The 2026-2027 Fulbright U.S. Student Grant Program launched yesterday, Monday, March 31. Despite ongoing concerns about federal support for international exchange programs, we are adopting a stance of cautious optimism in order to support students in developing competitive applications. To that end, the Graduate College’s Office of External Fellowships will host a series of Fulbright information sessions and workshops in April tailored to graduate students.
Supporting up to one academic year of fieldwork, laboratory research, arts training, and English teaching in over 140 countries around the globe, Fulbright grants allow students to add a cross-cultural dimension to their graduate studies. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, may be at any stage of their graduate program, and may come from any academic discipline.
Information Session: Fulbright Overview for Graduate Students In this session, we will present an overview of the Fulbright U.S. Student Grant Program, including the program’s history and mission, eligibility criteria, stipend and benefits, required application components, evaluation criteria, and selection process. We will also explain the protocol for campus interviews and the one-on-one advising services we offer applicants. Offered twice:
Workshop: Writing the Fulbright Statements The Fulbright application includes a Statement of Grant Purpose and, new this year, three short responses in place of a personal statement. In this workshop, we will show students how best to approach each narrative component: how to present their project or teaching plans in the most convincing way possible and themselves as the ideal Fulbrighter. We will also review sample statements. In short, attendees will get a crash course in proposal writing tailored to Fulbright.
We are holding these sessions in April, given that applications are due during the summer:
June 9 is the "priority deadline." Draft applications received in the Office of External Fellowships by the priority deadline will receive a comprehensive review by our staff.
July 21 is the required campus deadline. Applications must be submitted by this date to receive institutional endorsement. As part of the endorsement process, a faculty committee will interview applicants, and those interviews will take place in August. Find complete details on the priority deadline and required campus deadline.
Fulbrights are among the most globally recognized awards, and they can open doors for students seeking to expand their scholarly horizons. The University of Illinois is regularly named a top producer of Fulbright scholars nationally, and we hope this year will continue in that vein.
Contact: If graduate students or faculty in your department have any questions, please have them contact the Office of External Fellowships at ExtFellowships@illinois.edu. If any of your undergraduate students are interested in applying or have questions, please have them contact the Office of National & International Scholarships
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