What is the Fulbright Scholarship?

Future Fulbright scholar?

The Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) administers the Fulbright Program for the U.S. Government. It is the government's "flagship academic exchange program," according to CIES. In 2008, it received $215.4 million in Congressional funding.

History

President Harry Truman signed the Fulbright Program into law in 1946, a year after it was proposed to Congress by Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. Designed to promote "mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries of the world," the program is active in over 155 countries.

Types

There are several Fulbright Programs available to U.S. and non-U.S. scholars. They range from undergraduate and graduate student study abroad fellowships to programs that send professors around the world to lecture and conduct research.

Significance

According to CIES, 111,000 individuals from the U.S. and 183,000 from abroad have participated in the program, as of 2009.

Considerations

The University of California at Irvine (UCI) notes that of the 7,257 undergraduate and graduate students who applied for the Fulbright Fellowship in 2009, about 1,594 were awarded funding.

Famous Ties

Famous Fulbright winners include writer and actor John Lithgow and soprano Renee Fleming, according to UCI.

References

• Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES): Fulbright Scholar Program
• University of California at Irvine: Fulbright Fellowship