2019-2020 USA J. William Fulbright Foreign Student Program Scholarship

The U.S. Embassy is pleased to announce the 2019-2020 J. William Fulbright Graduate Scholarship Program for citizens of Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. The scholarship pays for up to two years of graduate study in the United States.
One Fulbright scholarship recipient will be chosen for his or her academic merit and leadership potential. Only online applications will be accepted this application cycle. Applications are due on Friday, May 25, 2018 via https://iie.embark.com/apply/ffsp.
The successful candidate will be able to earn a Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MS), Master of Public Administration (MPA), or a Master of Law (LLM) degree. Scholarship recipients receive a tuition grant for their coursework and a monthly stipend to cover living expenses at their host institution. Recipients also receive roundtrip transportation and health benefits. In addition, recipients may also attend special enrichment activities throughout their program. These activities are excellent opportunities to network with fellow international Fulbright recipients and to interact with prominent Americans across a range of professional fields. The selected candidate may be required to travel to the United States as early as August 2019 for pre-academic programs.
About the J. William Fulbright ProgramThe J. William Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. In addition to receiving the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship, recipients will also become part of the global network of renowned Fulbright Alumni who have achieved distinction in countless fields including government, science, the arts, and business:

• Forty four Fulbright alumni from 12 countries have been awarded the Nobel Prize
• 28 alumni are MacArthur Foundation Fellows
• 81 alumni have received Pulitzer Prizes
• Twenty nine Fulbright alumni have served as heads of state or government

For more information about the Fulbright Scholarship program, please visit http://eca.state.gov/Fulbright.
Eligibility Requirements

• Applicants must be citizens of Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu and currently reside in these countries
• Applicants must have a four-year bachelor’s degree (undergraduate) and a strong academic background demonstrated by their post-secondary transcripts
• Applicants must have a minimum have two years of professional work experience
• Applicants must demonstrate leadership qualities — including volunteer experience and involvement in their communities
• Applicants must have excellent English communication skills
• Applicants must present three letters of recommendation from their professors and/or employers.  Two from professors and one from an employer is highly recommended.
• Applicants must submit two application essays (a Personal Statement and a Study Research Objectives) with clear goals, well-reasoned statements describing why a specific academic track is the best fit, and tying their academic plans to longer term professional goals
• Applicants must be committed to returning to his or her country of citizenship and outline a specific plan for using their Fulbright experience in their professional lives and in service to his or her country
• Strong preference will be given to applicants who have not had extensive or recent experience in the United States

Ineligibility Factors

• Persons who have not been conferred their bachelor’s degree
• Persons with a dual U.S./ Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu nationality
• Persons who have a spouse, parent, fiancé, or child over 18 years of age who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• Persons who have a pending application for immigration to any country (this includes Special Immigrant Visas)
• Employees of any U.S. government agency (U.S. Embassy, USAID, CDC, DOD)

Scholarship Program RestrictionsNo Dependents:  The Fulbright Graduate Scholarship Program in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu is provided for the recipient only; dependents cannot be supported.  There are no exceptions.
J-visa requirements: All scholarship recipients are required to return to their country of citizenship for at least two years at the conclusion of their scholarship in compliance with the J-visa requirements, to promote mutual understanding, and serve as future leaders in the public and private sectors of Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.  After recipients return to their country of citizenship and establish themselves in their careers, it is still possible to get a temporary visa to the U.S. allowing travel back and forth for business and tourism purposes.  The restriction is on permanent work or immigration U.S. visas. 
Application InstructionsStep 1: Determine eligibility. Read the instructions carefully. Before you apply, be sure that you qualify.
Step 2: Create an Embark account with a valid e-mail address at https://iie.embark.com/auth/login. You do not have to complete the entire application in one sitting; you can continue the application later using your Embark account information.
Step 3: Start and complete all sections of the online application. For helpful hints, please refer to the tips for success section on the top right of this page.

• Be sure to select the 2019-2020 Fulbright Graduate Scholarship cycle on section 11 of the online application.
• Applicants are not required to take any of the standardized tests in order to submit the application. The scholarship finalist and alternate candidates will receive test vouchers from the U.S. Embassy to complete the required tests as part of the candidate’s preparation for U.S. university admission. In section 24, applicants may list the following dates to indicate when he or she plans to take the tests: For the TOEFL and GRE, please list August/2018.
• Request letters of recommendations and provide all relevant instructions to professors and employers with the date by which they need to be completed. It is your responsibility to ensure they complete the letters on time towards your application.
• Your essays are the most important part of your application. Plagiarism – the unfair use of the words and ideas of others – will not be tolerated and can lead to disqualification from the Fulbright program. Please review the advice titled “Focus on Your Essays” on the top right section of this page under “Tips for Success.”

Step 4: Submit your online application before Friday, May 25, 2018 at 4:30 p.m. (1630hrs) according to local time of Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu time. Late applications will not be accepted.
Previous Fulbright Scholarship ApplicantsAny person who has previously submitted a Fulbright application must submit a new application. If you have submitted a previous application via the online platform, you must create a new account and create a new application to avoid technical complications. Fulbright becomes more competitive each year as the number of applicants increases. Therefore, you are encouraged to revise your essays and update your information.
What is TOEFL?Commonly known by its acronym TOEFL, the Test of English as a Foreign Language exam measures your ability to use and understand English at the university level. The test evaluates how well you combine your listening, reading, speaking and writing skills to perform academic tasks.
The TOEFL exam is required by almost every school for foreign students who want to study any subject in the United States. While there are additional requirements for international students to study in the U.S., the TOEFL is one of the most important standardized tests. Schools look to the TOEFL as one of their earliest indicators to see if a foreign student is ready to study in the U.S. Students should put in plenty of preparation to ensure they get a top score.
What is GRE?Graduate Record Examination – or the GRE exam – is the most commonly required standard test for graduate (Masters Programs) school. It is a broad assessment of your critical thinking, analytical writing, verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning skills — all skills developed over the course of many years.
Admissions committees use the scores from the GRE along with undergraduate records, recommendations and other relevant criteria in evaluating candidates for admission to graduate courses. For some courses, GRE is a prerequisite; for others it may be recommended or not required. Always check the requirements of individual institutions before applying.
Where can you take the TOEFL and GRE in PNG?Currently both these tests can be taken at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) in Port Moresby and the TOEFL can also be taken at Ukarampa, Eastern Highlands Province.
To find out more information about the tests and how to register, use the following URL addresses. Registration is all online.
For the Fulbright program you do not need to sit the test to send in your initial application.
TOEFL – http://www.ets.org/toefl
GRE – http://www.ets.org/gre