Overview
Led by the United States government in partnership with more than 160 countries worldwide, the Fulbright Program offers international educational and cultural exchange programs for passionate and accomplished students, scholars, artists, teachers, and professionals of all backgrounds to study, teach, or pursue important research and professional projects. Fulbright is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is open to students who have earned a Bachelor's degree but not yet earned a doctorate.
Eligibility
Applicants must be citizens or nationals of the United States at the time of application; permanent residents are not eligible. See the website for more information on eligibility.
If you are a citizen of another country who is interested in obtaining a Fulbright Fellowship to come to the United States, please visit the Fulbright Program page of your home country for more information on the rules and processes of the application process.
Latest News
The campus is one of 46 universities honored with the designation that recognizes the noteworthy engagement that selected Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) have achieved with Fulbright exchange participants during the 2022-23 academic year
In total, 11 students applied from UCSB—3 were selected as finalists, 1 was selected as an alternate, and 7 were selected as semi-finalists for the 2023-24 award cycle
Applying for a Fulbright award might seem like a daunting task. However, it doesn’t have to be! We asked Fulbright Program Advisors from the latest cohort of Top Producing Institutions—schools that had the highest number of U.S. Fulbrighters for the 2021-22 academic year—to give some advice to prospective applicants. Use the tips below to craft a memorable proposal.
2025-26 Award Cycle Application
Timeline & Important Dates
Application Open: April 2, 2024
Fulbright Information Sessions: See below to sign up for individual sessions
Individual Advising Appointments: Ongoing - Email a UCSB Fulbright Advisor
UCSB Campus Deadline (current graduate students only; excludes undergraduate and ETA applicants): Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Campus Interviews (current graduate students only; excludes undergraduate and ETA applicants): Tentatively planned for September 2-12, 2023
National Deadline: October 8, 2024, 2pm Pacific (5pm Eastern)
Application Process Overview
Depending on the type of award being applied for and the status of the applicant, there are different application processes and resources. However, ALL applicants should do the following:
- Review the relevant information on the Fulbright website carefully, including information about application components and the country profile page
- Review the Fulbright U.S. Student Program Information Sheet for UCSB Affiliates
- Begin their application early, as it can be time-consuming to secure all of the necessary components to compose a strong application
- Sign up to attend on of the three Fulbright Information Sessions for UCSB students (see below)
- Attend webinars hosted by the Fulbright commission that cover topics such as a general overview of the program, application tips, information on specific world regions, and interviews with Fulbright alumni
- Arrange to have an individual advising appointment with one of our campus’ Fulbright advisors
Current UCSB Graduate Students & the Campus Review Process
Graduate student applicants must submit a complete application, including all letters of recommendation and letters of affiliation, via the online Fulbright application portal by the campus deadline of Wednesday, August 21, 2024. It is the responsibility of the applicant to communicate the importance of this deadline to all of their letter writers.
IMPORTANT: Different from years past, students should simply lock their applications in the portal when they are ready for the campus committee to review them. DO NOT CLICK SUBMIT BEFORE YOU ARE READY TO SUBMIT YOUR FINAL APPLICATION AS THIS ACTION CANNOT BE UNDONE.
Graduate student applicants must also participate in the campus interview process, which is tentatively scheduled for September 2-12, 2023. Students will be notified of the exact date and time of their interview slot after the campus deadline.
The purpose of the campus deadline and campus interview process is two-fold:
- To allow the applicant to get in-depth feedback on their application to ensure it is in line with the goals of the Fulbright program
- To ensure that the campus review committee (comprised of knowledgeable UCSB faculty and staff) has the necessary information to submit the mandatory Campus Committee Endorsement form to be reviewed by the National Screening Committee
For UCSB Undergraduates, Recent Alumni, and ETA Applicants
Current undergraduates, recent alumni, and applicants to the English Teaching Assistant (ETA) programs are NOT required to submit materials by the campus deadline and DO NOT participate in the campus interview process. For general questions regarding the application process, you can schedule an individual advising appointment with one of our campus’ Fulbright advisors.
For support in reviewing application materials, contact Nick Alward-Saxon or the Campus Learning Assistance Services Writing Lab
