The number of awards under the Fulbright and the co-sponsored programs depend on the level of funding the Foundation receives each year. In the past five years, 7-10 Fulbright student awards and about 3-5 Fulbright senior awards are given each year.

Fulbright scholarships and Humphrey awards provide international travel, in-transit allowance, settling-in allowance, tuition and fees for university course work, accident/sickness insurance, monthly maintenance, books, computer, professional activities and dissertation research allowance (for Ph.D. grantees). For more information, visit the Scholarships section.

Awards for MA/MS and Ph.D. degree programs under the regular Fulbright program are given initially for one year and are renewable for a second year depending on academic performance. Doctoral enrichment and dissertation research awards are for a maximum period of one academic year (ten months). Awards for advanced research/lecturing are for three to five months.

No.

The Fulbright program does not cover medical studies.

No, the U.S. recognizes only the U.S. citizenship of such individuals and not their claim of any other citizenship. Furthermore, a permanent resident of the U.S. will not be able to fulfill the residency requirement of an exchange visitor visa (J-1).

All foreign student Fulbright grantees are required by the United States Department of State and the J. William Foreign Scholarship Board to be on “J” visas under Exchange Visitor Program No. G-1-1 only for the duration of their financial sponsorship including travel.

Minimum eligibility requirements include Filipino citizenship, an undergraduate degree, good health, two years work experience after college in field of specialization, proficiency in English, and preferably based in the Philippines at the time of application for a grant for degree studies. There is no age requirement for graduate studies and non-degree doctoral dissertation research awards. Applicants for advanced research/lecturing awards must have Filipino citizenship, a doctoral degree or at least five years of substantial professional experience, good health, and English fluency.

Filipino citizenship, at least an undergraduate degree, five years of substantial professional experience, fluency in English, demonstrated leadership qualities and record of public service.

No. Admission to a program in a U.S. university is not a prerequisite.

No. A permanent resident of the U.S. will not be able to fulfill the residency requirement of an exchange visitor visa (J-1).

No.

For the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, December to March each year. All applications for graduate programs are processed online. All application requirements must be submitted via the online application portal on or before the published deadline of each year. Application period for the Fulbright advanced research/lecturing awards is usually from July through October. All applications for research grants are processed online. All application requirements must be submitted via the online application portal on or before the published deadline of each year.

Usually from March through June each year. All application requirements, including the online application form, must be received by PAEF via the online application portal on or before the published deadline of each year.

Completed online application, official copy of transcripts of records from all universities/colleges attended, certified true copies of all college and/or graduate degree diplomas, and at least three letters of recommendation. All documents must be submitted via the online application portal. Tests such as the TOEFL and the GRE are not required until you have been chosen as a finalist.

Your application statement is your opportunity to explain why you want to study in the U.S. It must be clearly stated, should highlight areas of interest and academic preparation and should relate them in a closely reasoned, concisely presented format, taking into account career objectives, home-country program priorities, specialized experience, and other relevant considerations. You should be more specific in describing specialized objectives or research goals within your field of study.

You should demonstrate the potential to achieve positions of significant responsibility. Your academic and professional experience should indicate a promise of becoming a prominent figure in your field.

The Statement of Purpose is your opportunity to explain to the committee why you want to study in the U.S. It must be clearly stated, should highlight areas of interest and academic preparation and should relate them in a closely reasoned, concisely presented format, taking into account career objectives, home-country program priorities, specialized experience, and other relevant considerations. The applicant should be more specific in describing specialized objectives or research goals within the field of study. Explain why a course in the US is an advantage over doing a similar course in the Philippines or someplace else. Explain how a year or two in the U.S. fits in with your long-term career goals. Any other reasons for wanting to study in the U.S.

You need to provide three recommendation letters. Some Fulbright programs require less. Letters of reference play a very important part in scholarship application. Unrevealing letters can jeopardize your chances of success as much as negative ones can. References should be requested from professors who are able to provide a thorough assessment of academic performance and professional promise, or from people who have supervised you in work relevant to your proposed study.

Work experience in the field you wish to pursue is an indication of your commitment to that field and is considered additional preparation for graduate work in that field. At least two years of work experience after college is a minimum requirement.

Your application is reviewed in-house. If you meet the basic requirements, it will be sent to the committee members for evaluation. The committee either recommends you for interview or not.

It depends on the number of applicants: more qualified applicants mean more applicants to interview.

No. All candidates must be interviewed in person at the designated time and venue.

The selection committee is composed of six to seven Filipino and American experts representing the fields of study of the pool of applicants. It is drawn from the following list: Commission Board members, senior academics, U.S. Embassy representatives, Fulbright alumni, and the Executive Director of PAEF who sits as a non-voting member.

Interviews are held towards the end of May each year. Luzon applicants are interviewed in Manila, Cebu for Visayas applicants and Davao or Cagayan de Oro for applicants from Mindanao.

Decisions are released through postal mail towards the end of September.

No.

You will be asked to complete a new set of application forms similar to the PAEF forms. These forms will be submitted to the Institute of International Education (IIE). IIE will review your application and match you with four universities. A good match is achieved when the university/ies has/have the program you want and if your qualifications meet the requirements of the university/ies. IIE will submit your application to at least four universities.

IIE will try to honor your choices. However, if there is no match between you and your choice/choices, IIE will find other universities where you stand a better chance of gaining admission.

You will be required to take the TOEFL and GRE exams. The Fulbright Program covers the costs of these exams for shortlisted applicants. PAEF will give you test vouchers for these exams which will serve as your payment when you register.

Please visit our EAC and Financial Aid links pages for information on other types of funding. The EAC library contains funding directories for study in the U.S.

If you have any questions about the awards that remain unanswered, please contact the Fulbright Program staff or the Educational Adviser.