Postgraduate FAQ's

Table of Contents:
Eligibility
Application Timeline
Completing the Application
Shortlisting and Interviewing
Any Other Questions?

Eligibility

SO WHAT DO WE LOOK FOR?

Consider these rough guidelines and not hard and fast rules:

1. You have to be academically very good. In practice, few successful candidates have a GPA of less than 3.8.

2. You must have a clear idea of why you wish to spend a year in the UK and convey that in the application. There should be a clear and logical connection between your project proposal to study in the UK and your future career goals.
3. You should have good reasons for doing your work in the UK and not in the US (i.e. particular courses, resources, faculty). You will need particularly convincing reasons for doing work related to a third country (i.e. Islamic affairs, Holocaust studies, Asian archaeology, African Studies) here in the UK and not in that country or region.
4. You are an active participant in sports, the arts, student politics or voluntary organisations. You seek out opportunities to get involved. We want to see that you will make the most of your social and cultural opportunities here in the UK, that you will make that extra effort to interact with the people you meet in a positive way.
Remember that The Commission makes awards on the basis of the information that you provide and on the information that it is able to elicit from you during your interview (if you reach that stage). If you don't tell us about it, then we can't give you credit for it.

I HAVE HEARD IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET A FULBRIGHT AWARD. HOW COMPETITIVE IS IT REALLY?

We receive between 650-700 applications for the postgraduate awards each year, making this the most competitive Fulbright award in the world. However, if you want to study in the UK, and you think you meet our criteria, we encourage you to apply. We are only as good as the applications we receive.

DOES IT MATTER WHERE I PLAN TO STUDY IN THE UK?

We want you to find the course which best suits you and your future plans, which will vary depending on the person. You must make sure that any institutions are accredited universities. For information on universities and courses in the UK, we suggest that you contact the Council for International Education (UKCOSA) or The British Council. They have a great deal of information specifically for international students wishing to study in the UK.

DO I HAVE TO APPLY SEPARATELY TO A UNIVERSITY?

Yes. Responsibility for application to your chosen university/ies rests entirely with you. Fulbright programmes in some other countries set up affiliations for their students but, as there is no language barrier in the UK, we feel this is best left up to you, as you better know your own academic needs.

CAN I APPLY FOR A FULBRIGHT AWARD IN MORE THAN ONE COUNTRY?

No, candidates may apply to only one country in any given academic year. The only exception to this rule is for candidates proposing to do multi-country grants where their projects require them to study in up to 3 different countries to complete the project during one academic year. These do not apply to the UK.

I LEFT UNIVERSITY SOME YEARS AGO. CAN I STILL APPLY?

We do not have any preference for those who have recently graduated or for those who have spent several years in the work force. If you have spent time working or travelling, you may wish to elaborate on the experiences and skills gained from this. We would like to know what you have been doing and how it relates to your plans for the future. Include extra-curricular activities from your university years too, as it can help us understand your interests and commitments.

DO I HAVE TO KNOW A LOT ABOUT THE UK TO GET AN AWARD?

We do want people to have a general knowledge of the UK and an interest in the country, as the awards are there to help promote greater cultural understanding and awareness and eventually peace between nations. We are looking for an intelligent interest in any and all aspects of life in Britain, including government and politics, public health, legal matters, film, popular music, literature, history and even the weather! The interests scholars have, we hope, are as varied as the subjects they wish to study.

HOW IMPORTANT IS 'COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY, THROUGH VOLUNTEER AND EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITY' AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

The Fulbright Awards Programme exists to generate a deeper understanding of differing cultures through the medium of cultural exchange. We feel that one of the best ways to generate that deeper understanding is by getting involved in the community. The 'community' can be your work, classes, university and o/sports clubs, and volunteer organisations.

I AM MARRIED AND WANT TO APPLY. CAN I DO SO? WHAT WOULD MY SPOUSE DO WHILE HERE IN THE UK? WHAT IF WE ARE UNMARRIED?

There are no restrictions for married applicants. We do not offer any additional funding for accompanying dependants, however, so we ask that you ensure that you have enough on which to live while in the UK. Your spouse can apply for a work visa while in the UK, but this is beyond The Fulbright Commission's control. If you are unmarried, it is much more difficult to get permission to bring a partner but not impossible. If you are concerned about either of these issues, we suggest that you contact your regional UK Embassy or Consulate to find out about your options.

I'VE NEVER TRAVELLED OUTSIDE THE US. WILL THIS MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Given the nature of the Fulbright awards, we encourage anyone who has not travelled outside of the US to utilise this opportunity and apply.

I SPENT MY JUNIOR YEAR ABROAD IN THE UK. WILL THIS HURT MY CHANCES?

A year abroad, short tourist trips, or time spent in the UK when quite young will not count against an applicant, though we may expect greater familiarity with UK culture. However, the awards are offered essentially to those for whom living in the UK will be a new experience. Please note that you cannot apply if you have spent more than 12 months in the UK within the last 3 years.

MY FAMILY IS WELL OFF. WILL THIS DISADVANTAGE MY APPLICATION?

The Fulbright scholarships are not based on financial need and will play no factor in the selection process. This award is based purely on merit.

MY FAMILY IS NOT WELL OFF. WILL THIS HELP ME GET A FULBRIGHT?

The Fulbright scholarships are not based on financial need and will play no factor in the selection process. This award is based purely on merit.

DOES IT MATTER WHAT I WANT TO STUDY?

We value the diversity of our Fulbright grantees, both in their personalities and their fields of interest and welcome any subject, with the following exceptions:

• The award may not be used to complete any part of a medical degree, including internships or residencies, although qualified doctors may receive a grant for advanced academic study.
• We do not accept projects focusing on the promotion of a particular religious or political belief.

The postgraduate awards are not offered at undergraduate level or to those who already hold a PhD.

Application Timeline

SO HOW DOES THE APPLICATION PROCESS WORK?

1. Institute of International Education (IIE) - If you are a current student, you should apply through your university. Those no longer in university should apply directly to the Institute of International Education, (IIE) an administrative body which both promotes and processes Fulbright awards worldwide. During the application process, IIE should always be your first point of contact for award questions. After receiving the applications, IIE sends them out to a number of review committees for short-listing. Approximately 100 applications are sent on to the US-UK Fulbright Commission, usually in early February. This may sound like a long time, but we want to make sure that each applicant is given the time and consideration necessary to be fair. And it is time-consuming to read 700 applications!
2. The US-UK Fulbright Commission sends the application forms to their own review panels for further short-listing by experts in the relevant fields of study, Fulbright alumni and representatives from higher education. The Committee meets in London for a discussion of the papers and the top 20 or so are selected for interview.
3. Interview - The top candidates are invited to participate in a 10-minute telephone interview by the Executive Director and the Awards Director.
5. Nomination – after the interviews the Fulbright Commission submits its nominations to the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FSB) for approval. The FSB is the governing body of all Fulbright programmes all over the world, there to ensure that each programme maintains the same high standards and regulations world-wide. Their approval of each candidate is required before official offer letters can be sent to successful applicants. This can sometimes delay the process till mid-April, although this is unusual.
7. It’s Official - Once every candidate has been approved by the FSB, IIE will notify all applicants as to their status. The Fulbright Commission will subsequently contact the top eight to ten candidates and take over the administration of the award. Reserve candidates receive awards only if one or more of those selected drop out or if additional funding is made available to the Fulbright Commission. Those not selected will be informed by IIE at the end of the selection process.

Completing the Application Form

WHO SHOULD WRITE MY RECOMMENDATIONS?

Your recommendations should be written by people familiar with your academic work and who know about you as a person. If you have been out of college for some time, we understand that it might be very difficult to get an academic reference. In this case, please provide a reference from someone who can discuss your work skills as they relate to your project proposal. Please note that we will verify recommendations sent to us.

HOW IMPORTANT ARE THE STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND CURRICULUM VITAE SECTIONS?

These are essential elements of your application, particularly because we do not have a chance to meet you in person. We look at these to make sure that you can write intelligibly about your plans for your Fulbright year and about your subject. We also want to find out about you as a person. This does not mean you have to tell us deeply intimate details of your life. We simply want to get a picture of who you are, how you have arrived at this particular juncture in your life, and why you want to do what it is you are proposing. As this is a merit-based award, we do not take into consideration financial situations. Feel free to tell us about them if you think it relevant, but they will not influence our final decisions.

ARE MY FUTURE PLANS IMPORTANT?

The Commission is looking for people from all walks of life. While statistically most graduate students will go on to be involved somehow with academia, this makes no difference to your application. We want future leaders in business, public administration, science, technology, media, industry, the arts, international organisations - and academia. Basically, we do not discriminate on the basis of subject or future plans.
Do bear in mind, though, that we do consider the usefulness of your project, both to your field and to the wider world. We believe that any subject can be worthwhile but we will also want to make sure that you see the big picture too. So ask yourself why it is important to know about the Vikings or to educate the Third World or to become a better flute player or whatever your plans are. And we want to see a connection between your project proposal and your future plans. Other than that, it is up to you.

DO I HAVE TO BE ACCEPTED INTO A UNIVERSITY WHEN I APPLY?

No. You should include any relevant correspondence you have had with your universities of choice. You should also notify IIE if and when acceptance is received. Any problems or delays resulting from failure to apply or be accepted are the responsibility of the applicant.

I HAVE AN UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE IN ONE SUBJECT BUT NOW WANT TO DO A MASTERS IN ANOTHER. AM I ELIGIBLE?

We will require evidence that you have the knowledge and skills to study the different subject at a masters-level. Please also include an explanation as to why you are changing directions in your study.

Interviews

WHAT ARE THE PHONE INTERVIEWS LIKE?

The 15-minute phone interviews are roughly the same for everyone. We have a list of questions we ask all short-listed candidates and generally do not discuss the application itself. It is also an opportunity to review the articulation of the candidates. As Fulbright scholars are cultural ambassadors and leaders in their fields, they must have strong communications skills.

Any Other Questions?

WHY ISN'T THERE A SET NUMBER OF AWARDS?

The Commission receives a varying sum of money each year to put towards the US Awards Programme. This means that the number of awards is not fixed and can change depending on tuition fees, inflation and the number of co-sponsored awards offered. Recently this has ranged between 8 and 21 postgraduate awards.

IS THE STIPEND SUFFICIENT TO COVER ALL OF MY EXPENSES?

The amount of the award is comparable to other awards and is more than either the British Council or UKCOSA recommend overseas students bring for postgraduate study. It is meant to cover housing, food, study expenses and travel to and from the UK. You may need to pay for extras such as non-required language classes or field trips or if you plan to do a lot of travelling. The Fulbright Commission will cover the costs of trips to London for required events but is currently unable to fund other internal travel.

WHAT OTHER BENEFITS DOES FULBRIGHT OFFER BESIDES MONEY?

While we provide tuition and maintenance, we are also very focused on the cultural experience of our Fulbright scholars. Consequently, we can offer:

• Organisation Membership - All grantees automatically receive free membership of the Fulbright alumni association in the UK, the British Fulbright Scholar's Association, the Royal Society of Arts, and the English Speaking Union. Grantees are entitled to participate in all their events throughout the year and to use their facilities, including libraries, restaurants, and lecture halls. There are no obligations on the part of grantees with regard to these memberships.

• Special Events - All postgraduate scholars attend a 3-day Orientation in September and a 3-day Forum in January, both of which provide lectures, panel discussions, and social events designed to enable grantees to better understand the modern UK and its relationship with the rest of the world. All grantees are also invited to several informal events throughout the year and are given opportunities to meet experts in many industries.

• Mentor - All postgraduates are paired with one of the Fulbright alumni as a mentor, to help them settle into the UK. Each mentor provides the grantee with a point of contact either in their field of study or within their geographical area. They also supply various social opportunities outside the university environment.

• Health Insurance - All Fulbright grantees receive free health and accident insurance to cover them while in the UK, as well as being eligible for the free National Health Service (NHS). Please note this insurance does not cover trips outside the UK.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON'T FINISH MY COURSE OF STUDY WHILE IN THE UK?

Fulbright guidelines require any student to finish the course of study they have started as a Fulbright scholar. If a person fails to do so, we may require that all funding be returned to the Fulbright Commission. Exceptions will be made in exceptional situations. For more information, please see the Postgraduate Terms & Conditions (pdf).

If you are unsure about how to fund a 2nd year of a masters or PhD, we suggest that you look into this at the same time as you apply for a Fulbright award. We have a special award with Oxford to make their 2-year courses more affordable.

WILL I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRAVEL OUTSIDE THE UK?

The Fulbright Commission requires that all grantees spend no more than 3-4 weeks (depending on the length of the course) outside of the UK during their grant period unless the trip is part of their project and approved by The Fulbright Commission. The awards are for learning in and about the UK, so we want our grantees to spend as much time physically in the UK as possible.
The Fulbright Commission may provide opportunities to travel in the UK as part of various events. These usually include trips to London. The Commission pays for travel to and from all of the mandatory events throughout the year, as well as accommodation and most meals at these events. More information is made available at the September Orientation for new scholars.