Fulbright Scholarship

What Fulbright Scholarship does

The Foreign Fulbright Program is a U.S. Government-funded international educational exchange initiative established in 1946 through legislation introduced by Senator J. William Fulbright and signed into law by President Harry Truman. It is administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE), a private nonprofit headquartered in New York, with regional administration of the Middle East and North Africa handled by AMIDEAST. The program operates in more than 160 countries and territories, supporting roughly 4,000 foreign graduate students annually and over 300 Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTAs) at U.S. universities each year.

The program comprises three core offerings: the Fulbright Foreign Student Program (graduate-level study and research for non-U.S. citizens at U.S. institutions), the FLTA Program (foreign language teaching assistantships in 30+ languages at U.S. colleges and universities), and the Visiting Student Researcher Program (6-10 month short-term research placements for current doctoral students). Underlying technology consists of web-based portals (foreign.fulbrightonline.org, us.fulbrightonline.org, fulbrightscholars.org), the U.S. Government's SEVIS system for J-1 exchange visitor visa tracking, the Fulbrighter Network online alumni platform, and Okta-based single sign-on. Program infrastructure also includes the International Exchange Alumni portal and the Fulbright Association private nonprofit membership organization.

The business model is non-commercial: the program is funded primarily through an annual Congressional appropriation to the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), with supplemental support from participating foreign governments, host institutions, corporations, and foundations across 160+ countries. Participants receive full grant packages including J-1 visa sponsorship, funding, health benefits, and enrichment activities at no charge. Candidate recruitment and selection are decentralized through 49 binational Fulbright Commissions/Foundations and U.S. Embassies in more than 100 countries, with IIE's Placement service matching selected candidates to U.S. universities. Since 1946, nearly 450,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals have participated in the program.

Name

Fulbright Scholarship

Legal name

Institute of International Education, Inc.

Website

https://foreign.fulbrightonline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Foreign Fulbright Program, administered by the Institute of International Education since 1946, is a U.S. Government-funded international educational exchange initiative awarding approximately 4,000 graduate student grants and 300+ FLTA placements annually across 160+ countries, placing scholars at U.S. universities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Exchange Programs

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Government-Sponsored Scholarships & Exchange Funding (EDAIAOAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Research Grants, Fellowships & Stipends (International) (EDAIAOAJ), Degree-Level Scholarships (Undergrad/Masters/PhD/Postdoc) (EDAIAOAE), International Student Funding & Mobility Grants Administration (EDADAHAL)

Keywords

• International exchange scholarships
• Academic exchange programs
• Foreign student grants
• Language teaching assistants
• Cultural exchange programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: The Fulbright Program is funded primarily through an annual Congressional appropriation to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Additional support comes from participating governments, host institutions, corporations, and foundations in more than 160 countries and the United States.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Fulbright Program awards fully-funded educational exchange grants to non-U.S. citizens to study, conduct research, or teach at accredited U.S. universities. Core offerings include the Fulbright Foreign Student Program for graduate-level study (approximately 4,000 grants annually), the Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Program (more than 300 FLTAs annually at U.S. institutions), and the Visiting Student Researcher Program for short-term doctoral research. Participants receive J-1 visa sponsorship, funding support, health benefits, and enrichment activities; host institutions provide tuition waivers and academic placement.

Product overview

The Fulbright Program is a suite of international educational exchange programs funded by the U.S. Department of State. The program comprises three main offerings: the Fulbright Foreign Student Program for graduate-level study and research (awarding ~4,000 grants annually), the Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Program for language instruction support at U.S. universities (with 300+ FLTAs annually), and the Visiting Student Researcher Program for short-term doctoral research placements. These programs are administered by binational Fulbright Commissions/Foundations or U.S. Embassies, with academic placement facilitated through IIE's placement services. Participants enter the U.S. on J-1 exchange visitor visas sponsored by Fulbright.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fulbright Foreign Student Program Enables graduate students, young professionals, and artists from abroad to study and conduct research in the United States. Operates in more than 160 countries worldwide with approximately 4,000 scholarships awarded annually. Recipients receive J-1 visa sponsorship, tuition waivers at host institutions, funding for living expenses, and a health benefit plan.
• Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 450,000 participants since 1946
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• U.S. Department of State - Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)coreOthers · 1 January 1946The Fulbright Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government. ECA manages, coordinates, and oversees the program through annual Congressional appropriations.
• Institute of International Education (IIE)coreOthers · 1 January 1946IIE is the primary administrative agency for the Foreign Fulbright Program, administering the program for Africa, Eurasia, Europe, East Asia and Pacific, South and Central Asia, part of the Middle East, and the Western Hemisphere. IIE has been administering the program since its inception in 1946.
• AMIDEASTcoreOthersAMIDEAST administers the Fulbright Foreign Student Program for most of the Middle East and North Africa region.
• Binational Fulbright Commissions and FoundationscoreOthers49 countries have binational Fulbright Commissions and Foundations that coordinate and administer Fulbright programs locally, including candidate selection and placement.
• U.S. EmbassiescoreOthersU.S. Embassies in more than 100 countries without Fulbright Commissions administer Fulbright programs and coordinate with IIE for candidate placement in U.S. institutions.
• U.S. Host InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccredited U.S. colleges and universities host Fulbright students, FLTAs, and visiting scholars. Host institutions provide tuition waivers, mentorship, and cultural integration support. Over 300 FLTAs are hosted annually across hundreds of institutions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service): Germany's national agency for international academic cooperation, funding German and international students and scholars worldwide. Directly comparable to Fulbright as a major government-funded international academic exchange administrator.
• China Scholarship Council: A non-ministerial body under the Chinese Ministry of Education that funds Chinese students abroad and international students in China. Directly comparable to Fulbright as a government-sponsored international scholarship administrator of comparable scale.
• Marshall Scholarship: A British government-funded scholarship sending American graduate students to study at UK universities. Directly comparable to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program as a U.S.-aligned government-sponsored bilateral exchange scholarship.
• Rhodes Trust: The Rhodes Scholarship funds exceptional international students to study at the University of Oxford. Directly comparable to Fulbright as a prestigious, internationally recognized graduate scholarship program with a strong global brand and alumni network.
• Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program: A U.S. Department of State-funded fellowship for mid-career professionals from developing countries to spend a year at a U.S. university. Comparable to Fulbright as a U.S. Government international exchange program administered by a similar institutional network.
• Chevening Scholarship: The UK government's flagship scholarship program funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, sending emerging global leaders to study at UK universities. Directly comparable to Fulbright Foreign Student Program in scope, prestige, and government-sponsored scholarship model.
• Commonwealth Scholarship Commission: The UK's primary agency for Commonwealth scholarship programs, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office to support students from Commonwealth countries to study in the UK. Comparable to Fulbright as a government-funded international scholarship program targeting specific country groupings.
• Erasmus+: The EU's flagship international education and training exchange program, offering scholarships and exchange opportunities across Europe and partner countries. Directly comparable to Fulbright in mission, structure, and scale as a government-sponsored international exchange program.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fulbright-scholarship

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fulbright Scholarship