Written by Christian Chinonso
Founder, LearnViaHub | Academic Credential & International Student Research
Quick answer
Fulbright says the Foreign Student Program award includes J-1 visa sponsorship, funding support, a health benefit plan and enrichment activities (Foreign Fulbright Program). U.S. Embassy announcements describe the funding as tuition, a monthly living stipend, health coverage and round-trip airfare (U.S. Embassy Kosovo; U.S. Embassy Timor-Leste).
There is no single stipend amount. Each country’s Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy runs its own application and selection process (Foreign Fulbright Program), and the announcements we read state no dollar figure. Figures quoted elsewhere vary widely and we could not trace them to an official page, so we give none.
Before you plan a budget, find out what your commission pays, how your tuition is covered, and what the health plan excludes. A table, a worked budget example and an email to your commission are below.
This guide is part of our Fulbright Foreign Student Program overview. For the application steps, see our application guide.
What Fulbright says is covered
The table separates what Fulbright states for the whole program from what two embassies state for their own countries. Details differ by country, so treat the embassy rows as examples, not a rule for yours.
| Benefit | What the official sources say |
|---|---|
| J-1 visa | J-1 visa sponsorship is part of the award (Foreign Fulbright Program). |
| Tuition | Kosovo’s announcement says tuition and fees are covered (U.S. Embassy Kosovo), and Timor-Leste’s says recipients receive a tuition grant (U.S. Embassy Timor-Leste). Under IIE placement, IIE manages admission and negotiates funding. Under self-placement, candidates secure their own admission, university funding and tuition awards (Foreign Fulbright Program). |
| Monthly stipend | Both embassies describe a monthly living stipend and state no amount. See the next section. |
| Airfare | Round-trip international travel is listed by both embassies (Kosovo; Timor-Leste). |
| Health coverage | A health benefit plan is part of the award. It is a limited plan, not full insurance. See the health section below. |
| Length of funding | Timor-Leste states a maximum of two years of graduate study. Kosovo says one or two academic years, depending on costs and available funding. Your country sets its own. |
| Extras | Enrichment activities are part of the award (Foreign Fulbright Program). Some selected candidates may also be asked to attend pre-academic English language training in the United States before their program starts (U.S. Embassy Timor-Leste). |
The stipend: why there is no single figure
Fulbright’s own page lists “funding support” without an amount, and says program eligibility, placement and selection vary widely by country (Foreign Fulbright Program). The two embassy announcements we read also give no figure. The amount you receive is therefore something to confirm with your own commission or embassy.
Once you have the figure, test it against your costs. These steps are our suggestion.
- Get the monthly amount in writing from your commission, and ask whether it depends on your host city.
- Estimate monthly costs for your likely city: rent, food, transport, phone and books. Use the university’s own cost-of-living estimate.
- Subtract costs from the stipend and then check whether tax will reduce the stipend (see the tax section).
Worked example, with made-up numbers. Suppose the stipend is $2,000 a month. Costs are rent $1,100, food $400, transport $100 and other $200, a total of $1,800. The monthly surplus is $2,000 − $1,800 = $200. If 14% were withheld from the whole stipend (see the tax section), that is $280, leaving $1,720. The result is a monthly shortfall of $1,720 − $1,800 = −$80. This is only an illustration, because your stipend, costs and tax treatment will differ.
Health coverage: what the plan limits are
Fulbright grantees receive the U.S. Department of State’s Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges (ASPE). It covers expenses from accidents, sicknesses and emergencies. It does not cover general check-ups, physicals, dental maintenance or pre-existing conditions (Fulbright Scholar Program health benefits overview). The State Department’s 2025–26 summary gives these limits:
| Item | What the plan states |
|---|---|
| Maximum benefit | $100,000 per injury or sickness |
| Office visit | $25 copay for office visits and telemedicine consultations |
| Pre-existing conditions | Not covered |
| Dental | Emergency relief of pain only |
| Mental health | Limited to 30 inpatient days and 30 outpatient visits |
Source: ASPE 2025–26 summary. That summary was written for other State Department exchange programs that use the same plan, and the plan describes itself as not an insurance policy. Limits can change each year, so check the ASPE guide you receive with your grant.
What to check before you accept
The last column is our suggestion, not an official instruction.
| Item | What the sources say | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Your degree field | Programs with clinical requirements, such as dentistry, medicine, pharmacy and nursing, are not supported. Fields such as public health and nursing administration are permitted (Foreign Fulbright Program). | Check your intended program against this before you apply. |
| Spouse and children | Whether dependents are allowed depends on your country’s program. Amideast’s FAQ for West Bank and Gaza says to confirm with the local office before entering dependent information, and that dependents cannot accompany participants in its Long-Term English program (Amideast FAQ 2025–26). | Ask your commission before you plan around bringing family. |
| Conditions and dental work | Pre-existing conditions are not covered, and dental care is limited to emergency pain relief (see the health section). | Budget for these separately or ask your commission about other coverage. |
| Degree longer than the funding | Funding length is set by your country. Examples are up to two years (Timor-Leste) and one or two academic years depending on costs and funding (Kosovo). | Ask what happens if your program runs longer than the funded period. |
| Returning home | Amideast’s FAQ says Fulbrighters must return home to complete a two-year residency requirement before becoming eligible for other visas (Amideast FAQ 2025–26), and Kosovo’s announcement requires a return of at least two years (U.S. Embassy Kosovo). | Plan your career around returning home before you accept. |
Taxes on the stipend
The IRS says the taxable part of a scholarship or fellowship paid to a nonresident alien is the part that is not a “qualified scholarship” under section 117(a) of the tax code. The statutory withholding rate is 30%, which may be reduced to 14% for nonresident alien students temporarily in the United States on F, J, M or Q visas (IRS, withholding on income paid to nonresident aliens). A tax treaty between the United States and your country may change this.
We could not confirm how Fulbright payments to your country’s grantees are reported or withheld. Ask your commission or Fulbright adviser, and your host university’s tax office, before you rely on any net figure.
Email to your commission
The sources we read give no amounts, so the surest way to get them is to ask. Find your commission or embassy through the Foreign Fulbright Program site, then adapt this email.
Subject: Question about Fulbright Foreign Student Program benefits Dear [Name or Team], I am a citizen of [country] applying to the Fulbright Foreign Student Program for [Master’s / PhD] study. Could you please tell me: - the monthly stipend amount, and whether it depends on the host city; - whether tuition is covered in full, and what happens if a university’s tuition is higher; - how many months or years of funding are provided, and what happens if my degree is longer; - whether dependents may accompany me; - what health coverage is provided and what it excludes; - whether the stipend is taxed, and by whom. Thank you for your help. Yours sincerely, [Your name]
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Fulbright stipend?
We found no official amount. Fulbright lists funding support without a figure (Foreign Fulbright Program) and each country’s commission or embassy runs its own process. Ask yours, using the email above.
Is Fulbright fully funded?
Fulbright describes the award as including funding support, a health benefit plan, J-1 sponsorship and enrichment activities (Foreign Fulbright Program). Embassies list tuition, a monthly stipend, airfare and health coverage. Exact terms are set by your country, so confirm what is and is not covered before you accept.
Does Fulbright cover my family?
It depends on your country’s program. One Amideast FAQ says to confirm with the local office whether dependents are permitted (Amideast FAQ 2025–26). The sources we read do not describe funding for dependents.
Is the Fulbright stipend taxable?
The IRS taxes the part of a scholarship or fellowship that is not a qualified scholarship, with a reduced 14% withholding rate for F, J, M and Q visa holders, and treaties may change the result (IRS). How it applies to your grant depends on your circumstances, so ask your Fulbright adviser or a tax professional.
What does the Fulbright health plan not cover?
Pre-existing conditions, general check-ups, physicals and dental maintenance are not covered, and dental care is limited to emergency pain relief (Fulbright Scholar Program health benefits overview; ASPE 2025–26 summary).
Continue your Fulbright research
How we researched this
Last checked: 22 October 2026. We read the Foreign Fulbright Program page, the U.S. Embassy Kosovo and U.S. Embassy Timor-Leste announcements, the Amideast FAQ for West Bank and Gaza (2025–26), the ASPE 2025–26 summary, the Fulbright Scholar Program health benefits overview and the IRS page on withholding for nonresident aliens.
We found no official stipend amounts, tuition caps or dependent allowances for the Foreign Student Program, so none are given. Stipend figures on other sites disagree with each other and we could not trace them. The ASPE summary and health overview were written for other State Department programs that use the same plan, and the Amideast FAQ covers one region. The worked example uses made-up numbers, and the steps and the last column of the checklist are our own suggestions.
Terms vary by country and change each cycle, so confirm with your commission or embassy.
This page is for general information and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. LearnViaHub is not affiliated with any government agency or institution mentioned. Check official sources before acting.
Christian Chinonso is the founder of LearnViaHub, with 6+ years of research experience in international education — including GPA systems, scholarships, student financing, and study-abroad guidance — for students worldwide.