The 2019 Fulbright Foreign Student Program
Key Dates:
Deadline: Friday, March 22, 2019
Info Sessions:
January 4, 2019, 3:00- 5:00pm
February 8, 2019, 2:00-4:00pm
March 12, 2019, 2:00-4:00pm
The U.S. Educational Foundation in Nepal (USEF-Nepal or the Fulbright Commission) announces the 2019 competition for the Fulbright Foreign Student Program for Nepali students for Master’s level study in the U.S.A. Those selected will begin in August-September 2020.
The Fulbright Foreign Student Program provides all expenses (including travel) for a master’s degree program of up to two years at selected U.S. universities, in any field except medicine and nursing.
Those who completed their S.L.C. or its equivalent degree from rural areas, women, minorities and people from under-served populations are strongly encouraged to apply.
Application Forms & Deadlines:
The online application form and instructions regarding the competition are available at www.fulbrightnepal.org.np/ffsp/. To learn more about the program, come to one of the Question & Answer sessions at the USEF-Nepal office in Gyaneshwor.
Completed online applications, along with the required documents, must be uploaded and submitted no later than 4:00 pm on Friday, March 22, 2019. Incomplete applications or applications received after this deadline will not be considered.
General Requirements for Entering the Program
All applicants must:
- Possess Nepali citizenship.
- Have at least three years (for men) or two years (for women) of post-bachelor’s degree, full-time, professional work experience in an area directly relevant to the applicant’s chosen field of study as of the application filing deadline date (March 22, 2019). This experience must be documented by letters (or attested copies) from employer(s) that verify applicant’s position(s) and years of employment. Even if you worked at several organizations, you are eligible to apply as long as your work experience at those organizations adds up to the minimum work-duration requirement.
- Demonstrate in post-intermediate degrees a minimum aggregate mark of:
- 54% for students in non-technical fields (humanities and social sciences)
- 62% for students in science and technical fields.
- The minimum requirements for students under the semester system are: 65% in non-technical fields; 75% in technical fields; or a Cumulative GPA of 3.50/4.00 in either field.
- If the grading systems, fields of study or educational systems for the bachelor’s and master’s level are different (percentage and GPA grades, non-technical and science/technical fields, yearly and semester systems, etc.), the applicant needs to meet the minimum score requirements separately, not in the aggregate.
- Have a high level of competence in speaking, reading and writing English. Eligible applicants will be required to sit for an English test. The test requirement may be waived for those who pass the have either:
- a valid CBT TOEFL score of 230 (or iBT TOEFL score of 88, or PBT TOEFL score of 570) or higher, or
- have passed the English language test administered by USEF-Nepal in May 2018.
- Possess either a four-year bachelor’s degree; or, if the bachelor’s degree was of fewer than four years duration, then a master’s degree is also required, such that the total number of years of formal education equals at least 16. Students with a three-year bachelor’s degree who have completed only the first year of a two-year master’s degree program, and master’s degree students who have cleared all exams but still need to fulfill other university-mandated degree requirements are ineligible to apply. Similarly, students who have two or more two-year/three-year bachelor’s degree but no master’s degree are ineligible to apply for the Fulbright program.
- Be in excellent health, as evidenced by a letter from a medical doctor.
- Be eligible for a non-immigrant J-1 U.S. visa, and not already in possession or in the process of obtaining a U.S. immigrant visa (“green card”).
All applicants must submit documentary evidence for items No. 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6
Note: Individuals holding master’s degrees equivalent to a U.S. master’s degree are ineligible to apply for the Fulbright Student Scholarship. Individuals who have previously resided in the United States for six months or more during the preceding five years prior to the application submission deadline are ineligible to apply for the Fulbright Student Scholarship. In addition, this competition is not open to: individuals with, or in the process of obtaining, U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent resident status; employees of USEF-Nepal and local employees of U.S. Mission in Nepal who work for the U.S. Department of State, and their spouses and dependent children (who are ineligible for grants during the period of their employment and for one year following the termination of employment).
The online application form will be accessible from 4pm on Monday, December 17, 2018.
Application Process
- Visit the Commission or check its website on Tuesday, 26 March to confirm that your application was received at the Commission. The list of applications received at the Commission by the deadline will be posted on the bulletin board inside the gate at the Fulbright Commission (Gyaneshwor), and the Commission website www.fulbrightnepal.org.np
- The list of those who pass the initial screening and their test dates will also be posted on the Commission notice board, and the Commission website. Visit the Commission or check its website on Monday, 1 April to find out (a) if your application passed the initial screening and (b) the date you have been assigned to for English Language testing.
- Those who pass the initial screening will be required to sit for an English language exam between 8-10 April. The English language test requirement during the selection process may be waived for those who pass the initial screening and have either:
- a valid CBT TOEFL score of 230 (or iBT TOEFL score of 88, or PBT TOEFL score of 570) or higher, and have attached copies of the score report with the application; or
- have passed the English language test administered by USEF-Nepal in April 2018.
- Appear at the Fulbright Commission (Gyaneshwor) for English language testing on your scheduled date with a photo identification (e.g. passport, driver’s license, etc.). Those required to sit for the English language test but unable to do so will automatically become ineligible.
- The results of the English test will be posted at the Fulbright Commission and the website approximately 5-10 working days after 10 April. Note, however, that passing the English test is not a guarantee that you will be interviewed.
- The Fulbright Commission will review completed applications and announce the list of applicants to be interviewed. The list of finalists and their interview date will be posted on the bulletin board inside the gate at the Fulbright Commission (Gyaneshwor) and on the Commission website www.fulbrightnepal.org.np in mid-April. Those who pass the English test (or who are waived from taking the test because of their qualifying scores in TOEFL or the English language test administered by USEF-Nepal as mentioned above) are requested to check the bulletin board (or the website) on that date. Interviews are tentatively scheduled to occur in or about last week of June/ first week of July 2018. If you are a finalist, you must be available during these times.
- Visa sponsorship: All grantees receive an exchange visitor (J-1) visa which requires that the individuals return to Nepal upon completion of their academic project. Grantees are not eligible for an immigrant visa, for permanent residence, or for a non-immigrant visa as a temporary worker ("H" visa) or trainee, or as an intra-company transferee ("L" visa) to re-enter the United States until they have accumulated two years residence in Nepal after returning from the United States on an exchange visitor visa. This does not preclude the individual from going to the United States on other visas during the two-year period.
- PLEASENOTE:
Depending upon budget availability, approximately five candidates will be nominated by the Fulbright Board in Nepal for the Fulbright Foreign Student Scholarship.
GOOD LUCK!!
Please click here to visit application homepage.
