Fulbright Scholarship & Bursary Programme 2021-2022 | How to Apply

From 1953 the Fulbright Exchange program has allowed more than 1500 South African and American candidates to share a joined experience.  The main goal of this program is to bring to life a common appreciation between the people of the two countries with an Educational Exchange Program.  During this period, the Fulbright program has seen the rise of exceptional leaders whereof many have come from disadvantaged societies within South Africa.  Many of these were part of the apartheid era in South Africa and now they have become part of the South African Government and Parliament, some are leaders in Educational Institutes and others have moved on to the private sectors with a couple even in the non-profit sectors.

Grants are awarded for research, curriculum development, teaching as well as Masters and Doctoral studies in a wide range of fields with assistance from the U.S. Mission to South Africa public affairs office.  There is a growth opportunity in professional, intellectual and even artistic talent for deserving candidates.  Most of the funding for this program comes from the U.S. Government and both South African and U.S. Institutes aid with non-monetary assistance. Candidates will not only meet and work with people from the host countries but will also encounter citizens from all over the world in their classrooms, libraries as well as at social events.

Fulbright Scholarships/Bursaries Available

Grants are rewarded for eight months to two years and usually only commence about 15 months after the application deadline.

Fields of study made available to deserving candidates are as follow:

• Master’s Studies – Only for candidates with completed Honors / Bachelor or the equivalent that is a 4 years University study or B. Tech Technikon Degree.
• PhD Studies – Only for candidates with a Master’s Degree.
• Non-Degree Studies – Only for candidates that are registered to study for a PhD within South Africa. 

Fulbright Bursaries Requirements

Candidates wishing to apply must take note of the following:

• Before completing your application make sure you upload your letters of reference and transcripts then save your application.
• Your application will only be considered once it has been completed and submitted electronically with all the requirements met after or on the 2^nd of February each year.
• Candidates must have at least three references submitted and these are crucial to your application and all ought to be from teachers or professionals and must be in English.
• All selected candidates will be required to complete one or more of the following tests in order to gain admission to a University in the U.S.:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language – TOEFL
• Graduate Records Examination – GRE
• Specific fields require additional GRE tests
• Graduate Management Admission Test – GMAT

Fulbright Bursaries Application

Bursaries online application can be made by visiting the Foreign Fulbright Program but you will also need to carefully read the instructions found on this page before applying or even completing the application form.  For more information candidates can also call 012 – 431 4155 or send an e-mail to the SAfrica@state.gov alternatively send mail to P.O. Box 9536, Pretoria, 0001.

Here are some tips to aid you in completing the application form successfully:

• You are allowed to copy and paste information into the provided text boxes.
• Please remember that there is only a limited amount of space per text box and if your information entered is too much, all will not be display.
• Try to not use only capital letters for answering questions even fields for name, surname, address, etc must be completed in upper and lower case letters.
• The pages allowed for you to write your essays will, however, display all text, not like the text boxes, but it is still recommended to keep it to the point and preferably not more than one page per essay.
• Check each page as it will be displayed by clicking the PREVIEW button that will be located in the top right-hand corner to ensure all you added will be seen.  To return to your application simply close the PDF view.

Please also keep in mind that there are questions that are obligatory to complete before submitting so use the ‘Applicator Inspector’ that you will find on the home page to make sure they are all completed.  Also, remember that awards are not automatically renewed and all references MUST be submitted online as paper copies will not be accepted.

Fulbright Bursaries Closing Date

Applications usually close closer to the end of November each year and candidates should ensure that all required documentation along with a completed application has been submitted on time as no late entries will be considered.  Incomplete application forms or forms that do not have all the required documentation added including the place of interview will not be considered.

Candidates can start an application and return to complete it at a later stage if they cannot do it in one sitting. The information they entered will remain there.  Please remember that once you have pressed submit you will no longer be able to make changes, so ensure you have everything correct and completed before selecting to submit.