Humphrey Fellowship Program Application

Eligibility Criteria

In 26 countries, the Humphrey Fellowship Program is administered by a Binational Fulbright Commission. In all other participating countries, the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy is charged with the operation of the Program.

To find out if citizens of your country/region are eligible to participate in the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, check on our website.

• An undergraduate (first university or Bachelor's) degree
• A minimum of five years of full-time, professional experience
• Limited or no prior experience in the United States
• Demonstrated leadership qualities
• A record of public service in the community
• English language ability

Offered Benefits

• Payment of tuition and fees at the assigned host university;
• Pre-academic English language training, if required;
• A maintenance (living) allowance, including a one-time settling-in allowance;
• Accident and sickness coverage;
• A book allowance;
• A one-time computer subsidy;
• Air travel (international travel to and from the U.S. for the Program and domestic travel to required program events);
• A Professional Development allowance for professional activities, such as field trips, professional visits and conferences.

Application Process

SELECTION PROCESS

Step 1: National Screening
The Humphrey Program is facilitated overseas by Binational Fulbright Commissions/Foundations or the Public Affairs Sections of U.S. Embassies. Commissions and Embassies review applications submitted for the Humphrey Fellowship Program, invite selected applicants for interviews, and determine which applications are to be forwarded for further consideration to the Institute of International Education in Washington, D.C. Please contact the Embassy or Commission in your country to learn of its selection criteria.

Step 2: Screening by the Institute of International Education
Embassies and Commissions must submit their nominations to the Institute of International Education (IIE) office in Washington, DC by October 1. The deadline for applicants to submit their applications to the Embassy or Commission varies by country. Please check with the Embassy or Fulbright Commission in your country to learn of its application deadline.

IIE reviews all submitted applications for basic eligibility and then convenes regional Candidate Review Committees (CRC) to evaluate the applications.

Step 3: Candidate Review Committees
Candidate Review Committees convene in Washington, DC in December. Independent expert panelists with regional experience who work in academia, international organizations, or non-governmental organizations are recruited to review applications from a particular region of the world.

Step 4: Approval by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board
The J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FSB) was created by Congress to supervise the Fulbright Program and other Fulbright exchange activities, including the Humphrey Fellowship Program. The FSB sets policies and procedures for administration of the Humphrey Fellowship Program, has final authority for selection of all Fellows, and supervises the conduct of the Program both in the United States and abroad.

Step 5: Placement of Selected Humphrey Fellows
After receiving approval from the FSB, the Department of State will announce the final selection results to participating U.S. Embassies and Binational Fulbright Commissions, who will inform candidates of their status. The Institute of International Education places the approved candidates at U.S. universities that have been selected to host Humphrey Fellows. Placements are determined by candidates' fields of study and the program plan statements expressed in their applications.