Purpose
Sponsored by the U.S Department of State, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers opportunities for recent graduates, postgraduate candidates, and developing professionals and artists to conduct career-launching study and research abroad.

The United States Congress created the Fulbright Program in 1946, immediately after World War II, to foster mutual understanding among nations through education. Senator J. William Fulbright, sponsor of the legislation, saw it as a step toward building an alternative to armed conflict. With this as a starting point, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 250,000 participants, chosen for their leadership potential, with the opportunity to observe each others' political, economic and cultural institutions, exchange ideas and embark on joint ventures of importance to the general welfare of the world's inhabitants.

In intervening years, over 42,000 students from the United States and 147,000 students from other countries have benefited from the Fulbright experience. Currently, the U.S. Student Program awards approximately 1,000 grants annually and operates in over 140 countries worldwide.

Details
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 programs. Projects may include university coursework, independent library or field research, classes in a music conservatory or art school, special projects in the social or life sciences, or a combination.

There are several types of Fulbright Grants available. Among them are Fulbright Full Grants, Fulbright Travel Grants, and Fulbright Teaching Assistantships. Requirements, grant periods, and grant amounts vary widely from country to country. The Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship may be of particular interest for a graduating senior who wishes to work abroad and brush up on a foreign language PRIOR to committing to a full-blown graduate program.  This grant places the recent graduate in a school or college (depending on the country) to teach English for 20 hours a week for one academic year, leaving time for a modest research or service project.  Unlike the full research grant, this Fulbright does not require the applicant to find their own institutional affiliation in the country. The application form and procedure is the same as the regular Fulbright, but the project proposal does not have to be as detailed.

For more information on the fellowships visit the Fulbright U.S. Student Program located on the Institute of International Education website at:

http://www.iie.org/FulbrightTemplate.cfm?Section=U_S__Student_Program.