The U.S. Department of State has announced the opening of the 2023-2024 Fulbright U.S. Student Grant Program. To introduce students to the program and help students prepare strong applications, the Graduate College’s Office of External Fellowships will offer a series of workshops and information sessions in April tailored specifically for graduate students.
Supporting up to one 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 and build an international network. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, they can be at any stage of their graduate program, and they can come from any academic discipline.
The Office of External Fellowships will hold each of its sessions twice, and all will take place online.
Information Session: Fulbright Overview for Graduate Students
In this session, we will present an overview of the Fulbright U.S. Student Grant Program. We’ll explain the program’s history and mission, eligibility criteria, stipend and benefits, required application components, evaluation criteria, and selection process. We’ll also explain the protocol for the required campus interviews and the one-on-one advising services we offer applicants.
• Tuesday, April 4th, 2:00-3:30. Register.
• Wednesday, April 12th, 10:00-11:30. Register.
Workshop: Writing a Statement of Grant Purpose
One of the two main components of the Fulbright application is the Statement of Grant Purpose, in which applicants must explain the project they propose to conduct during the fellowship period. In this workshop, we’ll show students how best to approach this statement; how to present their project in the most direct, concrete, and convincing way possible; and how to strategize their narrative in light of Fulbright’s mission and aims. We’ll also review sample statements. In short, attendees will get a crash course in proposal writing -- one tailored specifically for Fulbright.
• Tuesday, April 18th, 3:00-5:00. Register.
• Friday, April 21st, 2:00-4:00. Register.
Workshop: Writing a Personal Statement
The second main component of the Fulbright application is the Personal Statement. In this workshop, we’ll offer guidance on how students can write about themselves in a way that balances professionalism with the need to explain, in personal terms, what makes them tick. We’ll take attendees through a series of exercises to help them enumerate the pivotal experiences that have guided their scholarly trajectory, and we’ll show how applicants can use those experiences to craft a compelling case for why they deserve a Fulbright grant. We’ll also review sample statements.
• Monday, April 24th, 3:00-5:00. Register.
• Thursday, April 27th, 1:00-3:00. Register.
Workshop: English Teaching Assistantships
For students interested in English Teaching Assistantships, the Office of National & International Scholarships will host a workshop to help students prepare an application that demonstrates the characteristics Fulbright is seeking. The workshop will feature recent Fulbright grantees who will share their application strategies. The goal is for students to leave the session with an outline and set of ideas for how to commence writing the application.
• Tuesday, April 25th, 2:00-3:00. Register.
• Friday, April 28th, 3:00-4:00, Illini Bookstore Building, Room 514.
We are holding these sessions in April to give students an early head start given that applications are due during the summer:
June 5 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 14 is the required campus deadline. Applications must be submitted by this date to receive institutional endorsement. As part of the endorsement process, applicants will be interviewed by a faculty committee, 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 of awards, and they can open doors for students seeking to expand their scholarly horizons. The University of Illinois is 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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