The Fulbright U.S. Student Program (FUSP) is designed to give recent B.S./B.A. graduates, master’s and doctoral candidates, and young professionals and artists opportunities for personal development and international experience.
Projects can include university coursework, independent library or field research, teaching English, classes in a music conservatory or art school, special projects in the social or life sciences, or a combination.
Along with opportunities for intellectual, professional and artistic growth, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers valuable opportunities to meet and work with people of the host country, sharing daily life as well as professional and creative insights. The program promotes cross-cultural interaction and mutual understanding on a person-to-person basis in an atmosphere of openness, academic integrity, and intellectual freedom.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is administered by the Institute of International Education. IIE offers a number of video tutorials guiding you through the general Fulbright program and each of the different award types @ http://us.fulbrightonline.org/tutorials.
Eligibility
You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for the FUSP.
Enrolled UW-Madison students should apply through the UW-Madison by submitting the application in the Enrolled Student category and selecting UW-Madison as your institution.
Undergraduates who will have graduated by the start of the award term and graduate students at all levels are eligible to apply for the FUSP.
UW-Madison alumni not in a graduate program at another institution have the option of applying through the UW-Madison and are both invited and strongly encouraged to do so! Applicants do not have to be in an academic program to be eligible. Alumni interested in applying for this program through UW-Madison should contact Mark Lilleleht, the UW-Madison’s Fulbright Coordinator, at uwfulbright@wisc.edu with any questions.
How to apply
All applicants applying through UW-Madison must follow campus instructions & deadlines.
The campus deadline for submission of the 2024-25 FUSP application was 10:00am CDT, Thursday, September 14, 2023.
Applicants must submit Attachments A & B (see below) by email to the Fulbright Coordinator by 10:00am CDT, Monday, September 11, 2023.
Read and review ALL of the documents below (updated for the 2024-2025 competition):
- FUSP @ UW-Madison: Read First!
- FUSP @ UW-Madison: Campus Instructions
- Attachments A & B (release form & interview schedule)
Each applicant is responsible for submitting a complete and correct application. Mark Lilleleht, UW-Madison’s Fulbright Program Advisor/Coordinator, is available to answer questions about the application requirements, process, as well as comment on drafts of application essays. Email uwfulbright@wisc.edu with questions. Applicants are advised to read all instructions on the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website and the campus documents (above).
We have project & personal statements (a key part of every FUSP application) of previous UW-Madison Fulbright recipients available for review. Please email Mark at uwfulbright@wisc.edu requesting access (indicating what award type you are interested in – ETA or Study/Research) and he will provide you copies to review.
The Institute for International Education (IIE) uses an online submission system. All application materials, including letters of recommendation, language evaluations, letters of affiliation, and transcripts, must be submitted online.
Applicants must submit their application through the FUSP application portal by the campus deadline (10:00am CDT, Thursday, September 14, 2023). Soon thereafter applications are reopened and applicants can continue to revise and edit their applications up to the national deadline. All applicants must submit the final version of their applications by the national deadline of 4pm CDT, Tuesday, October 10, 2023.
Please note: The national deadline is the final submission deadline for those applying through UW-Madison. It is the only submission deadline for “at-large applicants.” Applicants applying through UW-Madison must also follow the campus deadline requirements.
New for 2023: Any student enrolled in a Master’s or PhD program at UW-Madison during the course of their Fulbright US Student Program award will have the value of the International Academic Programs graduate course fee for that period paid to them as a scholarship by the Graduate School. The UW-Madison’s Fulbright Coordinator will be responsible for notifying the Graduate School of the amount and duration of the IAP program fees for students who accept these awards.
The 2025-2026 competition will open late in March 2024 – but it’s never too early to explore your options!
Complete details about opportunities available for the 2024-2025 Fulbright US Student Program (FUSP) are what is currently available on the FUSP website; those listings will be updated for 2025-2026 when that competition opens.
The UW-Madison’s campus Fulbright Program Advisor, Mark Lilleleht, is available to meet to discuss the program, the application process, your specific interests, as well as to offer feedback and more. Undergraduates can make an advising appointment with Mark through Starfish; alumni and UW-Madison faculty & staff can book an appointment through Calendly.
We have copies of project & personal statements from previous UW-Madison Fulbright recipients available for review; email Mark requesting access and he will provide you copies to review.
And don’t forget all the other great video tutorials & resources Fulbright has available!
