 months, normally) of living expenses – including travel – are supported by a Fulbright grant.
Who Should Apply? Students who have a strong desire to serve the U.S. government abroad working to promote “mutual understanding” between the U.S. and the host country. Strong interpersonal skills, adaptability/independence, ability in host country’s language (where required/recommended), and a strong academic record are minimum requirements. The Fulbright program seeks young men and women who will make strong "cultural ambassadors" for the U.S. abroad. Academic accomplishments are important, but not to be overemphasized.
Application Timeline
Full Grants
| May - July | Review and download the application information and forms from the Institute of International Education's (IIE) website (http://us.fulbrightonline.org/home.html). Work on establishing an affiliation and project proposal. Conduct research on the history, culture, current events, etc. |
| July - August | Finish project proposal and draft of application online. Send requests to those writing recommendations (to be filled out online). |
| English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) | |
| May - July | Conduct research on the country to which you are applying to become familiar with the history, culture, current events, etc. |
| July - August | Finish draft of application online. Send requests to those writing recommendation (to be filled out online). |
| ALL Award Types | |
| September 15 | Application must be complete and submitted to the Fulbright Program Advisor (FPA), Dr. Erik Anderson, in hard copy. |
| Sept. 22 - Oct. 15 | On-campus interview with a faculty review committee. |
| Third Week of Oct. |
Submit online application and the FPA sends applications to the Institute of International Education. |
| January 31 | First round notification of candidates. |
| March - May | Winners are notified. |
Contact:
Dr. Erik Anderson, Fulbright Program Advisor at ejanderson@gcc.edu or 724-450-1537
Fulbright Website:
http://us.fulbrightonline.org/home.html