Written by Christian Chinonso
Founder, LearnViaHub | Academic Credential & International Student Research
✓ Last checked: 27 October 2026
Quick answer
The Fulbright Foreign Student Program is a U.S. Department of State programme that gives grants to graduate students, young professionals and artists to study and research in the United States. You do not apply to a U.S. university or through one global portal. You apply through the Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy in your own country, and that country sets the eligibility rules and deadlines.
We could confirm how the programme is structured, its two placement models, the IRS rule on taxing grants and the two-year home-country rule that can apply to J-1 grantees. Fulbright publishes no global stipend figure, acceptance rate or deadline, so we give none. We checked one country in full: Pakistan.
Start on your country’s page on the Foreign Student Program site, and check it again each cycle, because rules change.
What the programme confirms
Each row comes from the page linked in its first cell.
| Item | What Fulbright says |
|---|---|
| Who runs it | The U.S. Department of State sponsors it and IIE administers it. The Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy in your home country handles applications |
| Scale | It operates in more than 160 countries, and about 4,000 foreign students receive grants each year |
| Who it funds | Graduate students, young professionals and artists from abroad, for study and research in the United States |
| Rules | Eligibility varies widely by country, so the same degree can be open in one country and closed in another |
| Visiting student researchers | Typically current doctoral students who spend about six to 10 months at a U.S. institution. The grant includes ASPE health benefit coverage and J-1 visa sponsorship |
How to apply, step by step
The steps are the same everywhere, but each country sets the details. This table shows the steps with Pakistan as the verified example. USEFP says applying costs nothing and warns that agents sell forms and take fees.
| Step | What you do | Pakistan example (USEFP) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Find your country | Open your country’s page on the Foreign Student Program site. The Commission or Embassy listed there runs the competition | USEFP runs it, with offices in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi |
| 2. Check eligibility | Read your country’s rules on degree level, fields, tests and work experience | GRE required; work experience only for MBA and Public Policy or Administration |
| 3. Gather documents | Use the list your country publishes | An application form, three reference letters, a GRE report and transcripts with a grading-scale explanation |
| 4. Take your tests | Learn which tests you need before the deadline and which come later | GRE before the deadline; TOEFL only if selected |
| 5. Submit | Apply through your country’s system before its deadline | Online only. The 2027-cohort round closed on 1 April 2026 |
| 6. Interview and selection | Attend an interview if shortlisted | Interviews run June to August, nominees are announced in September, and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board gives final approval |
| 7. Placement, visa and departure | Your placement model decides who applies to universities | Placement continues until April, visa interviews run until the summer, and departures start in July |
Sources: the USEFP Fulbright degree page and its FAQ. Our Pakistan guide covers each Pakistani requirement.
Placement: IIE or self-placement
Your country uses one of two models, and your country page says which.
| Model | What happens |
|---|---|
| IIE placement | IIE applies to U.S. institutions for you. Its placement staff work by field of study, and IIE says it secures significant first-year cost-sharing that is generally renewed at the same or higher rates in later years |
| Self-placement | You apply to U.S. universities yourself and secure your own admission |
Under IIE placement, you do not pick the final university. USEFP, which runs the Pakistan programme, says IIE matches each candidate with universities, and you can note preferences in your application (USEFP FAQ).
What a grant pays
The package depends on your country, so we show what the sources state and where they stop.
| Item | What we could confirm |
|---|---|
| Pakistan package | USEFP lists tuition, required textbooks, airfare, a living stipend, health insurance, visa fees, a computer and a settling-in allowance (USEFP FAQ) |
| Health cover | IIE says visiting student researchers receive ASPE health benefit coverage (IIE) |
| Monthly stipend | No global figure exists. Other websites quote amounts anywhere from about $1,200 to about $4,800, so we leave them out. Your award letter gives your amount |
| Dependants | USEFP allows spouses and children, and it tells grantees to be ready to cover their costs (USEFP FAQ) |
Tax on your grant
IRS rules require withholding on taxable scholarship and fellowship income paid to nonresident aliens. The standard rate is 30%, but the IRS says it can fall to 14% for F, J, M and Q visa holders, and a tax treaty can reduce or remove it. Amounts that pay for tuition, required fees, books and supplies are generally not taxable. Withholding is not your final tax bill, and you settle the difference when you file (IRS).
This worked example uses made-up numbers to show the effect:
| Taxable grant income (illustrative) | Withholding at 14% | Withholding at 30% |
|---|---|---|
| $20,000 | $2,800 | $6,000 |
Ask IIE or your host university’s tax office how your grant is reported and which rate applies to you before you budget.
The J-1 visa and the two-year home-country rule
Fulbright grantees usually enter the United States on a J-1 visa. The State Department says an exchange visitor may be subject to the two-year home-country physical presence requirement because of funding from the U.S. or their home government, because their field is on the Exchange Visitor Skills List, or because of graduate medical training. The Department revised the Skills List on 9 December 2024 (State Department).
Fulbright is a State Department programme, and U.S. university international offices say Fulbright funding counts as U.S. government funding. You meet the requirement by spending two cumulative years in your home country, and those offices say waivers are rare for Fulbright grantees. Your DS-2019 and visa show whether the rule applies to you, so check both before you accept an award.
Worked example: Pakistan
Pakistan is the country we checked in full. All rows come from the USEFP Fulbright degree page, and our Pakistan guide covers the rest.
| Item | What USEFP says |
|---|---|
| Latest deadline | 1 April 2026, for the 2027 cohort. USEFP shows that round as closed |
| GRE | Required for every applicant, with at least 145 in each section |
| English test | Not part of the application. Selected candidates take the TOEFL |
| Work experience | Two years for MBA and Public Policy or Administration applicants only |
| Placement | IIE places grantees |
| Return | A contract with USEFP binds you to return and serve in Pakistan for at least two years. PhD candidates also post a bond with the HEC |
Another country can differ on every row, which is why you must read your own country’s page.
What we could not confirm, and left out
| Item | Why it is not here |
|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | We found no official figure, and each country selects its own grantees |
| Rules for countries other than Pakistan | Deadlines, degree levels, tests and work experience differ by country, and we could not verify them all. Use your country page |
| ASPE deductibles and exclusions | We found them only on third-party sites |
| How many years Fulbright pays a PhD | We found no official figure. IIE says only that it secures first-year cost-sharing that is generally renewed |
| Congressional votes on Fulbright funding | The House Clerk’s record shows a 79–348 vote on 15 July 2026, but it does not describe the amendment, so we do not report it. USEFP says its awards depend on its budget allocation |
Where the programme may not fit
| If this is you | Why it may not fit |
|---|---|
| You want to fund an undergraduate degree | The programme funds graduate students, young professionals and artists (Fulbright) |
| Your country is not a participating country | You apply through your own country’s Commission or Embassy, so you need one that takes part |
| You plan to move straight into U.S. work after the grant | The two-year home-country rule may apply to you (State Department) |
Related guides:
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply directly to a U.S. university?
No. You apply through the Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy in your home country. Under IIE placement, IIE then applies to universities for you.
Is the Fulbright Foreign Student Program fully funded?
Packages depend on your country. Pakistan’s lists tuition, required textbooks, airfare, a living stipend, health insurance, visa fees, a computer and a settling-in allowance. Check your own country’s page.
Do I pay U.S. tax on my grant?
Possibly. The IRS requires withholding on taxable scholarship income paid to nonresident aliens, at 30% or a reduced rate such as 14% for J-1 holders, and a tax treaty can reduce it. Tuition, fees and required books are generally not taxable.
Does the two-year home-country rule apply to me?
It may. The State Department lists government funding as one trigger, and Fulbright is U.S. government funding. Your DS-2019 and visa show whether it applies.
Can I choose my U.S. university?
It depends on your country’s model. Under self-placement you apply to universities yourself. Under IIE placement, IIE makes the final match, though you can note preferences.
What is the Fulbright acceptance rate?
Fulbright publishes no global rate, and each country selects its own grantees, so we found no reliable official figure.
How we researched this
Last checked: 27 October 2026. We read the Foreign Student Program site and its IIE placement and visiting student researcher pages, USEFP’s Fulbright degree page and FAQ, the IRS page on withholding on scholarships paid to nonresident aliens, and the State Department’s notice on the Exchange Visitor Skills List. The statement that Fulbright funding counts as U.S. government funding comes from U.S. university international offices.
Limits: we found no official stipend figure or acceptance rate and verified only Pakistan’s country rules. Rules change each cycle, so confirm everything with your country’s Fulbright office.
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.