Fulbright Foreign Student Program (Fulbright FSP)

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The Public Affairs Section of U.S. Mission Ghana is pleased to announce the annual call for the Fulbright Foreign Student Program applications for the 2024/2025 academic year.

The Fulbright Foreign Student Program is funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE).

OVERVIEW:

In Ghana, the Fulbright Foreign Student Program (FSP) focuses on the academic and professional development of staff, junior faculty, and administrators employed in the following types of institutions: tertiary, research, or government.  This includes and is not limited to junior faculty, research assistants, assistant lecturers, technicians supporting classroom instruction, administrators, researchers, and lecturers.  The Fulbright FSP grants up to two years of funding toward a master’s or doctoral degree in the United States.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

  • Ghanaian citizen or permanent resident and currently residing in Ghana (Please note: Ghanaian nationals with dual citizenship from the U.S. are not eligible for the program).
  • Employed at a tertiary, research, or governmental institution.
  • High prospect of receiving study leave from applicant’s employer.
  • Have one of the following academic degrees
    • When applying for a Master’s degree: a 4-year Bachelors degree.
    • When applying for a Doctorate degree: a Master’s degree.
  • Proficiency in English/successful TOEFL and GRE exams (TOEFL scores of 90 and above are competitive for individuals applying for graduate school in the U.S.).

Important! National Service Personnel are not eligible.

QUALITIES OF A COMPETIVE CANDIDATE

  • Demonstrated leadership qualities
  • High motivation and serious commitment to completing the program and returning to Ghana to apply knowledge at home institution or other institutions in-country
  • Well-written, professional applications
  • Clearly expressed reasons for selecting your U.S. university preferences, reflecting a thorough university search to identify institutions which are a strong fit for your academic, personal, and professional goals
  • Strong preference is given to applicants with limited or no experience in the United States

Important!  EducationUSA has invaluable resources and guides on how to competitively apply to study in the United States. We strongly urge any applicant to review and use those resources! We also encourage you to take advantage of our local based EducationUSA Ghana Centers and Advisers in Accra and Kumasi, and online on the U.S. Embassy Ghana Facebook page.

APPLICATION AND INSTRUCTIONS

The application and instructions can be found at: https://apply.iie.org/ffsp2024/

 Applicants should log onto the website, enter an e-mail address, and create a password. Please remember this password because it will be used throughout the application process. Applicants are also advised to read the instructions preceding the application.  Check carefully for grammar and spelling mistakes. Do not plagiarize.  Do not use capital letters (or “ALL CAPS”).

Persons from underrepresented groups including women, persons from rural communities or with disabilities are encouraged to apply (reasonable accommodation will be provided for individuals with disabilities interested in applying upon request. Please contact us at AccraExchange@state.gov with “Request for Reasonable Accommodation” in the subject).

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for an interview.  If you do not hear back about your application, then you may revise your application and apply the next year.

APPLICATION ESSAYS

When applying, you will be required to write a Study Objective and Personal Statement essay.  Each essay should be at least one page and no longer than two pages.  Please note that there are strict guidelines about plagiarism.  Plagiarism is using someone else’s words, ideas, or research as your own without crediting the source.  If you use someone else’s works, research, or even your own published works, then you must utilize one of the following citation styles: APA, MLA or Chicago Style.

TIP: First formulate in a word document then upload to the application.

(1) The Study Objective is a research objective/description that you provide to help the reader better understand your proposed study goals.  This is an extremely important part of your application. It is the essence of why you want to study in the United States. It must be clearly written and outline the following:

  • A detailed description of the program you want to pursue.
  • Specific about your degree objective, major field, and specialized interests within the field.
  • Explain why you are interested in this area.
  • Describe the kind of program you expect to undertake.  How does this fit into your educational background?  How does this fit into your future objectives and goals?
  • Explain how your research interests are relevant to current trends/challenges in your home country and how you will apply your studies upon returning to your home country.
  • Important: References to specific universities or faculty should not be made.

(2) The Personal Statement is a narrative statement in which you give the reader more insight into you as an individual and your future contributions.  It is an opportunity to ‘interview on paper’. Promote your accomplishments but be concise.

U.S. Faculty members and scholarship selection committees want to know as much as they can about each applicant.  Admissions exam scores, university degree results and letters of reference are all important indicators of an applicant’s academic potential. However, this information does not reveal much about the student’s character, motivation, future academic or career goals or why the applicant is interested in that particular study field. The personal statement exists to allow applicants to convey something personal about themselves, and to convince the selection committee that the applicant is an especially attractive candidate.

TIP:  We recommend you prepare well, brainstorm, carefully craft your personal statement, and have it reviewed by others for coherency and any grammar or spelling mistakes.  Explain who you are, what is important to you and what you intend to accomplish in your life.  Demonstrate your unique qualifications for your chosen field.  Discuss experiences, people, and events that inspired you to pursue this field of study.  Demonstrate your commitment to your field of study: What kind of contribution do you want to make?  What do you intend to do with your degree?  Consider answering these three questions:  why me and why now.

Keep in mind when composing your personal statement:

  • Address the personal statement specifications fully
  • Use clear, concise language – say what you mean
  • Avoid vague or empty statements, clichés and cultural references that may not translate well to a U.S. audience
  • When you re-use a personal statement, be careful to submit the correct personal statement to the correct scholarship and double-check that all references within the text are to the correct scholarship
  • Proofread your work and ask several individuals to proofread your personal statement and offer their feedback (grammar and spelling mistakes will reflect poorly upon your level of effort)
  • Avoid too much overlap with other sections of your application package
  • Address any gaps or weaknesses in your application or academic performance – turn them into a positive if you can
  • Do not plagiarize

GRADUATE EXAMS:

All Fulbright FSP applicants are expected to study for the TOEFL and GRE or GMAT exams before, during, and after submitting the application.  Finalists must be prepared to take ALL applicable standardized tests soon after the application due date.  It is advisable that applicants study early and often for the TOEFL exam as well as the GRE/GMAT depending on the graduate program you are applying.  TOEFL scores of 90 and above may be competitive for individuals applying for graduate school in the U.S.  You are not required to take the TOEFL, GRE/GMAT at the application stage. However, if you have taken an exam, then you may upload your scores as part of your application.

Finalists will be required to take the TOEFL, GMAT/GRE and associated fees will be covered by the program.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: May 31, 2023.  The application and instructions can be found at:

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