U.S. Student Program

The application/program timeline is lengthy, lasting approximately one year for the application process followed by the grant award period. The grant award period will always start in the academic year following the national application deadline. For example, if the national deadline is set in October 2030, the grant award period may begin in the academic year starting August/September 2031.

Current students at The New School should be prepared to start the application process in the spring or early summer before the last year of their degree program if they wish to begin a grant in the academic year (fall term) following graduation.

Applicants applying through The New School should notify the Fulbright Program Advisor as early as possible (by May or June) for support and instruction. The New School may not be able to provide the same level of support and resources to applicants who do notify the advisor until later on in the application timeline. Applicants applying at large do not need to contact or request any support from The New School.

Sample Timeline Overview

• April: Applications open on Fulbright website
• May through September: Prepare and submit application materials in the Fulbright Online Application System
• September: Campus deadline for applicants applying through The New School set approximately four weeks in advance of the October national deadline
• September through October: Campus committee evaluation
• October: National deadline for all applicants
• November/December: Application reviews by the National Screening Committee
• January/February: Receive notification of recommendation by the National Screening Committee
• February through May: Application reviews by the country commissions' or embassies' Foreign Scholarship Boards
• April through June: Receive final notification of award status
• June through August: Prepare for grant award period
• August/September: Beginning of grant award period, generally eight to ten months in duration

Please review the application components needed to apply for a grant award. Additional application components may be required and vary by country. Please consult the specific country summary for details.

All application components must be submitted through the Fulbright Online Application System.

A campus committee evaluation (CCE) is required for anyone applying through a U.S. institution. To be eligible to receive a CCE, applicants who are applying through The New School must submit all other application components (see previous section) by The New School campus deadline. Applicants who are not applying through The New School or who do not submit all other application components by the New School campus deadline are not eligible to receive the CCE but may continue to apply to Fulbright as an At-Large Candidate by the national application deadline.

The CCE involves completing a campus interview process, the purpose of which is to evaluate the applicant and their application materials, to give constructive criticism to the applicant to assist with final revisions before the national deadline, and to provide comments for the National Screening Committee. This evaluation helps to determine whether an applicant is equipped to cope with living in the host country and whether the applicant is adequately prepared to carry out the proposed project.

The New School organizes campus committee interviews within each New School college. Applicants should contact the campus Fulbright Program advisor or the designated Fulbright Program advisor within their college for more information on this process and what to expect. Following the interview, applicants will receive comments and feedback and have the opportunity to make final edits to their applications in the Fulbright Online Application System before the national deadline.

Although a campus committee evaluation from The New School is designed to inform the National Screening Committee of the university’s recommendation of an applicant's grant proposal, the National Screening Committee recommendation and award selection by the country commissions, embassies, or scholarship boards are determined at the sole discretion of those agencies.

The Fulbright Program advisor supports administration of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program on campus and assists applicants in the application process. The New School has a campus-wide advisor who serves as the primary Fulbright Program advisor for the university. To help administer the program and support applicants, a secondary Fulbright Program advisor is designated within each of The New School’s colleges (e.g., the College of Performing Arts, Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, The New School for Social Research, Parsons School of Design, and the Schools of Public Engagement).

During the application process, applicants are paired with the Fulbright Program advisor in their New School college to access resources in their specific area of academic study and receive college-specific instructions and details of the campus committee evaluation. If pairing with the advisor within the applicant’s New School college is not feasible, the applicant may continue to work directly with the primary Fulbright Program advisor for application assistance and support.

Applicants are encouraged to connect with the Fulbright Program advisor in their college by June of the year in which they apply, in order to best prepare for the application process (see timeline section above) and any college-specific procedures indicated by the college’s advisor. 

For general inquiries or program support for all New School colleges, contact the primary Fulbright Program advisor.

Current students and recent alumni are encouraged to attend the information sessions held on campus in late April/May each spring to learn more about applying for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and prepare for their own application. 

The information sessions are focused on two areas:

• Fulbright 101: General Information Session: A look at the various award types, eligibility criteria, timeline, overview of the application components, and determination of whether the program is right for your goals and endeavors
• Fulbright 102: A Deeper Dive: A more detailed look at the application components and requirements, considering a country destination, and resources for writing a grant proposal

Interested students and alumni may participate in one or both information sessions. Attendance at one session does not require attendance at the other.

To learn more about event dates and locations for the information sessions, check the Study Abroad NarwhalNation page. Event details for the information sessions will generally be available in late winter/early spring. If you are unable to attend a session and/or have questions, contact the Fulbright Program advisor.

Additional sessions related to the Fulbright Program and other grant opportunities may be scheduled throughout the year by the Study Abroad office and other departments in The New School. Check the events listings in NarwhalNation for details.

Grant writing should not be considered in the same manner as writing an academic paper. When writing the project proposal and personal statement in the Fulbright application, remember that space is limited (one or two pages maximum). You can expect to write anywhere between five and 15 drafts of your Statement of Purpose throughout the application process. Remember that a grant proposal is ultimately an argument for funding; it should be persuasive. 

For grant-writing assistance, current students and alumni may want to consider using the following resources:

• Fulbright Program advisor in your New School college
• Faculty, professors, and academic advisors in your field of study or academic department
• University Learning Center (alumni may continue to access all walk-in services)
• ProFellow, an external organization with useful tips and resources for successful grant writing