The Fulbright Program was established in 1946, at the end of World War II, to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries, through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills. The program honors Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, long-time chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who sponsored the legislation establishing the program.
The Fulbright Grant provides round-trip transportation, language or orientation courses, where appropriate, tuition, books, maintenance for one academic year in only one country, and health and accident insurance. (Travel grants are available in a few countries to supplement other awards.) These grants are available to more than 100 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Central and South America, and the Asia/Pacific region. Although the majority of Fulbright Grants are awarded to advanced graduate students engaged in research for a doctoral dissertation, awards are also available to other graduate students, graduating seniors, and those who wish to further their careers in the creative and performing arts, or teach English in secondary schools. See Previous Fulbright Grant Recipients for descriptions of project proposals by Boston College students that received funding in past years.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- be U.S. citizens
- have earned a Bachelor's degree before the beginning of the grant
- have foreign language proficiency where appropriate
- be in good health.
The completed application should be done in consultation with the Fulbright Campus Coordinator, and consists of the following:
- A one-page statement proposing a research project and plan of study. Considerable weight is given to this statement in the selection of candidates. It should, therefore include, for example, specific information concerning resources available in the host country and not available elsewhere (e.g., special collections, outstanding scholars, research teams in the field). The project proposal is evaluated in terms of its validity as a scholarly undertaking, and its feasibility (e.g., can the project be completed in one year and in one country? Is the candidate's formal training adequate for the project? Might the project be politically or socially sensitive to the host country?).
- A one-page curriculum vitae. This should be a narrative statement giving a picture of yourself as an individual, rather than merely a factual autobiography. It should deal with personal history, family background, influences on intellectual development, special interests and abilities, career plans, life goals, etc.
- Three letters of recommendation, two of which should be from professors in the applicant's major field.
- A transcript from each institution attended since graduation from high school.
- A language proficiency report to be completed by a professional language teacher.
Applications and information can be obtained in late Spring from the Boston College Campus Coordinator for the Fulbright. Candidates should consult their academic advisors and submit the completed application by October 1. Applicants must apply through the Boston College Campus Coordinator; the Fulbright Grant program will not accept applications submitted independently by undergraduates.
To be competitive, interested students should contact the BC Campus Coordinator for the Fulbright during the Spring semester of their Junior year, to begin preparing their applications.
To get additional information about the Fulbright Grants and the application process before talking with the Campus Coordinator, consult the web site for the J. William Fulbright Program.