United States Government Fulbright Scholarship 2026

About the scholarship

The United States Government is offering the fully funded Fulbright Scholarship Program to all eligible graduate students to study in the United States of America.

The Fulbright Foreign Student Program covers the entire study costs, including tuition, accommodation, living allowance, visa, and travel costs, for all successful applicants all over the world.

The Fulbright Scholarship Program enables graduate students, young professionals and artists from abroad to study and conduct research in the United States.

The Fulbright Foreign Student Program operates in more than 160 countries worldwide. Approximately 4,000 foreign students receive Fulbright scholarships each year.

The Fulbright Foreign Student Program is administered by binational Fulbright Commissions/Foundations or U.S. Embassies. All Foreign Student Program applications are processed by these offices.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be citizens or nationals of Nigeria, or permanent residents holding a valid passport issued by the government of Nigeria.
• Applicants must be DOCTORAL OR PHD students who have completed a significant amount of their doctoral program in Nigerian universities and have the endorsement of their home institution.
• Applicants must have an outstanding academic record and high level of English proficiency.
• Applicants must meet the minimum scores on required standardized tests (TOEFL exam); these test scores should be submitted by September 2026.
• Applicants must meet the minimum score on required standardized tests (TOEFL: a score of 90). Any nominee who does not meet these standards will not move forward in the placement process.
• Applicants must have high motivation and a serious commitment to completing the program as scheduled and to returning home.
• Only applicants with strong proposals, outlining their research objectives, methodology, timeframe, and justification for conducting the research in the U.S. will be short-listed for interviews.
• Preference will be given to applicants who have not studied in the U.S.
• No applicant may receive more than one Fulbright Student grant, including Humphrey Scholar alumni. This does not apply to the Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Program alumni.