Apply now: 2025-2026 Fulbright Foreign Student Program

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 under legislation introduced by former Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. The Fulbright Program in Croatia is a joint program of the U.S. Department of State and the Government of Croatia.

The Fulbright Program in Croatia is administered by the U.S. Embassy in cooperation with the Ministry of Science and Education and the Agency for Mobility and EU Programs. The application for the Fulbright Foreign Student Program can be found here: https://apply.iie.org/ffsp2025  

Prospective Fulbright participants should be aware that public health conditions, availability of consular services and travel, as well as U.S. institutional operating status and policies may affect their ability to travel to the United States and participate in academic programs.

Application Deadline: 31 May, 2024.

Selection Procedures:

• Applicants who submit a full application by the deadline will be invited for an in-person interview conducted in English by a selection committee comprised of Embassy representatives, U.S. and Croatian scholars, and Fulbright alumni. Interviews for selected candidates are scheduled for mid June 2023 (final date to be confirmed) and will be organized in-person in Zagreb.
• Preference is given to candidates without recent academic experience in the United States.
• Nominees are subject to final approval by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Fulbright grantees enter the United States on an exchange visitor (J-1) visa under a Department of State program, which requires them to return to their home countries for a minimum of two years at the end of the grant period.

Important for post-doc and pre-doc categories in the fields of medicine and dental medicine: Scholarship recipients will not be able to conduct any clinical work and, together with their U.S. mentor, they will be required to sign a statement to that effect.

Application Requirements:

Applications must be completed in English and submitted online at: https://apply.iie.org/ffsp2025 by 31 May, 2024. Each page of the application carries its own instructions.  Please read those instructions carefully and be sure to answer every question completely. Be sure to upload all necessary documentation translated into English; incomplete applications will not be considered.

• Your application must include: Three (3) letters of reference (must be submitted online by instructors, professors or work supervisors by 31 May, 2024)
• Copy/scan of your academic degrees/diplomas and an official notarized translation of your diplomas in English (or a scan of the original in English if your higher education institution can provide it)
• Scan of your original academic transcript (grades) and official notarized translation of grades (or a scan of the original in English if your higher education institution can provide it)
• Original letter in English confirming enrollment in a doctoral program in Croatia
• Study/research objective
• Personal statement
• Curriculum vitae/resume
• Passport scan
• Letter from employer in English confirming employment in Croatia.

Confidential Letters of Reference: All three letters of reference should be written in English by teachers under whom you have studied or pursued research or by someone who has supervised you in work related to your proposed field of study. At least one academic and one professional or work-related letter must be included among the three letters. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that reference letters are submitted by the deadline

Standardized Tests:

• All finalists will be required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in September and will receive instructions on how to apply after the interview. The test is administered in Zagreb.

Study/Research Objective:

The study/research objective is the most important part of the Fulbright application. Students with the most compelling, theoretically sound, well-written, and feasible proposals are most competitive for awards. Write a clear and detailed description of your study/research objectives and explain your reasons for wanting to pursue them․ Be specific about your primary field and your specialized interests within this field․ Describe the kind of program you expect to undertake, and explain how your study plan fits in with your previous training and your future objectives․ This statement is an essential part of your application and is required․ Do not mention specific U․S․ universities at which you would like to study․  We strongly recommend that you upload your objective in PDF format.