The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers research, study and teaching opportunities in over 140 countries to recent graduates, graduate students, young professionals and artists. Over 1,500 grants are awarded annually, and UT Austin is proud to be a top producer of Fulbright recipients.
Please refer to the U.S. Student Fulbright Program website to receive the most up-to-date and accurate information regarding application updates and processes.
For UT Austin students and alumni interested in applying through their Home Institution, please read below for additional information.
Grants offered for academic projects proposed by applicants for independent study or research. Applicants may also pursue enrollment in a graduate program abroad.
Programs place grantees in teaching assistantships ranging from elementary to university education level to provide supplemental English language instruction.
Applicants can apply for awards in countries throughout the world. To view opportunities by country, visit the Fulbright website.
All UT students and alumni who meet the eligibility requirements outlined by Fulbright are able to apply through their Home Institution of UT Austin. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or nationals at the time of application, and must have conferred a bachelor’s degree or equivalent before the start of the grant period. Review Fulbright’s full list of eligibility requirements.
Fulbright covers round-trip transportation to the host country, room, board, incidental costs, and provides Accident & Sickness Health Benefits. In some countries, grants may also include allowances for books and research, enrichment activities, language study programs, and specialized orientation sessions.
Texas Global hosts information sessions throughout the spring semester to showcase Fulbright award opportunities, provide an overview of the application process and answer questions. All information sessions will be conducted virtually over Zoom for the 2025-2026 competition cycle.
If you are interested in attending, please contact fulbright@austin.utexas.edu to RSVP
Access the Fulbright Application via the IIE website and review all application components required for your particular application. Please select ‘The University of Texas, Austin’ to ensure the Fulbright Program Administrator will be able to view your application in the IIE portal.
Dr. Sonia Seeman, Fulbright Program Advisor and Chair, offers proposal writing workshops to help strengthen applications. All writing workshops will be conducted virtually over Zoom for the 2025-2026 competition cycle.
If you are interested in attending, please contact fulbright@austin.utexas.edu to RSVP.
UT Austin's campus deadline for 2025-2026 competition cycle is 5 p.m. on August 23, 2024. Applicants will need to submit their completed application and preferably have their language evaluations (if applicable) and recommendations and letter of affiliation completed by this deadline as well.
In September, the UT Fulbright Faculty Committee will conduct interviews with each Fulbright applicant. Applicants will answer questions about their specific interests for pursuing Fulbright and receive feedback from faculty committee members on their applications. After the interview, each applicant will be paired with a faculty mentor who will conduct a Campus Committee Evaluation for submission with the finalized application.
All finalized applications are due by the national deadline of Tuesday, October 8, 2024 at 5:00pm ET (4:00pm CT), including recommendations and (if applicable) foreign language evaluations.
Affiliation letters are required for applications to Study/Research grants (unless otherwise specified in the Candidate Profile page) in both Academic and Creative and Performing Arts fields. Affiliation requirements will vary by country, so before starting the application students should note the specific requirements for the proposed host country. The affiliation letter should come from the institution/individual in the host country with whom the applicant is proposing to work. It should be written in or translated to English, printed on official letterhead, and should be signed by author (digital signatures are acceptable). Email correspondence is not acceptable.
Before requesting the letter, the student should provide the potential author with a copy of the Statement of Grant Purpose. The affiliation letter should indicate the author’s willingness to work with the student on the intended project and it should speak to the feasibility and validity of what is being proposed. The letter should also indicate any additional resources or contacts that the adviser can provide to support the work. The author should also indicate how the student came into contact with them, that they are aware of the nature of the student’s projects, and how it will fit into their organization or resources. The affiliation letter is not confidential. Although recommended, it is not required to be submitted by the campus deadline.
The Personal Statement is a narrative designed to give the reviewers a picture of the student as an individual and permits them to form a judgment regarding such items as seriousness of purpose and adaptability. It is an opportunity to tell the Committee more about the trajectory that the student has followed and what plans they have for the future. Whereas the Statement of Grant Purpose focuses on the what the student will be doing in the host country, the Personal Statement concentrates on how the student’s background has influenced their development and how that relates to the Fulbright opportunity.
The statement can deal with their personal history, family background, and the educational, professional, or cultural opportunities to which they have or have not been exposed; and should explain their impact. It should focus on professional commitments and on-campus or community activities that clearly demonstrate serious commitment and leadership potential. It could describe events and activities in the student’s life which have shaped their character and which have allowed them to benefit from advantages or overcome adversity. This should not be a reiteration of facts already listed in the Biographical Data sections or an elaboration of the Statement of Grant Purpose. For additional questions on content for the Personal Statement, please contact the Fulbright Faculty Chair and Advisor, Dr. Sonia Seeman stseeman@austin.utexas.edu
The Statement of Grant Purpose outlines the “Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How” of what the applicant is proposing for their Fulbright year. Developing a strong, feasible, and compelling project is the most important aspect of a successful Fulbright application. ETA applicants must use this essay to describe why they are interested in teaching English to non-native speakers, as well as why they have chosen to apply to a particular country. Applicants should describe clearly what they will be able to bring to the classroom in the host country, as well as explain any ideas they have on how to reach students coming from a different pedagogical tradition. Whether applying for a research project, degree program, teaching assistantship, or special grant, the proposal should indicate a clear commitment to the host country and a description of how the student will engage with it. For additional questions on content for the Statement of Grant Purpose, please contact the Fulbright Faculty Chair and Advisor, Dr. Sonia Seeman stseeman@austin.utexas.edu
Language requirements vary by country, so before starting the application students should note the specific requirements of the proposed host country. Students must possess the necessary language skills to successfully complete the project they are proposing. The Language Self Evaluation and the Foreign Language Evaluation Form are applicable to both Open/Study Research and ETA grants.
For programs where languages skills are Strongly Recommended or Required, students must submit a Language Self Evaluation and have a professional language teacher complete a Foreign Language Evaluation. Submission of both forms is mandatory, even if students have advanced skills or native-speaker ability. For programs where language skills are Recommended or Not Required, if applicants posses some language skills they should submit both a Language Self Evaluation and a Foreign Language Evaluation Form. It will be advantageous to have their language ability documented, even though it is not required.
Remember: Even if a country indicates that English will be sufficient for carrying out the proposed project, for purposes of Community Engagement, at least a basic level of language skill should be obtained prior to leaving the United States for the host country. Applicants should not submit evaluations for languages which do not pertain to their proposed project or host country.
If applicable, a professional language teacher or college-educated native-speaker must complete and submit a Foreign Language Evaluation (FLE). For commonly-taught languages, the FLE should be completed by a professional language teacher, preferably a university professor. For less-commonly-taught languages, a college-educated native-speaker of the language can be used, if a professional language teacher is not readily available. The language evaluator cannot be related to the applicant. Language evaluators will complete a specific form online and, once submitted, will automatically be attached to the application. Evaluations are confidential and the student will not be able to view them in the application. Although not required, evaluations are preferably submitted by the campus deadline in order for the Fulbright Faculty Committee to review with the entirety of a student’s application. An applicant may ask their language evaluator to also serve as a referee. Evaluations must be received by the national deadline.
References: Students are required to have three referees submit references. For ETA applicants, referees will complete the ETA references form rather than write a standalone letter. When choosing references, students should select the individuals who can best speak to their ability to carry out the proposed project or teaching assistantship. These should not be character references. Applicants should provide referees with copies of their Statement of Grant Purpose and Personal Statement, as well as the Instructions for Reference Writers, for English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) or Open Study/Research grants. If the original reference letter is not written in English, an official English translation must be provided and cannot be done by the applicant. Fulbright will not accept more than three references. Applicants should contact their references to be sure they received the email with instructions for completing and uploading the reference. References for ETA applicants must complete and submit the ETA form. Separate letters of reference will not be reviewed for ETA applicants. References are confidential and the applicant will not be able to view them in the application. Although not required, references are preferably submitted by the campus deadline in order for the Fulbright Faculty Committee to review with the entirety of a student’s application. An applicant may ask their language evaluator to also serve as a referee. References must be received by the national deadline.
The Fulbright Program requires a complete academic record of the student’s higher education. Students must provide transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions from which they have received, or will receive, degrees. Transcripts must also be submitted from other institutions where they studied and received credit for coursework. Failure to submit any required transcripts will result in the applicant being declared ineligible. Applicants must upload one unofficial academic transcript from each post-secondary institution from which they received a degree or are in the process of receiving a degree.
All candidates applying in the Creative and Performing Arts must submit examples of their artistic work; this work, along with the written portions of the application, will be evaluated by the screening committee members. Arts applicants should understand that they will be evaluated first and foremost on their technical and artistic skills within their artistic disciplines and that the supplementary materials need to be compiled in a professional manner. Applicants should assemble a portfolio that relates to the proposed project and demonstrates their artistic skills and growth in the field. Applicants can solicit critiques from professional artists on the portfolios before submission. Work submissions need to be labeled in a detailed fashion so that the National Screening Committee members are clear on the sizes of objects, the materials used, what the applicant’s role in the production of the piece was, etc. For more detailed information, please see the Required Supplementary Materials for Arts Applicants on Fulbright’s website.
For advising and workshop information, contact:
Prof. Sonia Tamar Seeman
Fulbright Program Advisor and Chair
stseeman@austin.utexas.edu
For general questions, contact:
You can also join the Austin-Fulbright community (not affiliated with UT Austin) to connect with Fulbright alumni.