The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The Fulbright Program provides participants-chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential - with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. Grants are available for U.S. citizens to go abroad and for non-U.S. citizens with no U.S. permanent residence to come to the U.S. The Fulbright Program is an important element of the United States' bilateral relationships with countries around the world. U.S. and foreign governments jointly set priorities for the exchanges.

 

Approximately 310,000 "Fulbrighters," 116,900 from the United States and 192,800 from other countries, have participated in the Program since its inception over sixty years ago. The Fulbright Program awards approximately 8,000 new grants annually. Currently, the Fulbright Program operates in over 155 countries worldwide.

 

The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs administers the Fulbright Program under policy guidelines established by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board with the assistance of binational Fulbright Commissions in 50 countries, U.S. embassies in more than 100 other countries and cooperating agencies in the United States.

 

Program Funding

The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the United States Congress to the Department of State.  Participating governments and host institutions, corporations andfoundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support.The Congressional appropriation for the Fulbright Program in fiscal year 2011 was $273.4 million.  Foreign governments, through binational commissions or foundations abroad, contributed approximately $85.2 million directly to the Program in fiscal year 2010.