Who's Eligible

Program Policy:

• The Fulbright Program is governed by policy and procedures established by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB), the 12-member board appointed by the President of the United States.

• With the launch of the 2014-15 Core Fulbright Scholar Program competition, restrictions regarding previous Fulbright experiences have been lifted by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.  The board reiterated its strong preference for Fulbright Scholar opportunities to be given to candidates who have not previously received a Fulbright Scholar grant, as stipulated in section 624.2 of the Fulbright Program Policies.

• All eligibility requirements apply at time of application.
• Applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin and/or physical impairment.

Eligibility Essentials:

• For academic year 2014-15, there will be no lifetime limits on Fulbright Scholar grants. In addition, there will be no required waiting period between Fulbright Scholar grants.
• U.S. citizenship - permanent residence is not sufficient.
  
• Ph.D. or equivalent professional/terminal degree (including a master’s degree, depending on the field) as appropriate. Candidates outside academe (e.g., professionals, artists) with recognized professional standing and substantial professional accomplishments are also eligible, as specified in the award description.
• Recent college graduates with limited professional experience and graduate or doctoral students seeking funding to complete their degrees are ineligible for consideration under the Fulbright Scholar Program. Instead, such applicants can visit the Fulbright Student Program.
• All teaching awards are at the postsecondary level and may vary in experience or discipline requirements, as specified in the award description.
• Foreign language proficiency as specified in the award description, or commensurate with the requirements of the proposed project. (Note: In many world areas, English is sufficient for lecturing.)
• Sound physical and mental health: selected candidates are required to submit a Medical History and Examination Report before their grants can be finalized.
• Grants shall not authorize engagement in pastoral, missionary, or other professional religious activities, or those for which a license to practice medicine or nursing is required.
• Applicants are required to disclose any prior convictions of a felony or a misdemeanor, including Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), but excluding minor traffic violations.  The complete FFSB regulations can be found under 626 Ineligibility Factors.

Eligibility Guidelines for Previous Fulbright Grantees and on Previous Experience Abroad:

• Candidates who previously held a Fulbright Scholar grant should be aware that, as a general matter, preference will be given to candidates who have not previously received a Scholar grant. Therefore, previous Fulbright Scholar grantees are expected to make a strong justification in their application for a repeat Fulbright grant. For further guidance, please refer to the relevant section in the Application Guidelines and Review Criteria.
• Candidates who have resided abroad for five or more consecutive years in the six-year period preceding the date of application are ineligible. In this case, a period of nine months or more during a calendar year is considered to constitute a full year abroad.

Employees and their immediate families (i.e. spouses and dependent children) of the U.S. Department of State and of public or private organizations under contract to the U.S. Department of State are ineligible to apply for a Fulbright grant until one year after termination of such employment.