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za.usembassy.gov Flagship Fulbright Foreign Student Application 2018-2019 : U.S. Embassy & Consulates In South Africa

Organisation : U.S. Embassy & Consulates In South Africa
Announcement : Flagship Fulbright Foreign Student Application 2018-2019
Applicable for : South African citizen or eligible for South African citizenship
Deadline : April 17, 2017
Head Office : Pretoria

U.S. Embassy Fulbright Foreign Student Program

** Provides Grants for South African university graduates to pursue a Master’s or Doctoral degree at a United States university in any subject (excludes studies that require contact with patients).

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants should ensure that they meet the following minimum eligibility criteria before applying :
** Be a South African citizen or eligible for South African citizenship.
** Have one of the following academic degrees: a 4-year B Tech degree, or a 3-year Bachelor’s degree plus the Honors degree, when applying for the Fulbright Master’s Scholarship Program

** Have a Master’s degree when applying for the Fulbright Doctoral Scholarship Program
** Non-degree studies: Applicants must be registered for a PhD at a registered South African university
** Academic Excellence

** Meet required GRE and TOEFL exam criteria for your specific field of study, test scores must be submitted after first round selections, and before final nomination by the U.S. Mission to the Fulbright Program

Study objectives must be clearly written and outline the following :
a. Program of study or research you intend to complete in the U.S.
b. Institutions in the U.S. to which you are applying or intend to conduct research.
c. Reason the academic objective should be achieved in the U.S.
d. How study in the U.S. will enhance your knowledge, skills and understanding in your field of study and future career goals

** Demonstrate leadership qualities
** Experience and interest in extracurricular activities
** Strong sense of social responsibility
** Demonstrated cross-cultural sensitivity and flexibility needed to adjust successfully to life in the U.S.

** Preference is given to those without recent and extensive experience in the U.S. and to those who have not held a Fulbright Scholarship
** Desire to further the Fulbright Program alumni activities by giving back to your community upon returning
** Students already in the United States are ineligible .

Selection Process

Overview :
** After the initial review of applications by the Fulbright Selection Committee, potential candidates will participate in a screening process before a final cohort is nominated. A nomination by the Fulbright Selection Committee in South Africa does not guarantee placement.

** Final placement at a U.S. institution of higher learning depends largely on the quality and strength of the application submitted by the individual.

** Due to the large number of applications received, only short-listed candidates will be emailed their final status on the Fulbright Foreign Student Program.

Interviews :
** All students must download the “Interview Location Page” at the end of this document and choose their preferred location.
** This page must then be uploaded to your Embark Application on page 15.
** Your application is incomplete without this page and will not be considered.

Round One, April : Pre-screening of applications country-wide by Fulbright review panels.
Round Two, Early MAY : Short-listed candidates are invited to interview. Invitations will be sent out via email.

Round Three, Late MAY : After initial interview potential candidates will be invited to continue in the selection process by participating in a Fulbright Flagship work shop (attendance is compulsory). Invitees will work with the Fulbright Office to strengthen their application and prepare for the GRE and TOEFL exams.

Round Four, June : Invitees write pre-screening exams GRE and TOEFL as a final step to secure a place on the Fulbright Foreign Student Program 2018-2019.

Round Five, July : Announcement of final nominees for the Fulbright Flagship Student Program 2018-2019.

October 1 : Names and applications of final Fulbright Foreign Student Cohort 2018-2019 submitted to IIE and the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB). Final approval of all grantees is made by the FFSB in late April.

July (+1 Year) : Fulbright Student Finalist Nominees invited to a pre-departure orientation program before leaving for the United States.

August(+1 Year) : Fulbright Foreign Students depart for the United States.

Grant Duration & Benefits

Awards are granted as follows :
** Two years of funding towards one degree – Master’s or Doctoral (eligible grantees may apply for one renewal grant). Renewals are subject to satisfactory academic performance and availability of funds. For Doctoral degrees, at least 2-3 years of studying are required beyond the initial two years. Doctoral candidates need to secure their own personal or other funding to continue studying in the United States.

** Participation in an academic year (9-10 months) non-degree visiting research program (grants are not renewable).
** Grantees on any of the Fulbright Flagship Programs will be subject to the two-year home country residence after completion of their program of study.

Fully funded awards generally cover the following, but can vary according to each grantee’s program :
a. Travel allowance and transportation from the grantee’s home to the authorized U.S. destination
b. Health benefits
c. Settling in allowance upon arrival in the U.S.
d. Monthly maintenance allowance
e. Tuition and fees
f. Book and computer allowance
g. J-1 visa sponsorship
h. Return travel and transportation from the U.S. to the grantee’s home

Registration Process

** All Fulbright Foreign Student Applications must be completed online apply.embark.com/student/fulbright/international/20/
** If you applied for a Fulbright Scholarship the previous year, and want to re-apply, you will need to create a new account with a new email address.

** You will be asked to create an online account: a username and password. The username is your email address.
** An email will be sent to you confirming your User ID and Password.
** Keep this information in a safe place.
** You can log in and out of the application form as frequently as you like.
** You should also bookmark the URL for the embark application site for future reference

Completing The Application

** You do not need to complete the application at one sitting.
** You can re-enter at any time and edit your application, before submission.

** However, once you submit your application, you can NO longer change it.
** All forms in this application must be completed in English.
** Items must be answered completely.
** You can save and retrieve your application at any time

** Once logged in, you have only 40 minutes of inactivity before you will be automatically logged out of the system. We therefore, recommend that you save frequently and prepare longer answers in a Word Document from which you can cut and paste when filling out the form

** No changes can be made once you submit your application
** All forms in the application must be completed in English
** Items must be answered completely and carefully

** Avoid using all capital letters when answering items, e.g. name, address, etc. Use upper and lower case when appropriate,(e.g. John Smith) when appropriate
** You can copy and paste all information into the text boxes

** In the text boxes, you must limit your responses to the space provided. Information that exceeds the space provided will not display and will not print. If your text exceeds the size of the box, edit it
** You can review each page of the application in its PDF format by clicking on the Preview button on the upper right-hand corner. Closing out of the PDF view will bring you back to your application.

6. Guidelines For Completing The Application Form :
** Choose the country for which you are applying – South Africa
** Correctly Identify The Program To Which You Are Applying – Fulbright Foreign Student Program 2018-2019

Page 1 :
** Enter your name exactly as it appears on your passport.
** Item 11: Application Cycle 2018-2019
** Degree Objective: Masters, Doctorate or Non-Degree
** Item 12: Select the field of study most appropriate to your study objective. Indicate your specialization underneath. Then in the text box, briefly elaborate on the exact nature of your objective.

Page 2 :
** Item 14: Educational Institutions Attended: List all post-secondary institutions attended in reverse order (putting the most recently attended first), including those from which you did not get a degree. Also include your high school.

Page 4 :
** Study/Research Objective: Is an extremely important part of your application. See the guidelines on how to write a study/research proposal on the Fulbright Flagship Program website za.usembassy.gov/education-culture/educational-exchanges/fulbright-flagship-programs/#collapse1

Page 5 :
** Personal Statement: Is a narrative statement describing how you have achieved your current goals. It is an opportunity to ‘interview on paper.’ What you do not tell us about yourself, we will never know. See the guidelines on how to write a personal statement on the Fulbright Flagship Program website za.usembassy.gov/education-culture/educational-exchanges/fulbright-flagship-programs/#collapse1

Author : Brightlin