Fulbright U.S. Student Program

The largest U.S. exchange program, offers recent graduates, master's and doctoral candidates, as well as young professionals and artists opportunities for personal development and international experience. Operating in over 140 countries, the program currently awards approximately 2,000 grants per year across all fields of study. Its goal is to promote cultural exchange and mutual understanding through engagement in an environment of openness, academic integrity, and intellectual freedom.

Offering two specific , Research and English Teaching Assistant (ETA), 麻豆原创 students can apply to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program in one of two ways:

Internal applicant

Through the 麻豆原创 Fulbright Program
Through another home institution (e.g. your undergraduate institution)

External (“at large”/independent) applicant

To stay up-to-date on 麻豆原创 Fulbright Program events and deadlines, follow the official .

2025-2026 Fulbright U.S. Student Program Recipients

Genevieve Th茅venin

ETA, Zambia

Genevieve Thévenin is from Yonkers, NY, and recently completed her master's in Higher and Postsecondary Education at Teachers College (麻豆原创), Columbia University. She currently serves as a Career Coach at 麻豆原创 NEXT. Genevieve has been selected as a Fulbright Scholar to teach English in Zambia as an English Teaching Assistant (ETA). With over ten years of experience supporting college and pre-college students, she brings a strong background in education to this role. Genevieve will either be placed at a university or work directly with educators, and may also have the opportunity to collaborate with the U.S. Embassy in Zambia to support career education initiatives.

Through research and conversations with past Zambia Fulbright Scholars, Genevieve has learned that career guidance is crucial for supporting university students in Zambia. Her goals for the Fulbright ETA are to expand her expertise in supporting English language learners and to engage students by integrating career exploration into their language studies. Looking ahead, Genevieve is excited to continue her work with adult learners as an English language instructor and to further expand her engagement with international student populations.

Sierra Cazassa

ETA, Mexico

Hello! My name is Sierra Cazassa and I recently graduated in May with my master’s in International and Comparative Education from Teachers College. Prior to moving to New York City, I studied Language Education and Spanish at Boston University, gaining licensure to teach ESL, Spanish, and Social Studies. With family roots in Brazil, I am particularly interested in education for migrants and I bring more than 6 years of experience teaching languages to refugee and immigrant students in the U.S., Spain, and Brazil. For the past two years, I have led the Youth ESOL Program at the International Rescue Committee in New York.

For my upcoming Fulbright in Mexico, I will be placed at a vocational university in Otzolotepec with an English Teaching Assistant grant. Mexico champions one of the world's most unique networks of multilingual universities, where students can develop academic and professional language skills preparing them for a number of futures. Closely connected with my goals as an ESL teacher in the United States, I am excited to learn from Mexico's educators and students about how bilingual knowledge is encouraged, developed, and sustained. I chose to apply to Fulbright not only for the immersive linguistic and cultural aspect of living and working in Mexico, but because I am certain this time will help me develop my skills as an educator upon my return to the United States.

Eligibility

To be for a Fulbright grant, applicants must:

Be citizens or nationals of the U.S. at the time of application (Permanent residents are not eligible)
Hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent before the start of the grant
Meet the language requirements of the award (if applicable) and demonstrate sufficient competency to complete their project and adjust to life in the host country
Not apply to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and the Fulbright Scholar Program in the same competition cycle

Award Benefits

Overall

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant numbers are subject to the availability of federally-appropriated funds as governed under the discretion of the U.S. Department of State.

Benefits

Accident and sickness health benefits
24/7 support line for urgent and non-urgent situations
12 months of within the federal government
Stipend broadly based on the cost of living in the host country to be used for room, board and incidental costs during the grant period

Additional benefits for grants to post countries:

Round-trip transportation
Pre-departure and/or in-country orientations

*Post countries: Countries where the U.S. embassy is responsible for Fulbright activities in lieu of a country-operated Fulbright Commission. Responsibility for the Fulbright Program rests with the Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the embassy under the direction of the Public Affairs Officer (PAO) or Cultural Affairs Officer (CAO).

Based on award and country, some grants may also include:

Book and research allowances*
Mid-term enrichment activities
Full or partial tuition
Language study programs

*Grantees with projects that require extensive research support, in-country travel, study materials, or equipment should explore additional funding from other sources to supplement Fulbright funding.

ETA grantees

In addition, ETA grantees also receive 60-hour online TESOL fundamentals course, which must be completed prior to the pre-departure orientation for participants in countries or the in-country arrival orientation for participants in countries. ETA grantees who already have TESOL certification or the equivalent coursework are exempt from this requirement.

Renewal or 2nd-year ETAs also receive a 120-hour online course and 20-hour teaching practicum that must be completed during the grant period. ETAs with previous TESOL certification are exempt from this requirement.

Grantees with Disabilities

IIE works with disabled grantees, on a case-by-case basis, as requested, to provide reasonable accommodations to facilitate the success of their exchange experience. Applicants should carefully review the relevant award description for more specific details.

Award Cycle: 2027 - 2028 (April 2026 - October 2026)

Please note the time zone specifications as there are NO exceptions for late or incomplete submissions.

April 2026: application portal opens

June 5, 2026 @ 5pm ET: form soft deadline

This form is optional and is intended for those interested in more tailored support at an earlier stage. The form will stay open until July 3rd, but we encourage you to submit by June 6th.

July 3, 2026 @ 5pm ET: & form deadlines

Both forms are mandatory for students who wish to apply internally through the College.
Prior to requesting faculty endorsement, students should have notified their faculty sponsor of their interest in a Fulbright grant and also shared their project/research ideas with that sponsor.
Students who do not meet this deadline are welcome to apply as an internal applicant through another home institution or as an external candidate.

August 28, 2026 @ 5pm ET: 麻豆原创 Institutional Deadline

This is only for 麻豆原创 internal applicants who wish to advance to interviews with the Faculty Review Committee (FRC) in September.
Internal applicants must submit their applications in the Embark application portal.

September 15-25, 2026: FRC Virtual Interviews

This is only for 麻豆原创 internal applicants.
Conducted via Zoom, the College's FRC interviews applicants after reading their applications. The purpose of the interview is for applicants to receive 1-on-1 feedback directly from 麻豆原创 faculty, many of whom have reviewed Fulbright applications on the national level.
The FRC will also convene to decide on institutional endorsement for each applicant.
After receiving this feedback, applicants are welcome to "un-submit" their applications in the Embark portal to allow them to make revisions before the national deadline.
- Applicants who elect to have their applications submitted are responsible for submitting their application AGAIN by the national deadline.
- Internal applicants at this stage will receive instructions via email on how to request an "un-submit."

October (TBD), 2026 @ 5pm ET: Fulbright National Deadline

All applicants (internal and external) must SUBMIT completed applications (online application and supplementary materials) in the Embark portal.
- Supplementary materials refers to letters of recommendation, transcripts, language evaluations, host affiliation letters, etc.
Internal candidates whose applications were un-submitted following FRC interviews must SUBMIT AGAIN by this deadline. The Program is not able (or responsible for) submitting applications.

November - December 2026: NSC Review

After a technical review whereby all applications are screen for eligibility and completeness, IIE convenes the National Screening Committee (NSC) to read and rate applications and make recommendations to the host country.
- NSC reviewers are are full-time faculty members of U.S. institutions who have discipline or region-specific experience.

January 2027: Semi-Finalist Notifications Begin

Candidates are notified via email about whether or not their applications have been recommended to their host country.

March - June 2027: Finalist Notifications

Countries deliberate and select final grant recipients.
Exact notification dates vary by country and some candidates may not be notified until mid- or late-summer.

Recommended Timeline for Preparing an Application

Timeline	Recommended Task(s)
March 2026	General Visit the IIE Fulbright website and become familiar with the types of awards and the host countries Select a country Research Begin conceptualizing a research proposal Begin researching potential host institution affiliations Share your Fulbright interest and proposal ideas with a trusted faculty mentor who can help you refine the former and support you with securing a host institution ETA Share your Fulbright interests with a trusted faculty mentor If needed, consider evaluating your foreign language skills depending on your host country
April 2026	The official Embark online application portal opens. Make an account Go through the entire online application, making sure to note optional vs. mandatory items
March - May 2026	麻豆原创 Fulbright Program Attend an information session and/or schedule a 1-on-1 with the Fulbright Program Coordinator Declare your “” Begin working on statement drafts Send an updated resume/CV to your faculty mentor Research Award Request a letter of affiliation letter from a host institution or continue networking to identify a host institution
May - June 2026	Decide your application path (internal vs. external), making sure to review the requirements for internal candidacy at either 麻豆原创 or the home institution you're interested in If you decide to apply as a 麻豆原创 internal candidate: Submit the and forms by the deadline Request letters of recommendation If possible, include an updated resume/CV and a draft of one of your statements in your request so that the recommender has as much information as possible to craft the strongest letter. Further your language skills Complete the self-evaluation and determine how best to complete the professional evaluation Consider enrolling in language courses
June 5, 2026 @ 5pm ET	SOFT DEADLINE: (optional)
July 3, 2025 @ 5pm ET	DEADLINE(S): (mandatory) (mandatory)
July 2026	Summer Development Phase (麻豆原创 internal applicants only) Attend the Program alumni panel (open to all) Meet with your alumni advisor Revise your statement drafts Complete the Embark portal online application Request official transcripts
August 2026	Follow up with your recommenders and your host institution to confirm submission of your letters or recommendation and/or your host institution letter Finalize your application statements
August 28, 2026 @ 5pm ET	麻豆原创 Institutional Deadline Internal applicants MUST hit submit in the Embark portal. This is the only way that the Program and the Faculty Review Committee will be able to access your application. Once you submit, you will NOT be able to access your application in the Embark portal. You do NOT need to upload your letter of affiliation or your letters of recommendation by this institutional deadline, as they are not evaluated in the FRC review.
September 2026	麻豆原创 FRC Interviews The FRC convenes to: Review applications and interview applicants (via zoom) Determine institutional endorsement
September - October 2026	Final Revisions Internal candidates can request that the Program "un-submit" their applications in the Embark portal. An un-submit returns access back to the applicant. Using feedback from the FRC, make final revisions Confirm that your supplementary materials are uploaded to the Embark online portal Follow up with recommenders to confirm completion of your letters of recommendation
October (TBD), 2026 @ 5pm ET	Fulbright National Deadline No exceptions; applies to both internal and external candidates Internal candidates who requested their applications be un-submitted are responsible for SUBMITTING again by this deadline. Do NOT wait until the final deadline to submit your application as the portal has been known to crash on the deadline day due to the volume of access

Eligibility

Students who wish to apply through the 麻豆原创 Fulbright Program as internal applicants must be:

Enrolled in a degree program; and
Registered for at least five (5) academic credits (or the equivalent) for both Fall 2025 and Spring 2026

Advantages

Per , students currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at a U.S. college or university, are strongly encouraged to apply through that institution.

Although applying internally requires adhering to a specific timeline, including an institutional deadline by which students must submit the official online application and statements, internal candidacy also comes with specific advantages:

A structured application timeline that includes 1-on-1 support from Program staff
Interview and faculty feedback
The possibility of receiving institutional endorsement

Award Types

Each year, the 麻豆原创 Fulbright Program supports internal applicants with two awards:

*Applicants should carefully review this class of awards so as not to confuse it with open study awards or graduate degree program awards.

Pre-Application Process

The 2027-2028 award cycle opens on March 31, 2026. The 麻豆原创 Fulbright Program institutional deadline is August 28, 2026 by 5pm ET (no exceptions).

The institutional deadline requires students to complete the online application and upload their statements and transcripts to the , as these are the materials the 麻豆原创 Faculty Review Committee will review and reference during interviews. Internal applicants do not need to upload (1) the host affiliation letter or (2) letters of recommendation by this deadline. However, they must upload these items by the national deadline.

To apply internally, students:

Should submit the optional form as early as possible.
Must submit the mandatory form and form by Friday, July 3, 2026, 5 PM (ET).
Secure letters of recommendation from at least two 麻豆原创 faculty members (Research award only).

*Please note the timezone deadlines. There will be no exceptions for late submission.

The Preliminary application requires sharing drafts and/or outlines of your statements. In order for this application to be considered complete, students must also submit a faculty endorsement by the deadline. Ideally, the endorsement should come from an academic or dissertation advisor; however, students are welcome to request endorsements from any 麻豆原创 faculty member (adjuncts and lecturers, included). These forms are internal documents only, and are never shared outside of the Program.

Completing the Fulbright application is an endeavor that requires several months of preparation and critical reflection. By formally declaring the Intent to Apply and submitting the Preliminary Application early, students should expect to receive 1-on-1 guidance and resources from the 麻豆原创 Fulbright Program.

Embark Portal

The official online application, including fields to upload supporting documents (e.g. statements, transcripts, language evaluations, etc.)
Internal applicants must submit this application twice:

Once by the institutional deadline Friday, August 28, 2026, 5 PM (ET); and
Once for the IIE national deadline Tuesday, October (TBD), 2026, 5PM (ET).

Between these two submission deadlines, students will have the opportunity to revise their application based on feedback from the Faculty Review Committee.

Campus Interviews

The Faculty Review Committee (FRC) convenes in mid-September to virtually (via zoom) interview internal applicants.
Following the interview, the FRC may share additional written feedback. Otherwise, applicants are welcome to request via email that OGE returns their applications in the Embark portal so that they can make revisions based on said feedback.

Applicants who request their applications back are 100% responsible for re-submitting applications by the national deadline (TBA). OGE and 麻豆原创 Fulbright Program staff not able to resubmit on any applicant’s behalf.

The national deadline -- for all applicants, application process/pathway -- is October (TBD), 2026 at 5pm ET. Please note that the deadline is timezone specific with absolutely no exceptions.

Application Components

While the official Fulbright application is submitted electronically via the , internal candidates are also required to submit the and the to Office of Global Engagement. For more information on these internal forms, please refer to the “Information for Internal Applicants” tab.

The components of the application are:

Online application (Embark)
Statement of grant purpose
Personal statement
Three (3) recommendation letters (research award) or three (3) recommendation forms (ETA)

Fulbright recommendation instructions can be found here for , and for .

Language evaluation (if applicable)

Language self-evaluation form

Refer to “FAQs for Students” >> “Language Proficiency Requirements”.

Host affiliation letter(s) (for research award only)
(for creative and performing arts grants)

Detailed explanations of the application components for the and the award are available on the IIE website.

Things to Note

Research Award

Take note of host affiliation requirements for your specific country, as some countries have specific criteria for affiliations (e.g. academic institutions only, etc.).
Your affiliation should be a country鈥恇ased institution, not an American institution with branches abroad.
Although the letters of recommendation and language evaluation are uploaded by others, you must upload the letter of affiliation yourself. It must be on institutional letterhead. It cannot be the body of an email from an email correspondence, but you can ask for a scanned PDF.
We advise that you contact your host organization for the letter of affiliation as early as March. The letter of affiliation cannot be obtained a month or a few weeks before the application due date. Failure to secure a letter of affiliation is oftentimes the reason applicants are unable to complete the application.
If you need ideas for a sponsoring institution, explore the or the .

ETA Award

In addition to working with their assigned students, ETA recipients must also complete a community outreach project in the local community. Because the Fulbright Program focuses on cultural exchange, this project is a critical component of the application, and students should mention their project ideas in their statements.
For ideas on suitable community outreach projects, read the and profiles of .

Resources

From Fulbright U.S. Program:

Books:

Tori O'Neal-McElrath and Mim Carlson. Winning Grants Step by Step : The Complete Workbook for Planning, Developing and Writing Successful Proposals. John Wiley & Sons, 2013. ()
Gen Tanabe and Kelly Tanabe. The Ultimate Scholarship Book 2019 : Billions of Dollars in Scholarships, Grants and Prizes. SuperCollege, 2018. ()
Dakota Pawlicki, Chase James, Gregory Michie, and Gregory Michie. The Insider's Guide to Winning Education Grants. John Wiley & Sons, 2013. ()
Donald C. Orlich and Nancy R. Shrope. Developing a Winning Grant Proposal. Routledge, 2012. ()
Burns, Thomas. The Zen of Fulbright. Los Angeles: Don Davis Press, 2014.
Schall, Joe. Writing Personal Statements & Scholarship Application Essays. Mason: Cengage Learning, 2008.
Stewart, Mark Alan. How to Write the Perfect Personal Statement. Peterson's, 2012.