Overview

Led by the United States government in partnership with more than 160 countries worldwide, the Fulbright Program offers international educational and cultural exchange programs for passionate and accomplished students, scholars, artists, teachers, and professionals of all backgrounds to study, teach, or pursue important research and professional projects. Fulbright is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is open to students who have earned a Bachelor's degree but not yet earned a doctorate.

Eligibility

Applicants must be citizens or nationals of the United States at the time of application; permanent residents are not eligible. See the website for more information on eligibility.

If you are a citizen of another country who is interested in obtaining a Fulbright Fellowship to come to the United States, please visit the Fulbright Program page of your home country for more information on the rules and processes of the application process.

2027-28 Fulbright Award Cycle 

Important Deadlines  

Application Open: April 2026

UCSB Campus Deadline (current graduate students only; excludes undergraduate and ETA applicants): Monday, August 17, 2026

Campus Interviews (current graduate students only; excludes undergraduate and ETA applicants):
September 1 -18, 2026. 

National Deadline: Tuesday, October 6, 2026, 2pm Pacific Standard Time (5pm Eastern)

Individual Advising Appointments:
Meet with an Advisor

Application Process Overview

Depending on the type of award being applied for and the status of the applicant, there are different application processes and resources. However, ALL applicants should do the following:

  • Review the relevant information on the Fulbright website carefully, including information about application components and the country profile page

  • Begin their application early, as it can be time-consuming to secure all of the necessary components to compose a strong application 
     
  • Attend webinars hosted by the Fulbright commission that cover topics such as a general overview of the program, application tips, information on specific world regions, and interviews with Fulbright alumni

 

Fulbright Information Sessions

The Fulbright program offers multiple webinars throughout the year that have been recorded and are available for students interested in Fulbright. This covers different types of awards to application tips. 

To access the webinars, please visit the Fulbright Resources page. 

Current UCSB Graduate Students & the Campus Review Process

To be considered through the UCSB campus review process, graduate student applicants must complete the following steps:

  • Submit a complete application through the Fulbright online application portal by the UCSB campus deadline. This includes all required application materials, such as letters of recommendation and letters of affiliation. Applicants are encouraged to communicate the campus deadline to their recommenders well in advance to ensure all materials are submitted on time.
     
  • Lock your application when it is ready for campus review. Locking your application allows the campus committee to access your materials while still giving you the opportunity to make updates after your interview. Please do not click "Submit" until you are ready to submit your final application to Fulbright, as this action cannot be undone.
     
  • Participate in a campus interview. All graduate student applicants participate in a campus interview during the first week of September as part of the institutional endorsement process. Applicants are responsible for contacting the Fulbright Program Advising Team to schedule an interview. Please note that campus interviews take place before the national Fulbright deadline and are not held in October.

The purpose of the campus deadline and campus interview process is two-fold:

  • To allow the applicant to get in-depth feedback on their application to ensure it is in line with the goals of the Fulbright program
  • To ensure that the campus review committee (comprised of knowledgeable UCSB faculty and staff) has the necessary information to submit the mandatory Campus Committee Endorsement form to be reviewed by the National Screening Committee

For UCSB Undergraduates, Recent Alumni, and ETA Applicants

Current undergraduates, recent alumni, and applicants to the English Teaching Assistant (ETA) programs will APPLY AT LARGE and are not required to submit materials by the campus deadline nor participate in the campus interview process.

For general questions regarding the application process, you can schedule an individual advising appointment with one of our campus’ Fulbright advisors.

Meet with a UCSB Fulbright Advisor

For support in reviewing application materials, contact Nick Alward-Saxon or the Campus Learning Assistance Services Writing Lab