Educational Exchange

Fulbright Program

The flagship international educational program sponsored by the United States Government, the Fulbright Program is designed to "increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries..." With this goal, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 250,000 participants — chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential — with the opportunity to study and teach in each other's countries, exchange ideas, and develop joint solutions to address shared concerns.

Program History

The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 under legislation introduced by former Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. Since its inception more than fifty years ago 255,000 "Fulbrighters," 96,400 from the United States and 158,600 from other countries, have participated in the Program. The Fulbright Program awards approximately 4,500 new grants annually.

Fulbright Alumni include Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, governors and senators, ambassadors and artists, prime ministers and heads of state, professors and scientists, Supreme Court Justices, and CEOs.

Funding and Program Administration

The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation by the United States Congress. Foreign governments and private organizations contribute through cost-sharing and indirect support, such as salary supplements, tuition waivers, university housing, etc. The Congressional appropriation for the Fulbright Program in fiscal year 2003 is $122.9 million. Foreign governments contribute an additional $28 million directly to the Fulbright Program.

The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State under policy guidelines established by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. The Board is a presidentially-appointed, independent body that formulates the policies, procedures, and selection criteria which govern the Fulbright Program. Currently, the Program operates in 140 countries, including 51 countries with binational Fulbright Commissions and Foundations. A number of private, cooperating organizations also assist with the administration of the Program.

For further information, contact:
Office of Academic Exchange Programs
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
U.S. Department of State, SA-44
301 4th Street, S.W., Room 234
Washington, D.C. 20547
tel: (202) 619-4360
fax: (202) 401-5914
e-mail: academic@state.gov