Fulbright US Student Programs

UIC named 2021 & 2022 HSI leader by Fulbright Program Heading link
The University of Illinois Chicago is among a select group of Hispanic-Serving Institutions recognized as a Fulbright HSI Leader by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs for its commitment to the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program.
In 2021, the program’s inaugural year, the Fulbright HSI Leader designation was conferred to UIC and 34 other institutions in honor of their noteworthy engagement with Fulbright exchange participants during the 2019-2021 academic years and promotion of Fulbright Program opportunities on campus. UIC was the only HSI Leader in the Midwest.
In 2022, UIC was against named a Fulbright HSI Leader, along with 42 other institutions, for demonstrating noteworthy engagement with Fulbright exchange participants during the 2021-2022 academic year and campus promotion of opportunities offered by the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international academic exchange program.
Fulbright Success Heading link
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> 145 Since 1949 and the Navy Pier campus, UIC has had over 140 finalists!
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> 52 % Of UIC applicants in the 2022-23 competition were semi-finalists!
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> 75 % Of UIC's grad/professional/grad alumni were semi-finalists or finalists in the 2020-21 competition!
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> 55 % Of UIC's applicants were semi-finalists in the 2021-2022 competition!
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15 In the last three cycles, 15 UIC graduate & professional students and alumni have have been named a finalist or alternate
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> 85 Since 2000, UIC has had over 80 finalists!
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Leader UIC named 2021 HSI Leader by State Department
Fulbright US Student Program (overview) Heading link
Fulbright fellowships, through the U.S. State Department, provide over 2,000 for year-long teaching, research, and study opportunities abroad for U.S. citizen students in various disciplines. Approximately 130 countries are viable sites for placement. Language proficiency depends on the country.
The 2023-24 competition opened March 31, 2022 and the national deadline is October 11, 2022. UIC students and alumni who not enrolled elsewhere should apply through UIC and not as at-large applicants. Students applying through UIC enjoy an advising process meant to ameliorate the student’s application. The internal UIC campus deadline is September 8, 2022. Graduate students and alumni from UIC’s graduate programs should contact Benn Williams (bwilli7@uic.edu), their dedicated university Fulbright Program Advisor, to start the process NOW.
Are UIC students successful? Yes. According to the data available in a recent Chronicle of Higher Education article, the five “top producers” of Fulbright US students (doctoral institutions) averaged 125.4 applications and 35.6 awards. Their “success rate” was 28.9%. Two of UIC’s “aspirational peers” averaged 13 awards from 57.5 applications (29.4%). UIC scores higher. For the same 2020-21 competition, UIC saw 7 recipients on 22 applications and a whopping 75% of our graduate and professional students/alumni achieved semi-finalist or finalist status! (“Finalist” equals “offered the Fulbright.”) For the 2021-22 competition: 10 of UIC’s 18 applicants are semi-finalists (55.6%). Sixty percent of the semi-finalists are graduate/professional students. We are celebrating four finalists and two alternates this cycle. This is especially exciting as there were 11,728 applications (a record!) for the 2021-22 competition. In the 2022-2023 competition, UIC had 19 applicants, 12 of whom were graduate students or graduate alumni. Of the 12, half reached semi-finalist status. Three graduate alumni were offered an ETA, one alumna was promoted from alternate to finalist for a study/research award, and our final alternate awaits a final determination. In short, UIC compares favorably to our peers (Source).
Last updated 6/22/22/bw
PowerPoint Presentations (as downloadable PDFs) Heading link
Many of these presentations were shown during Fulbright Week.
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three Overviews
PowerPoint Presentations
PowerPoint Presentations
Updates for the 2023-2024 Competition (updated 6/23/22) Heading link
Near the opening of the annual competition, Fulbright releases general and regional updates. Last updated 6/23/22. (Still no awards for China.)
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General Program Updates
- Last year’s competition saw a dip in the number of applications from the record number for the 2021-22 competition (11,728)
- The Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowships in Public Health WILL be available for the 2023-24 competition.
- 2050+ awards to 130+ countries are expected – a 4.7% decline in the number of awards and 7% fewer countries
- Continued increase in ETA awards and Fulbright partner awards with international universities, including a small increase in the number of multi-year awards (master’s and doctoral), cf. https://us.fulbrightonline.org/applicants/types-of-awards/study-research/
- Still NO Fulbright program in the People’s Republic of China, including Hong Kong and Macau, for the upcoming (2023-24) program cycle. The Malaysia ETA remains suspended.
Regional Trends (East Asia-Pacific)
- Malaysia ETA remains suspended
- See note on China (including Hong Kong and Macau) above
- More Study/Research applications are needed — Fulbright could offer more awards if there were more qualified candidates!
- ETA applicants: demonstrate a SINCERE interest in teaching and in the host country — gap-year projects not wanted
- Many programs want rural Americans to go to rural regions
- Under-subscribed Programs
- Study/Research: Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand (same for the third year in a row)
- ETA: Laos and Mongolia (second year in a row), Timor-Leste
- Graduate degree grants: Korea & Taiwan (second year in a row)
Regional Trends (Western Europe)
- University (study) applications and requirements vary; students should read award descriptions closely
- New awards: Spain (1 Fulbright Master’s Program In Social Sciences at the Universidad Carlos III De Madrid)
- Undersubscribed programs: France (really?), Iceland, Finland (so many opportunities!), Partnerships awards
Regional Trends (South & Central Asia)
- Opportunities for Russian language skills in the Baltics and Eurasia
- NEW Albania ETA award
- Undersubscribed programs: Armenia and Georgia (again), Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Azerbaijan, Turkish Master’s Program
- ETA award increase in Romania
- Interest in combatting disinformation in the region
Regional Trends (South & Central Asia)
- ETA program to India is back for 2023-24 with more awards!
- Sri Lanka: ETA program remains suspended for a second year
- Increase in ETA awards to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan
- Undersubscribed:
- Kyrgyzstan (ETA and study/research)
- Study/research awards throughout Central Asia and Sri Lanka
- General focus on English teaching, disinformation, and media literacy in central Asia
- Candidates must exemplify maturity & flexibility and have realistic expectations
Regional Trends (Middle East & North Africa)
- Grantees should be culturally sensitive, flexible, adaptive, patient, and self-sufficient
- Most countries within the region require government and/or research clearances that may need additional documents and time (particularly Oman and Egypt)
- The most competitive awards remain: Jordan, Morocco, and Israel
- Under-subscribed: Saudi Arabia ETA and Kuwait S/R (for the second year in a row); Bahrain study/research
- New awards: Tunisia S/R (Egypt Arabic Language Study will be unveiled 2024-25)
Regional Trends (Sub-Saharan Africa)
- Strong applicant interest in the region’s newest ETA programs (Botswana and Madagascar)
- Study/research applicants should read the award descriptions carefully as the degree level requirements and affiliation letter guidelines vary by country
- Applicants must exemplify adaptability, patience, and maturity
- Undersubscribed programs:
- Study/research: Botswana, Congo (Brazzaville), Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Niger, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia
- Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya
Regional Trends (Western Hemisphere)
- Undersubscribed ETA: Honduras and Paraguay (again)
- Undersubscribed S/R: Bolivia, El Salvador, Honduras, Paraguay, COMEXUS Public Policy Initiative, Trinidad & Tobago
- Nicaragua: program status constantly being evaluated
- Name change: Mexico Binational Business Award
- NEW awards:
- Fulbright Canada Research Award (affiliated and unaffiliated research options)
- Fulbright Canada Studies Award (now listed separately)
Why apply? Getting Started
The Fulbright Process Heading link
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timeline
Event Date Description/Link Informational website n/a https://us.fulbrightonline.org/ 2023-2024 Competition Opens! March 31, 2022 https://apply.iie.org/apply/ Fulbright Week @ UIC April 5-8, 2022 Infosessions and alumni panel discussion IIE/Fulbright infosessions, webinars, and office hours Ongoing https://us.fulbrightonline.org/applicants/information-sessions Reach out to your FPA May - July 2022 Graduate and professional students @ UIC should contact Benn Williams (bwilli7@uic.edu) Work on application send FPA drafts of essays May 1-August 15 https://us.fulbrightonline.org/applicants/application-components; https://us.fulbrightonline.org/applicants/application-checklists CAMPUS DEADLINE September 8, 2022 (4 pm CT) Submit online via Fulbright portal [You will have an opportunity for corrections/revisions] Fulbright applicant conversations with UIC faculty/staff mid-September through early October via Zoom Unsubmit Deadline October 7th (4pm CT) *Last Day for FPAs to unsubmit applications to applicants for final edits. All unsubmitted applications MUST be resubmitted by the applicant prior to the National Deadline. *Last Day for Recommenders and Foreign Language Evaluators to request that materials be unsubmitted. NATIONAL DEADLINE October 11, 2022 (4 p.m. CT) Fulbright portal Semi-finalists announced By ~ February 1st Fulbright portal Finalists announced Mid-February through June Fulbright portal; the majority of finalists announced prior to April 15th (76% in the previous competition). Application resources
- Need quick information about potential host countries? Try the CIA Handbook.
- Tips on writing personal statements.
- Finding the right type of award.
- Top 5 blog posts from Fulbright recipients (2020)
Your journey starts here!
Who Becomes a Fulbrighter? Heading link
Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors
Each year, Fulbright appoints a number of “ambassadors” so that applicants can see, read about, and even communicate with human beings who have gone through the entire Fulbright experience from application to grantee to spokesperson. In 2022, our own Jozie Chaet served in this national role.
FulbrightLatinx
FulbrightLatinx was awarded a Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund grant and we were interested in identifying opportunities to reach the Latinx students on your campus. We have created a podcast of some of the conversations we have had (Estamos Juntos: U.S. LatinXchange Alumni Speaker Series) to touch upon various topics with the aim of encouraging Latinx students to apply for study abroad programs!
Chicago Chapter of the Fulbright Association
FulbrightChicago is a blog operated by the Fulbright Association, Chicago Chapter and serves the Fulbright students and visiting scholars who reside in the Chicago metropolitan area and its surroundings, as well as the Fulbright Association members. It also serves as a communication tool for all the Fulbright scholars who live in the area. We welcome your comments and participation.
I am Fulbright
Fulbright’s YouTube channel shows that the 75+ year-old program is much more diverse than you might expect.
IIE/Fulbright Info Sessions, Office Hours, and Webinars Heading link
The Institute of International Education (IIE) contracts with the Department of State to administer the Fulbright US Student Program. IIE provides a comprehensive list of webinars for the 2023-2024 competition cycle on their website. Many webinars are recorded and made available.
Recorded webinars: https://us.fulbrightonline.org/resources/recorded-webinars
Upcoming events (click “Webinars” and “All States”): https://us.fulbrightonline.org/applicants/information-sessions
Fulbright UK University Exhibition
June 28, 2022 – 12:00 to 2:00 PM CET
Meet representatives from UK Partner Universities, the US-UK Fulbright Commission and IIE to learn more about the Fulbright Programme and offerings in the UK. Visit virtual booths and meet Fulbright partner Universities from across the UK, ask questions and forge connections with representatives that are excited to meet you! There will be a series of presentations throughout the event on key themes to help you find the best fit for your academic and cultural pursuits, and to help you better understand the UK Higher Education landscape.
Registration Link: https://www.fulbright.org.uk/events/fulbright-uk-university-virtual-exhibition
Fulbright US Student Program Overview
July 21, 2022 – 2:00-3:00 pm CT
Staff at the Institute of International Education (IIE) offer an overview of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and the opportunities it provides to teach English, research, or study abroad. Register Here: https://apply.iie.org/register/7.21-FUSP-Overview
Applicants with Disabilities - MIUSA & Alumni Ambassadors
July 25, 2022 – 3-4 pm CT
Staff at the Institute of International Education (IIE), Mobility International USA (MIUSA), and Alumni Ambassadors offer information about applying to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program for applicants with disabilities. Live ASL interpretation and live captioning will be provided. Register Here: https://apply.iie.org/register/7.25-Apps-with-Disabilities
ETA Supplemental Project Panel
August 2, 2022 – 1-2 pm CT
Staff at the Institute of International Education (IIE) discuss the Fulbright U.S. Student Program ETA application’s supplemental project component. Register Here: https://apply.iie.org/register/8.2-ETA-Suppl-Project-Panel
Alumni Ambassador Panel - Military and Veterans
August 4, 2022 – 2-3 pm CT
Global educational experiences, like the Fulbright U.S. Student Program can
help Military/Veteran-connected students develop language, research, teaching, and intercultural skills critical to national security and valuable to their careers. This presentation will explore the basics of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and provide unique perspectives from staff at the Institute of International Education (IIE), Fulbright Program Advisers, and Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors. Register Here: https://apply.iie.org/register/8.4-AA-Panel-Military
ETA Alumni Ambassador Panel
August 8, 2022 – 1-2 pm CT
Fulbright U.S. Student Program Alumni Ambassadors share their stories and answer your questions about opportunities to teach English Abroad through the Fulbright Program. Register Here: https://apply.iie.org/register/8.08-ETA-AA-Panel
Study/Research Q&A webinar
August 10, 2022 – 1-2 pm CT
Staff at the Institute of International Education (IIE) will be on hand to answer questions related to the Study/Research award. Applicants are welcome to drop in to ask about eligibility, award benefits, application components, and selection. Please bring questions! Register Here: https://apply.iie.org/register/8.10-SR-Q&A-Webinar
ETA Q&A webinar
August 10, 2022 – 1-2pm CT
Staff at the Institute of International Education (IIE) will be on hand to answer applicant questions related to the English Teaching Assistant (ETA) award. Applicants are welcome to drop in to ask about eligibility, award benefits, application components, and selection. Please bring questions! Register Here: https://apply.iie.org/register/8.12-ETA-Q&A-Webinar
Regional Office Hours: East Asia / Pacific
August 16, 2022 – 3:00 to 4:00 PM CT
Staff at the Institute of International Education (IIE) review Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards for East Asia and the Pacific. Please bring questions! Register Here: https://apply.iie.org/register/8.16-Office-Hours-EAP
Regional Office Hours: South/Central Asia
August 17, 2022 – 3:00 to 4:00 PM CT
Staff at the Institute of International Education (IIE) review Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards for South and Central Asia. Please bring questions!
Register Here: https://apply.iie.org/register/8.17-Office-Hours-SCA
Regional Office Hours: Europe/Eurasia (Study/Research)
August 18, 2022 – 3:00 to 4:00 PM CT
Staff at IIE review Fulbright U.S. Student Program Study/Research awards for Europe and Eurasia and answer applicant questions. Register Here: https://apply.iie.org/register/8.18-EUR-Office-Hours-SR
Regional Office Hours: Europe/Eurasia (ETA)
August 22, 2022 – 3-4 PM CT
Staff at the IIE review Fulbright U.S. Student Program English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) awards for Europe and Eurasia and answer applicant questions. Register Here: https://apply.iie.org/register/8.22-EUR-Office-Hours-ETA
Regional Office Hours: Middle East / North Africa
August 23, 2022 – 3-4 PM CT
Staff at IIE review Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards for the Middle East and North Africa. Please bring questions! Register Here: https://apply.iie.org/register/8.23-MENA-Office-Hours
Regional Office Hours: Sub-Saharan Africa
August 29, 2022 – 3-4 pm CT
Staff at the Institute of International Education (IIE) review Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards for Sub-Saharan Africa. Please bring questions! Register Here: https://apply.iie.org/register/8.29-Office-Hours-Sub.Africa
Regional Office Hours: Western Hemisphere
Staff at the Institute of International Education (IIE) review Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards for the Western Hemisphere. Please bring questions! Register Here: https://apply.iie.org/register/8.31-WH-Office-Hours
UIC Fulbright Program Advisors Heading link
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UIC Fulbright Program Advisors
US Student Program
Dr. Kim Germain (kgermain@uic.edu), Office of External Fellowships – FPA for undergraduates and undergraduate alumni
Mr. Benn Williams (bwilli7@uic.edu), Graduate College – FPA for graduate and professional students and graduate/professional alumni
US Scholars
Ms. Nora Bonnin (nbonn1@uic.edu), Office of International Affairs – Advisor for UIC postdocs and faculty
Foreign Student Program
No official liaisons. Unofficial liaisons: Benn Williams, Graduate College (waivers) and Melissa Hickok , Office International Services (visas).
