Fulbright Foreign Student (Master’s) Program 2025-2026

Overview

The U.S. Educational Foundation in Nepal (USEF-Nepal or the Fulbright Commission) announces the Academic Year (AY) 2025-26 competition for the Fulbright Foreign Student Program for Nepali students for Master’s level study in the U.S. Those selected will begin their program in the Fall of 2025.

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational and cultural exchange program, creating connections in a complex and changing world. Depending upon budget availability, approximately four candidates will be nominated by the Fulbright Committee in Nepal for the FFSP. Those selected will begin their program in the Fall of 2025.

This Program provides all expenses for a Master’s degree program of up to two years at selected U.S. universities, in any field except Medicine and Nursing. Fulbrighters join a network of thousands of alumni serving as leaders across the globe. Through the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, participants enrich their education, advance their careers—and make meaningful contributions in the U.S. and in their home country.

General Requirements

• Applicants must be citizens of Nepal, residing in Nepal at the time of application
• Have at least three years (for men) or two years (for women) of post-bachelor’s degree, full-time, professional work experience in Nepal in an area directly relevant to the applicant’s chosen field of study as of the application deadline. This experience must be outlined by the professional recommender, verifying your position(s) and years of employment. Even if you have worked at several organizations, you are eligible to apply if your work experience at those organizations adds up to the minimum work-duration requirement
• Possess either a four-year bachelor’s degree; or, if the bachelor’s degree was of fewer than four years’ duration, then a Master’s degree is also required, such that the total number of years of formal education equals at least 16
• Students with a three-year bachelor’s degree who have completed only the first year of a two-year Master’s degree program, and Master’s degree students who have cleared all exams but still need to fulfill other university-mandated degree requirements are ineligible to apply. Similarly, students who have two or more two-year/three-year bachelor’s degree but no Master’s degree are ineligible to apply for the Fulbright program
• Demonstrate in post-intermediate degrees (Bachelors and Master’s) a minimum aggregate mark of:
  • 54% for students in non-technical fields (Humanities and Social Sciences)
  • 62% for students in Science and Technical fields
  • The minimum requirements for students under the semester system are: 65% in non-technical fields; 75% in technical fields; or a Cumulative GPA of 3.50/4.00 in either field
  • If the grading systems, fields of study or educational systems for the Bachelor’s and Master’s level are different (percentage and GPA grades, non-technical and science/technical fields, yearly and semester systems, etc.), the applicant needs to meet the minimum score requirements separately, not in the aggregate
• Have sufficient level English proficiency to enable engagement in full-time graduate level study in the U.S. See Pre-academic Training.
• Only selected applicants will be required to sit for a TOEFL and the GRE. Candidates must acquire 100+ in TOEFL iBT. The test requirements may be waived for those who:
  • have taken a TOEFL in the past 2 years and GRE in the past 5 years
  • if you have taken an IELTS in the past 2 years you can upload the test score on the application
• Be eligible for a non-immigrant J-1 U.S. visa*, and not already in possession or in the process of obtaining a U.S. immigrant visa (U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent resident status/green card).
• Applications and materials must be submitted through the online system. No hard copies will be accepted

Scholarship benefits

• Tuition, living stipend and academic allowances
• Round trip travel
• Health insurance
• J-1 Visa sponsorship and J-2 visa sponsorship for dependents (A dependent is defined as any unmarried child under 21 years of age or the spouse.)
• Earn a graduate degree in a field of your choice from a U.S. university, experience life in the U.S. and share your culture with international students and professors
• Pre-academic Training** and enrichment seminars especially designed for Fulbright grantees
• Post Degree Academic Training and other post-study opportunities
• Induction into the Nepal and global Fulbright alumni network.

Application

• Take care to answer all questions to the best of your ability
• Make sure that you spell your name correctly and in English; do not use diacritical markings, if you only have one name, use the last name field
• Make sure that the information you have added into the online application text boxes displays completely
• When prompted:
  • List all postsecondary schools attended, including study abroad programs, and list in order of those most recently attended
  • List all academic, professional, and personal awards and honors achieved
• Write a clearly articulated study/research objective. This is an important component of your application and is your opportunity to state what you want to study and to achieve. Be specific. This should be not more than two pages long or 1500 words
• Write a personal statement which clearly details who you are and your experiences. You can both highlight your strengths and address any inconsistencies or perceived weaknesses. This should be not more than two pages long or 1500 words
• Identify no less than 4 institutions of your preference
• Review the plagiarism agreement and acknowledge that you understand and will comply with the agreement

Timeline

• ShanghaiRanking 2024: Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (Public Health)
• CIH LMU Advanced Modules in International Health 2025
• IARC Summer School 2025: Call for applications!
• IAPB Young Systems Leader Awards for early-career eye health professionals   
• Call for proposals: Implementation research on integrated care pathways to address NCDs and mental health conditions