The Fulbright Foreign Student Programme is inviting applications for the 2023-2024 academic year.
The South African Fulbright Foreign Student Programme provides grants for South African university graduates to pursue post-graduate studies at a United States university in any subject (excludes MBA and studies that require contact with patients).
Students are selected through a rigorous application and interview process and receive a high level of support ranging from visa processing and health insurance to a comprehensive pre-departure orientation and re-entry session.
For more information on the programme, refer to the South Africa Fulbright Foreign Student Program (FFSP) Application Guidelines.
Degree level
- MA/PhD: Post-graduate students may apply for scholarships towards Master’s or Doctorate degrees. Scholarships are awarded for two years towards one degree – Master’s or Doctorate (renewable each year);
- Visiting Student Researcher (non-degree) : South African PhD students enrolled with a South African University may apply to conduct one year’s research at a U.S. University as a Visiting Student Researcher (VSR). Current National Research Foundation (NRF) funded PhD students are encouraged to apply.
Deadlines
The application deadline is 01 May 2022.
Who can apply?
Applicants must:
- Be a South African citizen OR a permanent resident with a minimum of 5 years of permanent residency status in South Africa (Please note: S.A. nationals with dual citizenship from the United States are not eligible for the programme);
- For Non-Degree (Visiting Student Researcher) studies: Must be registered for a PhD with a South African university;
- Have a four-year bachelor’s degree, or a three-year bachelor’s degree plus honours year, or a four-year B-Tech degree when applying for Master’s;
- Have a Master’s degree when applying for a Doctoral degree;
- Have sufficient level of English proficiency to enable them to engage in graduate level study in the United States;
- Be able to meet the minimum scores on required standardized tests such as the GRE and TOEFL (tested by Fulbright when invited to the semi-final round);
- Display academic excellence;
- Be highly motivated and committed to returning to S.A. after the programme;
- Demonstrate leadership qualities;
- Display a sense of social responsibility; be involved in extra-mural activities;
- Have a desire to further Fulbright Alumni activities by giving back to your community/university upon returning;
- Have an understanding of the cross-cultural sensitivity and flexibility needed to adjust successfully to life in the United States as a student;
- Have not had recent and extensive experience in the U.S.
Preference will be given to applicants who have not held a Fulbright Scholarship before.
Students already studying in the United States are NOT eligible.
Fields of Study
All fields of study except MBA and studies that require patient contact.
What the scholarship offers
- Travel allowance and transportation from South Africa to the authorized U.S. destination;
- Health benefits;
- Settling in allowance upon arrival in the United States;
- Monthly maintenance allowance (to cover living expenses);
- Tuition and fees;
- Book and computer allowance;
- J-1 visa sponsorship
Laboratory fees are not part of the standard benefits package for the Fulbright SARSP and are awarded on a limited, case-by-case basis, and only if funding is available.
Application process
Interested candidates must apply online via the application link: Application Management (iie.org)
Contact
Queries not addressed on the website may be sent to the Fulbright Office via:
Documents and links
South Africa Fulbright Foreign Student Programme Website
South Africa Fulbright Foreign Student Programme Application Guidelines and Instructions
Writing a Research Proposal for Scholarship Application
Note
Please note that this opportunity is not offered by the Department of Higher Education and Training. Applicants are required to undertake their own research into programmes and institutions and are responsible for ensuring that the qualifications will be recognised in South Africa. If there are any discrepancies in the details provided, the information given by the sponsor supersedes the details provided above. No additional financial support will be provided by the Department of Higher Education and Training.
