To be considered for the Fulbright program in the United States, an applicant must be an American citizen. Direct and indirect state department employees and their immediate family may not apply. American citizens who have lived outside the United States for five years or more prior to applying are also ineligible. Foreign applicants must meet citizenship requirements for their home countries ,and foreigners who have dual U.S. citizenship may not apply.
Both U.S. and foreign students must have at least a bachelor's degree to be considered for the Fulbright Student program. Applicants who do not hold a bachelor's degree may be considered if they can demonstrate professional work or research experience in their chosen field. Students who have a doctoral degree are ineligible for the student program, except in the case of a Juris Doctor law degree.
All applicants are tested for foreign language fluency as part of the application process. Fulbright Student participants should be sufficiently proficient in the language of their host country. Fulbright Scholars must demonstrate substantial proficiency in the language of their host country as required to complete their proposed research. Fulbright Teachers are only required to be fluent in English.
Fulbright Scholars and Fulbright Teachers must also have demonstrated teaching experience. To be considered for the Scholars program, applicants must have experience teaching at the collegiate level in the field they propose to lecture or conduct research in while abroad. Applicants to the Fulbright Teachers program must be currently teaching in the United States in an elementary school, high school or four-year college.
There is no required minimum GPA to be considered for a Fulbright award. However, applicants must submit a proposal outlining what area of study they intend to pursue while abroad. The research proposal must detail the applicant's educational and professional goals, what their research will lend to the world community and how it will be carried out.
All applicants to the Fulbright program must be able to provide certification from a licensed doctor that they are of sound mental and physical health.