Fulbright U.S. Student Program

Fulbright Program: At a Glance

• U.S. citizens and nationals
• Fourth-year students (application process starts in third year) and alumni. 
  • Please note that for the 2026-2027 award year, CCRF is only able to provide support and/or resources to those alums who graduated June 2022 or later and who have not started graduate school.
  • Other applicants are encouraged to apply "at large."

• Research Awards and Creative/Performing Arts Research Awards
• Study Awards and Creative/Performing Arts Study Awards
• English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) Awards

Extensive Description

Fulbright is considered the flagship program of the U.S. State Department with a diplomatic mission of cultural exchange through research, teaching, and postgraduate study. It is among the oldest and most prestigious of the major national fellowships available to college students, recent graduates, and alumni.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is also the largest and most competitive exchange program for U.S. citizens and sponsors 9- to 11-month experiences abroad. Grants may cover tuition, fees, travel, and a stipend. Applicants in all fields are welcome. Fulbright awards approximately 2,100 grants to U.S. students annually and operates in more than 140 countries worldwide.

The Fulbright Student Program is proud of its tradition of excellence, and its alumni have achieved distinction in government, science, the arts, business, philanthropy, and athletics (400,000+ alumni since 1946):

• 41 Fulbright alumni have served as heads of state or government
• 62 Fulbright alumni have been awarded the Nobel Prize
• 80 Fulbright alumni are MacArthur Foundation Fellows
• 89 Fulbright alumni have received Pulitzer Prizes

Eligibility Requirements

• Candidates must have completed a bachelor's degree by the start of the grant period; therefore, applications for Fulbright grants may only be submitted by fourth-year students (who will graduate before the start of the grant period) or recent graduates.
• Applicants must be citizens or nationals of the United States of America at the time of application (October 7, 2025)
• Please consult the Eligibility page on the Fulbright website for more information.

Application Process

Ready to learn more about Fulbright?

CCRF has created a Fulbright Resources site in Canvas, which is the central hub for information, recorded presentations, and guidance. New materials will be added to the Fulbright Resources Canvas site throughout the application process. Eligible applicants should complete this sign-up form to be invited to join the Fulbright Resources Canvas site. Once you complete the sign-up form, please allow a few businesses days for the Canvas invitation to be sent to your email.

Ready to prepare your Fulbright application?

Apply as a member of the 2025 Fulbright Cohort: Eligible students and recent alums who submitted a Fulbright Campus Endorsement Application by the May 1, 2025 deadline and who participated in a campus interview may be invited to join the 2025 Fulbright Cohort. 2025 Fulbright Cohort members will work closely throughout the summer with CCRF staff on preparing their Fulbright application materials for the national submission.

Apply independently by the Fulbright national deadline: Current College students and eligible recent alums who wish to apply independently to Fulbright are welcome to do so! Candidates applying independently will work on their own timeline throughout the summer and are responsible for completing and submitting their final Fulbright application in the SLATE by the national deadline.

Eligible applicants who would like to be invited to join a CCRF group advising session focused on the SLATE application in mid-September 2025 must complete the following three steps no later than September 8, 2025 at 11:59 pm CT:

• Open a Fulbright US Student Program application in the SLATE portal,
• Select "University of Chicago, IL" (not “University of Chicago, Graduate, IL”) as their institution on the “Program information” tab in their Fulbright application, and
• Ensure their name and email address are up to date on the “Personal Information” tab in their Fulbright application.

Other than the September group advising mentioned above, candidates applying independently to Fulbright will not be eligible for CCRF advising, draft review, writing support, workshops, or application support.

Candidates applying independently to Fulbright are encouraged to consult the resources below as they prepare their application materials:

• CCRF Fulbright Resources Canvas site (sign-up form here)
• All resources available on the Fulbright US Student Program's website: https://us.fulbrightonline.org/applicants. This website includes detailed information on the eligibility and regulations for each host country and Fulbright award. The stated rules and eligibility for Fulbright grants are not negotiable nor flexible. Candidates are responsible for establishing that they meet eligibility requirements for both the national process and their chosen host country. 

Apply as an "at large" candidate by the Fulbright national deadline: College alums who graduated before June 2022 and who are interested in applying for the 2026-2027 Fulbright award are encouraged to apply on their own as "at large" applicants. Information about the "at large" Fulbright application can be found on the Fulbright website. “At large” applicants are responsible for completing and submitting their final Fulbright application in the SLATE portal by the national deadline. CCRF staff are not able to provide Fulbright resources, draft review, application support, or advising for those applying as “at large” candidates.

Students with disabilities who have been approved for the use of academic accommodations by Student Disability Services (SDS) and need reasonable accommodations to participate fully in the 2025 UChicago Fulbright Campus Process and/or 2025 Fulbright Cohort should follow the procedures established by SDS for using accommodations. Timely notifications are required in order to ensure that your accommodations can be implemented. Please contact Johanna Best (bestjl@uchicago.edu) to discuss your access needs for this Campus Process after you have completed the SDS procedures for requesting accommodations.