INTERNATIONAL

Fulbright

The Fulbright Program is the leading international exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to provide students and professionals with a bachelor's degree the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research worldwide. This program offers opportunities for students and professionals to undertake international graduate study, advance research and university teaching, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools in more than 100 countries. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides fellowships for U.S. graduating seniors, graduate students, young professionals, and artists to study abroad for one academic year. 

CSUN encourages all graduating seniors, graduate students, and alumni to consider and participate in this prestigious program to advance their understanding of other cultures and to further their study and research endeavors. If you are an undergraduate student in senior standing or if you are a current graduate student, you may apply for this grant. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. The eligibility criteria for outgoing students will provide you with additional information.

The International and Exchange Student Center (IESC) is here to assist you with the application process and your questions and concerns. If you are interested in this grant, please contact Rebecca Spector for more information.

Incoming Fulbright

California State University, Northridge welcomes new incoming Fulbright students.

The International and Exchange Student Center (IESC) assists in the transition of new incoming Fulbright students through facilitating a positive experience while in the United States and participating in CSUN's academic programs. The IESC provides you with any needed assistance upon arrival and during your stay at CSUN. IESC will be notified of your intent to attend CSUN through the Institute of International Education (IIE) and the Academic and Professional Programs for the Americas (LASPAU). IIE and LASPAU will also communicate with the IESC, should they need to contact you.

For assistance at CSUN, you may contact:

International and Exchange Student Center
Rebecca Spector, Study Abroad Advisor
Telephone (818) 677-3053
Fax (818) 677-4191
Email rebecca.spector@csun.edu

CSUN Students Interested in the Fulbright Program

Fulbright awards are given to applicants with a bachelor's degree looking to expand their knowledge base or research into international dimensions.

The International and Exchange Student Center (IESC) is available to assist you with the application process and your questions and concerns. For questions and further information, you may contact Rebecca Spector. In addition, the National Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides you with an abundance of information regarding program offerings as well as opportunities to connect with the program alumni.

Fulbright U.S. Student Grant

What Is Fulbright?

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides full funding for a year abroad in more than 140 countries for graduating seniors and graduate students who are U.S. citizens.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program supports two main types of grants: Study/Research Awards and English Teaching Assistant Awards (ETAs):

  • Recipients of full grants will complete an individual research or arts project abroad and may, in some cases, have the chance to work toward a graduate degree in their host country.
  • ETA recipients serve as assistant teachers in English language classrooms in their host country.

To learn more about the Fulbright program and its grants, please be sure to visit the tutorials and webinars offered through the National Fulbright website. The tutorials discuss the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, how it fits within the larger Fulbright constellation of programs and general first steps in learning more about the U.S. Student Program. The recorded webinars offer an opportunity to revisit webinars you have missed live for additional information on the application process. These are unedited recordings and tend to be 1-1.5 hours in length. Upcoming webinars can be viewed on the Events page.

National Selection and Eligibility Criteria: While excellence in the field of study and a strong academic record are preconditions for this fellowship, candidates are also selected using the following criteria.

  • Their project is feasible as described in the Statement of Grant Purpose.
  • They have the language qualifications they need for their specific program.
  • They have knowledge of the host country.
  • They possess characteristics that may make them a good ambassador.

For detailed eligibility criteria, please visit the Fulbright's national website.

The links below will help you to quickly connect to the official Fulbright program website, which includes information about application requirements, application opening dates, eligibility and deadlines.

Current CSUN graduating seniors, recent graduates, and alumni should apply for the Fulbright through CSUN. CSUN's internal application deadline is in mid-September each year. Please contact Rebecca Spector at (818) 677-3053 for more information.

CSUN Campus Requirements

Online Application Form: All applicants must complete and submit their application via the Fulbright online application system. Application procedures will vary slightly depending upon the type of applicant. However, all applications must be submitted through the online application system. This is where you enter data, upload documents and register your reference writers and foreign language evaluator.

Consult the following page for more information on each component of the application.

As a quick reference, the following items comprise the components of the academic application. For details regarding each component, please refer to the two above-listed links.

  • Biographical Data
  • Program Information
  • Statement of Grant Purpose (Format: single-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman, 1-inch margins).
  • Affiliation Letter (Not required for ETA)
  • Personal Statement (Format: single-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman, 1-inch margins).
  • Foreign Language Forms: Language requirements vary by country, so before starting the application you should note the specific requirements of the proposed host country. You must possess the necessary language skills to successfully complete the project you are proposing.
  • Language Self Evaluation: For programs where language skills are required, you must submit both a Language Self Evaluation and a Foreign Language Evaluation Form, which is completed by a professional language teacher. Submission of both forms is mandatory, even if you have advanced skills or have native speaker ability. Failure to submit the forms may affect your eligibility.
  • Recommendations: You must submit three recommendations as part of the application. 
  • Transcripts: You must provide transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions from which you received degrees. Transcripts must also be submitted from other institutions where you studied and received credit for coursework.

Critical Language Enhancement Award Overview

Application Process and Timeline:

  • The Campus Deadline is September 16, 2024. Interviews take place late-September at the International & Exchange Student Center. You will be interviewed by a committee comprised of faculty from a broad range of academic disciplines. We will send the resulting evaluation of your application to Fulbright by the final Fulbright deadline in October 08, 2024 by 5pm ET.
  •  It is your responsibility to register evaluators and recommenders and to ensure everything is submitted online by the CSUN deadline September 16, 2024.
  • You will receive a notification directly from Fulbright regarding your preliminary selection results in March.

The final selection result will be sent to you by the Fulbright organization between April and June.

Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors

The Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors represent the program's rich diversity and play a key role in increasing knowledge about Fulbright opportunities. They come from an array of different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, states, fields of study, institutions and have participated in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program in all world areas. Please view ambassadors' testimonials.