Fulbright Foreign Student Program (USA)
A fully funded Master's or PhD in the United States — run separately in each African country by the US embassy there.
Offered by U.S. Government (Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs)
Fulbright is the United States government's own scholarship programme, giving about 4,000 grants a year to people from more than 160 countries to take a Master's or a doctorate at an American university. It works differently from every other scholarship on this site. There is no single global application and no single deadline. Each country has its own Fulbright office — usually inside the US embassy — which sets its own deadline, decides which subjects it will fund that year, and runs its own interviews. A guide that gives you one worldwide Fulbright deadline is guessing. So the only thing that matters first is finding your own country's office. Tap your country below and it opens Fulbright's official page for that country, with the embassy's address and the local Fulbright website. And because this is the United States, Cameroonians and Sudanese — who cannot currently get a UK student visa — are eligible here.
No single deadline — each country's Fulbright office sets its own, often between February and October
Fulbright has no worldwide deadline. Your own country's Fulbright office sets the date, the subjects it will fund and the documents it wants, and these change from year to year. Open your country's page below and use the deadline published there — it is the only one that applies to you. Many African deadlines fall between February and October for study starting the following year, so check early rather than assuming you have missed it.
Details checked against the official source on 13 August 2026. Rules change every year — always confirm on the official page before you apply.
TontonAfriJobs is not connected to this scholarship and never charges any fee. You can apply yourself, for free, using the steps below. Nobody needs to apply on your behalf.
Fully funded
Masters, Phd
No single deadline — each country's Fulbright office sets its own, often between February and October
Usually TOEFL or IELTS — the required score is set by your country's Fulbright office
Competitive
What the scholarship pays for
What you still pay for yourself
Find your country
These 40 African countries run the Fulbright Foreign Student Program. Tap yours to open Fulbright's official page for your country, showing the US embassy office that handles it and the local website with your deadline. Note that some African countries — including Ethiopia, Liberia, Somalia, The Gambia and Gabon — do not appear on Fulbright's official country list for this programme, so they are not shown here.
Don't see your country? Eligibility can change each year — check the official country list.
Can I apply?
You need to be able to tick every box below. Each one links to the official page that states the rule.
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You are a citizen of a country that runs the Fulbright Foreign Student Program. Find your country in the list below — if it is not there, this programme is not offered where you live. Official country list
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You hold a bachelor's degree. The exact grade and subject requirements are set by your own country's Fulbright office, not centrally. About the programme
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You meet your country office's own extra conditions. These genuinely differ: some countries restrict the subjects funded each year, some set age limits, some require work experience and others do not. Your country's rules
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You apply through the Fulbright Commission or US Embassy in your home country. There is no way to apply directly to the United States. How to apply
How to apply, step by step
Do these in order. Every step links to the exact official page you need — you never have to guess, and you never need an agent.
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1
Open your own country's Fulbright page first
Tap your country in the list above. It opens Fulbright's official page for your country with the embassy office that runs it and the local Fulbright website. Everything else — deadline, subjects, documents — comes from that page, not from any general article.
Find your country -
2
Write down your country's deadline and funded subjects
Your office publishes both, and both change year to year. If your subject is not funded this cycle, you will save months by finding out now instead of after you have written your proposal.
Your country's office -
3
Contact the embassy office directly if anything is unclear
Each country page lists a physical address, and many list a phone number and email. These are US embassy staff whose job includes answering exactly these questions. It is free, and far more reliable than an agent.
Contact details by country -
4
Book the English test your office asks for
Most ask for TOEFL, some accept IELTS, and some also want the GRE for certain subjects. Ask first — some country offices arrange or pay for tests for shortlisted candidates, so paying early can be wasted money.
Book TOEFL -
5
Prepare your study objective and personal statement
Fulbright is an exchange programme built on the idea that you will return home and share what you learned. Write about what you intend to do back in your country, not simply why you want to study in America.
About the programme -
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Submit to your country's Fulbright office, then interview
Your application goes to the commission or embassy in your country, which shortlists and interviews candidates locally before nominating them. Only nominated candidates go forward to placement at US universities.
How to apply
Papers you need to prepare
Start gathering these early — some take weeks to get.
Your bachelor's degree certificate and transcripts
Requirements are set by your country office — check exactly what format it wants.
A study objective statement
What you intend to study and why it matters for your own country.
A personal statement
Your background and what shaped your goals.
Reference letters
Number varies by country; ask your office and approach referees early.
TOEFL or IELTS scores
Only book once your office confirms which test and score it needs.
A valid passport
Needed for identity, and later for your J-1 exchange visitor visa.
English test — which one to take
An English test proves you can study in English. You take it at a test centre (or sometimes at home), pay a fee, and receive a score. Book directly on the official website below — never pay an agent to book it for you.
TOEFL iBT
The most commonly requested test for US universities, and the one most Fulbright country offices ask for.
Some Fulbright country offices pay for or arrange this test for shortlisted candidates — ask your office before paying yourself.
IELTS Academic
Accepted by most US universities, though TOEFL is more traditional there. Check what your country's Fulbright office asks for.
Do not book any test until your country office confirms which one it requires.
Choosing your Master's course
This is the part most people get wrong. There are two separate applications: one to Chevening for the money, and one to each university for your place. Chevening does not apply to universities for you. If you never get a university offer, the scholarship is cancelled — so start the university applications early, not after you hear from Chevening.
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1
Fulbright funds a Master's or a doctorate at a university in the United States. Your country office decides which levels it funds in a given year.
Official page -
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You do not usually pick and apply to US universities yourself. The Institute of International Education places most Fulbright students, using your preferences.
Official page -
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Some countries limit the subjects they will fund in a given year. Check your country's page before writing a proposal in a field it is not funding.
Official page -
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Countries marked with an asterisk on the official list also run the FLTA programme, which sends people to teach their own language at a US university for a year. It is a separate award with its own application.
Official page
Questions people ask
What is the deadline for the Fulbright Foreign Student Program?
There is no single worldwide Fulbright deadline. Each country's Fulbright Commission or US Embassy sets its own deadline for the Foreign Student Program, and many African deadlines fall between February and October for study beginning the following year. The only reliable deadline is the one published by the Fulbright office in your own country, listed on Fulbright's official country pages.
How do I apply for a Fulbright scholarship from Africa?
You apply through the Fulbright Commission or the US Embassy in your own country, never directly to the United States. Each office runs its own application, sets its own deadline and interviews candidates locally before nominating them. Fulbright publishes a page for every participating country giving that office's address and website.
Which African countries are eligible for Fulbright?
40 African countries run the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Cameroon and Sudan. Some African countries do not appear on Fulbright's official country list for this programme, among them Ethiopia, Liberia, Somalia, The Gambia and Gabon, so applicants there cannot apply.
Can Cameroonians and Sudanese apply for Fulbright?
Yes. Cameroon and Sudan both run the Fulbright Foreign Student Program through their US embassies. The UK rule that stops Cameroonian and Sudanese nationals obtaining a UK student visa from 26 March 2026 does not apply to the United States, so Fulbright remains open to applicants from both countries.
Does Fulbright cover a PhD as well as a Master's?
Yes. The Fulbright Foreign Student Program funds both Master's degrees and doctorates at universities in the United States, awarding around 4,000 grants a year across more than 160 countries. Which levels are funded in your country in a given year is decided by your own country's Fulbright office.
Do I choose my own US university for Fulbright?
Usually not. Most Fulbright Foreign Students are placed at US universities by the Institute of International Education, which considers your stated preferences and academic field. This differs from Chevening, where you must secure your own university offer before the scholarship is confirmed.
Is the Fulbright application free?
Yes. Applying for the Fulbright Foreign Student Program is free, and applications go directly to the Fulbright Commission or US Embassy in your country. No agent can nominate you or influence the selection, and some country offices even arrange or pay for English tests for shortlisted candidates.
Tips that genuinely improve your chances
- Everything depends on your own country's office. Read their page before you read any blog post about Fulbright.
- Ask your office about test fees before booking TOEFL. Some pay for shortlisted candidates, and that money is worth keeping.
- Fulbright is an exchange programme, not just a scholarship. Selection panels look hard at what you will bring back home.
- Check whether your country restricts funded subjects this year. Applying in an unfunded field cannot succeed however strong you are.
- If your country is marked with an asterisk on the official list, look at the FLTA programme too — it is a second, separate route to the United States.
Protect yourself from scams
Fulbright applications are free and go only through the Fulbright Commission or US Embassy in your own country. No agent, consultant or "Fulbright representative" can nominate you, speed up your application or guarantee a place — the embassy staff who run it are government employees. If someone asks you to pay them to apply for Fulbright, it is a scam.
Ready to apply?
Applications are made directly on the official website — it is free, and you do it yourself.