Call for Application: Fulbright Foreign Student Program (Rwanda)

Although core Fulbright Exchanges are with universities, candidates who are affiliated with other educational, cultural, or professional institutions are eligible to apply.

Grant Provisions 

• Fulbright Foreign Student Program grants provide:
  • Round-trip economy international travel and excess-baggage allowance;
  • An allowance for settling in;
  • A pre-academic orientation program;
  • A monthly maintenance allowance and funding for books and professional activities;
  • Tuition and university fees;
  • Limited accident and sickness insurance (does not include preexisting conditions and pregnancy);
  • Program required field trips;
  • Academic training.
• The Fulbright Foreign Student Program will fund candidates selected for degree study for a maximum of two years. All awards are contingent upon approval by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, availability of funds, and successful academic placement. This program does not provide financial support for dependent spouses or children.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must be citizens or nationals of Rwanda, or permanent residents holding a valid passport issued by the government of Rwanda.
• Applicants should be affiliated with an academic or non-academic professional institution in Rwanda and committed to work in their home institutions upon completion of the designated program;
• Nominees must have at least the equivalent of four (4) years of university study and the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree. Nominees that have three (3) years of tertiary study should have the equivalent of thirteen (13) years of primary and secondary school and their undergraduate degree should allow them to be eligible to pursue higher education in their home country. Please note that final equivalency decisions will be determined by each U.S. university and not all institutions will accept three (3) year undergraduate degrees.
• Applicants should have a sufficient level of English proficiency to enable them to engage in full-time graduate level study in the United States.
• Applicants must meet the minimum scores on required standardized tests. The ideal TOEFL score is 100 or above for Internet Based test or the equivalent in other test forms. For the GRE, applicants must score at or above the fiftieth percentile in either section.
• Applicants must have outstanding academic records, references, and preparation in their chosen fields.
• Applications should have at least two years of relevant professional experience upon graduation from university.
• Fulbright applies a zero-tolerance plagiarism policy. If plagiarism appears in any part of the application, it may result in the application being disqualified for consideration.
• Applicants must demonstrate serious commitment to completing the program and returning home.
• Preference will be given to applicants who have not previously studied in the United States.
• Applicants with no extensive or recent U.S. experience will be given preference.
• Qualified women are encouraged to apply.
• Qualified candidates living with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
• Current Employees of the U.S. Embassy are not eligible.

For more information, visit U.S. Embassy in Rwanda.