Fulbright Program

What Is It?

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the largest U.S. exchange program offering opportunities for students and young professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and primary and secondary school teaching worldwide. The program currently awards approximately 1,900 grants annually in all fields of study, and operates in more than 140 countries worldwide. Fulbright U.S. Student alumni populate a range of professions and include ambassadors, members of Congress, judges, heads of corporations, university presidents, journalists, artists, professors, and teachers. Bose Corporation founder Amar Bose, actor John Lithgow, composer Philip Glass, opera singer Renee Fleming and economist Joseph Stiglitz are among notable former grantees. For more information, watch the video or click HERE !

Why Should I Apply?

Because the Fulbright program changes lives!  Listen to those who have been transformed! Watch the video!

Who Is Eligible?

• Applicants must be U.S. citizens at the time of application. Permanent residents are not eligible. Please review the Ineligibility section on the Fulbright website in relation to the eligibility of dual citizens.
• Applicants must have a conferred bachelor's degree or the equivalent before the start of the grant.
• For applicants in the creative and performing arts, four years of professional training and/or experience meets the basic eligibility requirement.
• Applicants must be in good health. Grantees will be required to submit a satisfactory Medical Certificate from a physician.
• Applicants must meet the language requirements of the award to which they are applying and demonstrate sufficient competency to complete their project and adjust to life in the host country.
• 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 who have completed their formal postgraduate training and propose attachment to a hospital or clinic for the purpose of independent or collaborative research should apply to the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Grants shall not authorize activity for which a license to practice medicine or nursing is required. The Fulbright Program cannot authorize proposals for medical research that involves clinical training, patient care or patient contact.

For full details on eligibility, please access the Fulbright website  HERE!

What is Required?:

There are several kinds of Fulbrights and accordingly the application requirements will vary.   For a comprehensive list of requirements based on the varying types of awards, please visit the Fulbright website, HERE!   

CSUF students, who wish to have CSUF endorsement, must participate in the campus Fulbright application process, leading up to their final applications submission the Fulbright application portal.  

• Students should begin preparing application components as early as the spring term  prior  to the fall CSUF and Fulbright deadlines. 
• Students should expect to write many drafts of their application materials, so starting early is key.
• Students are strongly advised to identify a faculty mentor, who can assist them through the Fulbright application process.
• After the CSUF deadline, students will participate in a campus interview for the purposes of reviewing their applications and receiving feedback, leading up to the final Fulbright application deadline.
• Find our helpful timeline of application tasks here:  The Fulbright Application Process at CSUF_2023-2024.pdf

All Fulbright applicants must eventually submit all application material through the main Fulbright application portal.  Students should first review the various Fulbright programs that are available and how they correspond to your linguistic, geographic, academic, personal, and professional interests,  HERE! .   

Then, please review the "Getting Started" section of the Fulbright website,  HERE!

In general, application requirements are listed below:

• Biographical Data
• Statement of Grant Purpose
• Affiliation Letter
• Personal Statement
• Foreign Language Forms
• Recommendations 
• Transcripts