Fact Sheet for Departments
Information regarding administration, stipends, waivers, cost-of-education allowances, and completion of forms.
The University of Illinois attracts students from all over the world, and some of those are supported by international Fulbright fellowships. This fact sheet provides information for departments considering a Fulbright fellow for graduate admission.
What is the Fulbright program?
The Fulbright program is a cultural and educational exchange program that allows US citizens to study abroad, through the Fulbright US Student Program, and international students to study here in the US, through the Fulbright Foreign Student Program. This fact sheet concerns the Fulbright Foreign Student Program.
Who runs the various components of the international Fulbright program?
Though the Fulbright Foreign Student Program follows a single set of guidelines established by the US Department of State, partnering countries vary as to how their programs operate. Partnering countries usually rely on either their Ministry of Education or their local Fulbright Commission to sponsor the program, and this includes determining which students receive fellowships.
Once a student is selected for a fellowship, many countries then use a “partner agency” to help students submit applications to universities and, upon matriculation, manage stipend distribution and other administrative tasks. Universities work closely with these partner agencies, with the main ones being the Institute of International Education (IIE), based in New York, and Amideast, based in Washington, DC.
How much funding do international Fulbright fellows receive?
Whereas Fulbright's standard annual stipend was ~$16,000 for several years, the standard Fulbright stipend starting in Fall 2025 for most Illinois awardees is $36,900. Departments should take the student's Fulbright stipend into account when deciding if departmental support is warranted. Departments should also look closely at the duration of support provided by the student’s Fulbright fellowship. Most Fulbrights offer two years of support, but this varies. Also, if departments are unsure of the applicant's stipend level or duration of support, they may email the Graduate College's Office of External Fellowships, who can then contact the sponsor for details.
Must (or should) a department provide financial support to an international Fulbright fellow?
Departments are not obligated to provide supplemental stipend support to a Fulbright fellow, for the fellowship is intended to provide sufficient support during the fellowship period. This is especially the case starting Fall 2025 given that the standard stipend level is now set at $36,900. However, if the department wishes to provide funding supplemental to Fulbright’s funding, it is free to do so. If the department wishes to offer supplemental support, it is important that the department make clear in writing to the student (i.e., the department should specify in its offer letter) that the department’s financial support “must be considered by the sponsor as supplemental to Fulbright’s full stipend.” If a department does not specify this, some Fulbright grantees could see their fellowship stipends reduced by the amount of university support being offered, resulting in a zero net gain for the student.
Does an international Fulbright fellowship qualify for a waiver?
Given the stipend level that Fulbright provides, Fulbright fellowships usually qualify for courtesy waivers, as long as the student is entering neither a cost-recovery nor a self-supporting program (those programs generally do not offer waivers).
Who should complete Fulbright’s “Program Verification Form” and “Continuation of University Support Form”?
Each year, UIUC is asked to submit to the Fulbright sponsor a “Program Verification Form” for a new student or a “Continuation of University Support Form” for a returning student.
Departments and advisors receiving a request for either of these forms are to forward the form and the request to the Graduate College's Office of External Fellowships. That office will complete the form and submit it to the sponsor. Departments are not permitted to complete these forms on their own.
How do cost-of-education allowances factor into international Fulbright fellowships?
A cost-of-education allowance (COE) is a payment offered by an external funder to a university in lieu of tuition and fees.
Many international Fulbright fellowships can provide a COE. However, most sponsors do not mention the possibility of a COE up front. Instead, universities usually need to request it. If you have an incoming student who will be supported by Fulbright, please look closely at the sponsor’s “Request for Admission” or “Terms & Conditions” document to see if a COE is included. If there is no mention of the COE, the department should contact the Graduate College’s Office of External Fellowships, who can then contact the sponsor about the COE.
It is in the university’s best interest to receive a COE, for this helps us educate the awardee. It is also in the awardee’s best interest, for the waiver that accompanies a COE covers all tuition during the summer as well as the academic year, and it covers all fees.
COE funds are administered by central campus, not by the Graduate College. For questions about the flow of COE funds from central campus to the fellow’s college, departments should contact their college-level business officer directly.
How should the department administer a Fulbright fellowship once the student has matriculated?
Fulbright fellowships should be processed like other fellowships, i.e., the department should submit a request through the Graduate College Fellowship Office's fellowship processing system, FEPS. This ensures that the fellowship will generate a courtesy waiver. Also note that as with all waiver-eligible fellowships, a fellowship waiver trumps an assistantship waiver. In other words, if a student has both a waiver-eligible fellowship and a waiver-eligible assistantship, it is the fellowship that generates the waiver. To ensure that the student gets the proper waiver, departments should work with the Fellowship Office through FEPS.
Once a student enrolls, may departments share a student’s information with the Fulbright sponsor?
Some Fulbright sponsors may request periodic information on a student’s academic progress, health status, or other personal circumstances. Faculty and staff should remember that the sharing of such information is governed by FERPA, which means that sharing such information is prohibited unless the student has provided express written consent directly to the faculty or staff member.
If you have additional questions about international Fulbright fellowships, contact the Graduate College’s Office of External Fellowships at ExtFellowships@illinois.edu.