U.S. Embassy Fulbright Foreign Student Program 2026 for Diploma

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for a grant:

1. Applicants must be citizens or nationals of Nigeria, or permanent residents holding a valid passport issued by the government of Nigeria.
2. Applicants must be DOCTORAL OR PHD students who have completed a significant amount of their doctoral program in Nigerian universities and have the endorsement of their home institution.
   Note: MASTERS and First-Degree applicants are NOT qualified to apply for this program.
3. Applicants must have an outstanding academic record and high level of English proficiency.
4. Applicants must meet the minimum scores on required standardized tests (TOEFL exam); these test scores should be submitted by September 2025.
5. Applicants must meet the minimum score on required standardized tests (TOEFL: a score of 90). Any nominee who does not meet these standards will not move forward in the placement process.
6. Applicants must have high motivation and a serious commitment to completing the program as scheduled and to returning home.
7. Only applicants with strong proposals, outlining their research objectives, methodology, timeframe, and justification for conducting the research in the U.S. will be short-listed for interviews.
8. Preference will be given to applicants who have not studied in the U.S.
9. No applicant may receive more than one Fulbright Student grant, including Humphrey Scholar alumni. This does not apply to the Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Program alumni.

Application Process