General
FAQ's for Students
Table of Contents
General Information on the Scholarships
Eligibility
Application Timeline
Completing the Application
Shortlisting & Interviewing
Receiving the Scholarship
Other Funding
Any Other Questions?
General
Information on the Scholarships
Q: How many Fulbright awards are there?
A: Approximately ten Fulbright (Traditional)
Postgraduate Awards, plus one Alistair Cooke Award
in Journalism, one Fulbright-UK Film Council Film
Award, and two-three Fulbright British Friends of
Harvard Business School MBA Awards, though this varies
slightly from year to year.
Q: What do Fulbright awards cover?
A: For most categories, awards of
up to $40,000 are made as a single grant to the student.
Adjustments to the amount will be made if there is
duplication of funding from other sources. The Commission
also provides accident and sickness insurance. The
award does not include additional travel stipends.
Eligibility
Q: I am a UK citizen but I live abroad; can
I apply?
A: As a UK citizen you may apply
for the Postgraduate Awards no matter what country
you are currently living in. The exception is if you
are living in the United States at the time of application,
which will make you ineligible.
Q:
I am a non-UK national, resident in the UK; may I
apply?
A:
If you are a non-UK national living in the UK you
do not qualify for a US-UK Fulbright Award. You should
locate
and contact the Commission in your country of citizenship.
Q:
I graduated from a university outside the UK, but
am a UK-citizen; am I eligible?
A:
No, one of the stipulations of the award is that you
have graduated from a UK university.
Q:
The course I want to do starts in January 2010, not
September 2009, should I apply by May 2008?
A: Yes.
Q: I will not get my degree until Summer 2008;
can I apply?
A: Yes, you can apply, but if you
are offered an award it will be on condition that
you get at least a 2.1
Q: I have heard that Fulbright awards are
only for graduates of Oxford or Cambridge. Is this
true?
A: No, Fulbright awards are offered
to honours graduates from any UK university.
Q: I just missed a 2.1 and got a 2.2 for my
degree; can I apply?
A: No; one of the basic criteria
is that candidates have, or expect to have, at least
a 2.1 in their Bachelor’s degree.
Q: I got a 2.2 in my Bachelor’s degree
and have a Master’s degree now; can I apply?
A: No; the criterion that you have
a 2.1 in your Bachelor’s degree still applies.
Q: I would like to do research; am I eligible?
A: Candidates wishing to
do research may apply if they have a formal affiliation
with a US university and a named supervisor, but not
if the research is part of a PhD already underway.
PhD students should note that the Fulbright Postgraduate
awards cover the FIRST year of study only. If a candidate
already has a PhD and wishes to do postdoctoral work,
s/he should enquire about Fulbright’s other
funding, such as the Distinguished Scholar Award.
Candidates with a doctorate who wish to change direction
and do a Master’s in another, unrelated field
will be considered.
Q: I am a qualified medical doctor; may I
apply?
A: Only if your study does not involve
the direct treatment or care of patients. Candidates
who wish to pursue studies as medical students are
not eligible. Candidates with medical degrees may
apply for an award for advanced academic study that
does not involve the direct treatment of patients,
but not for internships or residencies.
Q: I will not hear about my university applications
until late March; does that mean I cannot apply for
a Fulbright scholarship?
A: No, it does not. Most candidates
do not have a firm offer of a place when we conduct
the interviews. If you are interviewed and are successful,
you will be offered an award on condition that you
get a place at an accredited university in the US.
The Fulbright Award process is separate to the university
admissions process.
Application
Timeline
Q: When should I apply for a Fulbright award?
A: Start planning well in advance.
24 months ahead is not too early. For courses beginning
in September 2009, you should start planning in Winter
2007/Spring 2008.
Q: What exactly should I do to plan?
A: We recommend first reading The
EAS Guide to Postgraduate Study in the United States
and making full use of the US
Educational Advisory Service (EAS) as you do your
research into suitable programmes.
EAS (part of the educationUSA
network) is partially-funded by the US Government
to provide free information and advice on all aspects
of US education. Services for prospective postgraduates
include a resource area with over 50 free information
handouts, a reference library containing directories
on US postgraduate programmes and university prospectuses,
and free internet access. Trained educational advisers
are available to answer
questions by mail, telephone and email. EAS also
runs an annual
postgraduate 'Success in the US' workshop.
The
Fulbright Commission is also looking for people with
initiative, leadership skills and a commitment to
their community.
Ensure
you submit your application by the deadline, if
not before! Fulbright application forms are
available on the Commission’s website.
Completing
the Application
Q: I’ve got the application form but
I don’t know what exactly you are looking for.
A:
•
Make sure the application form is typed or written
in legible capitals, in black ink.
• None of the questions are “trick”
questions; we just want honest answers to the questions
we ask.
• Read the questions carefully and fill in
the form according to the application instructions.
• Not every section will apply to you (e.g.
publications). If it does not apply then write “Not
Applicable” so that we know you have not overlooked
it.
Q:
What exactly do you mean by extra curricular activities?
A: List all the things you have done
or achieved while at university or since, for example
if you were active in your Student Union, founded
a society or mentored younger students. For candidates
already in a profession, an example might be running
a social action group, e.g. soup kitchens for the
homeless or a leader of a youth club, or running sporting
activities etc.
Candidates
who devote much spare time to the practice of their
subject e.g. Music will not be penalised for only
musical activities, but they are expected to demonstrate
leadership skills and initiative within their subject.
Q: What do you want to see in my Statement
of Purpose?
A: The Statement of Purpose is your
opportunity to explain to the committee why you want
to go to the US. If it is unclear and vague it is
unlikely that you will be offered an interview.
• Explain
why a course in the US is an advantage over doing
a similar course in the UK.
• Explain how a year in the US fits in with
your long-term career goals.
• Include other reasons for wanting to spend
time in the US.
Q:
What do you want to see in the references?
A: You should ask people who know
you very well; preferably those who can comment on
your academic ability as well as your character and
interests. Draw your referees attention to the guidelines
at the top of the form. We also recommend that your
referees read your statement of purpose. The selection
committee wants evidence that you have attained a
high academic standard and, for MBA awards, evidence
of excellence in the workplace is also useful. Where
possible one reference should come from a supervisor
of your academic work, and another should come from
a supervisor of your non-academic work (eg employment,
extracurricular activities or volunteering).
Q: I am a new graduate and have no work experience;
will my application be at a disadvantage?
A: No, we do not expect new graduates
to have work experience, but if you have done any
vacation work (paid or voluntary) which is relevant
to the subject you propose to study, you should include
it.
Candidates for an MBA are expected to have two - three
years’ work experience.
Candidates
for the Alistair Cooke Award in Journalism who have
2-3 years experience will have an advantage in this
category.
Q: I am a new graduate and am “temping”
at the moment; should my employer send a reference?
A: No. If the work you are doing
is not directly relevant to your application and career
plans, you should arrange to send in two academic
references.
Shortlisting
& Interviewing
Q: What are my obligations if I apply for
a sponsored award?
A: If, after the interview, you meet
the Fulbright criteria, your application will be forwarded
to one of the sponsors. The sponsor may want to interview
you as well. There is no obligation on the part of
the sponsor to make an offer of short or long-term
work, nor is there any obligation on the part of the
Fulbright scholar to work for the sponsor.
Q: What happens next?
A: We will contact you about 8-10
weeks after the closing date to let you know if your
papers have been passed to the selection panel for
further review.
Approximately two weeks before the interviews we will
write again to let you know if you have been shortlisted.
Full details of the interview will be sent to you
as early as possible but you may not have final details
until quite close to the interview day.
Q: I will not be in the UK in January; can
I have my interview over the phone?
A: No. All UK candidates must be
interviewed in person at Fulbright House.
Q: Who is on the interview panel?
A: There will be at least three people
drawn from the following list: The Fulbright Board
of Commissioners, senior academics, senior US Embassy
representatives, professionals from relevant fields,
Fulbright alumni, the Director of the Fulbright Awards
Programme and the Executive Director of the Fulbright
Commission.
Q: How soon after the interview will I hear
the outcome?
A: Usually within 10 days. You will
fall into one of three categories: Conditional offer,
Reserve or Non-select.
Receiving
the Scholarship
Q: What happens if I am offered an award,
but do not get a place at university?
A: We strongly advise you to apply
to more than one university initially, especially
if they are very competitive ones. If you do not get
a place at a university on your application, the offer
will be withdrawn.
Q: Can I defer the scholarship to the following
year?
A: No. You will have to re-apply.
Q: But what if I defer my place at university
for a year, can I defer my Fulbright funding?
A: No. The awards are offered for
the specific academic year and cannot be deferred.
You will have to reapply for the award on the correct
year’s application form.
Q: Will my application be given preference
if I have already been offered a scholarship by Fulbright?
A: No. We start the whole process
afresh each year.
Other
Funding
Q: How can I find other funding in case I
don't get a Fulbright award?
A: The Fulbright Commission is just
one of many independent foundations that can fund
international students to study in the US. The university
department to which one applies can also provide a
significant source of funding in the form of teaching
and research assistantships. Please visit Funding
for Postgraduate Study for information on other
types of funding. The EAS reference library contains
over 30 funding directories for study in the US, including
'The Grants Register,' published by Macmillan, which
can also be found in university or large public libraries.
Q:
Why isn't there a set number of awards?
A: The number of awards
we can offer is determined by tuition fees, inflation,
tuition waivers and the number of co-sponsored awards
offered. Consequently, the total number of awards
varies each year.
Any
Other Questions?
If you have further questions about the awards that
remain unanswered, please contact
the Fulbright Awards Section staff.
You
can obtain free advice on the general postgraduate
application process to US universities by contacting
the US Educational
Advisory Service at The Fulbright Commission.
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