Established in 1977, the Fulbright Association (National) is an unincorporated, non-profit federation that is the U.S. alumni organization of the Fulbright Program, representing 140,000 U.S. alumni, as well as friends of international education for over 70 years of the Fulbright program’s inception. The Fulbright Association supports a thriving national alumni community that helps increase visibility for Fulbright outcomes and helps preserve Fulbright exchanges for future generations.

Through 55 local Chapters, the Fulbright Association hosts more than 230 regional and national programs each year for visiting Fulbrighters and alumni throughout the United States. Programs include educational events, career development seminars, music and art presentations, networking events, volunteer activities, and more.

The Fulbright Association is a hub for Fulbright alumni to connect in meaningful ways, with each other as well as with communities of friends of Fulbright who support international education and cultural understanding around the world.

The National serves as the unified voice of the Fulbright community in advocating for the Fulbright community and the Fulbright Program to the U.S. Congress. It pursues a strategic and non-partisan approach to advocacy at the local, national, and global levels.

THE FULBRIGHT PROGRAM

The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal to improve intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the American people of the United States and other countries through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills. The Fulbright Program is managed by the State Department.

Via the program, competitively-selected American citizens including students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists may receive scholarships or grants to study, conduct research, teach, or exercise their talents abroad; and citizens of other countries may qualify to do the same in the United States.

The program was founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946 and is considered to be one of the most widely recognized and prestigious scholarships in the world.

The program provides approximately 8,000 grants annually—roughly 1,600 to U.S. students, 1,200 to U.S. scholars, 4,000 to foreign students, 900 to foreign visiting scholars, and several hundred to teachers and professionals.