Fulbright U.S. Student Program

The U.S. Student Fulbright Student Program is an awesome program that funds eight to twelve months abroad for students and young professionals to engage:

• In an independent research project
• In a graduate program
• As an English Teaching Assistant

The program currently awards:

• Approximately 1900 grants annually
• In all fields of study
• In more than 140 countries worldwide

Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of:

• Academic and professional achievement
• Demonstrated leadership potential
• How the candidate and the project will advance the Fulbright aim of promoting mutual understanding among nations
• Engagement in the host community

Fulbright alumni:

• Have achieved distinction in government, science, the arts, business, philanthropy, education, and many other fields. 
• Fifty-three Fulbright alumni from 12 countries have been awarded the Nobel Prize
• Seventy-eight alumni have received Pulitzer Prizes

Hampshire College Fulbrights

Each year, a number of Division III students and alumni apply for Fulbright awards through Hampshire College. Recent graduates who have received Fulbright awards include:

• Asher Dvir Djerassi 10F (ETA in Bulgaria)
• Luna Goldberg 12F (research in Israel)
• Krista Magiardi 10F (ETA in Thailand)
• Martha Pskowski 09F (research in Mexico)
• Hanna Shannon 09F (ETA in South Korea)

Also among Fulbright recipients at Hampshire are numerous faculty and staff members, some of whom serve on the Hampshire College Fulbright Campus Committee. The campus committee members are:

• Carin Rank, director of the Career Options Resource Center
• Dula Amarasiriwardena, professor of chemistry
• James Miller, professor of communications
• Rachel Rubinstein, associate professor of American literature and Jewish studies

Applying Through Hampshire College

The application is lengthy and complex and will take time to put together. 

Hampshire Specific Information and Resources

• Use the Hampshire College Fulbright Timeline (pdf) as an aid in planning the application process by breaking it into manageable steps, giving you the opportunity to integrate feedback into your application.
• Fulbright Tips for Hampshire Students (pdf)
• Join the Fulbright Email Listserv. If you are interested in the Fulbright, sign up for this email list. You will receive important emails about information sessions, application details, and deadlines from Carin Rank, one of Hampshire's Fulbright Program advisors. You can also schedule an appointment with Carin to discuss your particular interests.

The Fulbright goal is “…to increase mutual understanding between people of the U.S. and people of other countries through exchange.”

• A Fulbright grantee is serving as an ambassador representing the U.S.A.
• Projects, study, arts, ETA are a means to get students engaged in a meaningful way; and they want people who can be successful at developing their project.
• Interest in and knowledge of the country and people of that country should be apparent in your application!

Eligibility

Basic Requirements:

• Must be U.S. citizen at time of application
• Must have bachelor's degree by the time the grant starts
• No more than ~5 years of professional experience
• Country-specific requirements
• In some countries, there are restrictions for dual citizens, people residing in-country in the year before the Fulbright would commence, and a few other situations.
• View complete eligibility requirements

Types of Fulbrights

The major awards available to upcoming grads and alumni include:**

     **Fulbright program(s) available vary from country to country. Search by region and country to find specific offerings.

• Study/Research Awards
  • These awards are available in all academic fields, including the arts; please read all information about the country as sometimes a country specifies topics of interest.
  • ~950 awards (per year) in ~140 countries; depending on the host country the award is for a period of eight to twelve months.
  • Independent research projects: Applicants develop an independent research project that must take place in a particular country. Applicants need to secure a letter of affiliation from an approved institution or organization (see the affiliation info on the country page). Fulbright selectors tend to like projects with an affiliation at an academic institution where the applicants can take a class or two that would augment or ground their research.
  • Graduate study: Applicants can propose to enroll in a specific graduate program. They do not need an acceptance at the time of the Fulbright application, but they must apply directly to the specific program and be accepted. (A Fulbright award is contingent on acceptance to the program.) A letter of affiliation is not required.
  • Arts applicants can apply for an independent research project or a graduate program. Additionally, applicants need to submit supplementary materials to demonstrate that they have the background and skill to continue developing in their field in the arts. The first round of selection is by a panel of "experts" in that area. See the Creative and Performing Arts Fields of Study section for information about available fields and supplementary materials requirements.
  • Find out more about Study/Research awards here.
• English Teaching Assistant Awards
  • Help teach English and U.S. culture in the classroom
  • ~1200 awards in ~75 countries; for a period of eight to twelve months
  • Applicants are placed in schools in the country to supplement local English language instruction and to provide a native speaker presence in the classrooms.
  • Each country places differently; some at the university level only, others elementary through university; read the country information carefully.
  • Applicants do not need a letter of affiliation, so this award may have an easier process than the Study/Research Award process.
  • It helps to have teaching or other leadership experience; TESL experience is an advantage in most countries.
  • Find out more about the English Teaching Assistant Program here.
• Fulbright National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellowships (on hiatus this year 2019-2020)
  • There are four of these offered most years, to applicants with experience in the storytelling medium they have selected. Applicants propose to undertake an in-depth examination of a globally relevant issue or issues in one country, or in multiple countries, comparing and contrasting how that issue is experienced from one country to another.
  • See more at Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellowship. Some of the Hampshire guidelines will be relevant, but if you are interested you should read the page carefully, noting the people who have received this particular award, and then contact a Fulbright Program Advisor to discuss your potential application.