What is a Fulbright?

What is a Fulbright scholarship and how do you go about getting one? The Fulbright Website is a good place to begin getting some background information on the all the different grants and scholarships they offer. The Fulbright is actually administered by CIES: Council for the International Exchange of Scholars.This is where you go for the nuts and bolts of applying. You can research the different awards and the countries that are offering them. Once you’ve found something, you set up an account and begin applying.

There are a lot of Fulbright scholars. It’s offered to both students and professionals--mostly college and university professors--but also artists, writers, musicians. Fulbrighters go all over the world. Iceland. Bolivia. Senegal. India. A lot of international scholars and students also come here. The Fulbright community is diverse. Although urban areas seem to predominate, there are still a lot of us from small towns and community colleges. The Fulbright Scholarship I got is the Fulbright-Nehru Award and is jointly sponsored by the U.S. and Indian governments. Right now there is a lot of exchange going on between India and the U.S.

Probably the greatest benefit of the Fulbright is the chance to open a little more to the world than you might have been otherwise. I’ve lived in two countries other than the United States: Mexico and China and have traveled to many others. By staying open to new experiences, we’re changed. Every place I’ve lived or traveled has given me a different perspective. I love Asia. There is an excitement there right now of really being on the cusp of something new. When I lived in China I used to feel literally like I could see the country falling down around me. I don’t know what I’ll find in India, but will heed a bit of advice I got while living in China: Walk Slowly.