The Fulbright Foreign Student Program provides grants for young professionals and graduate students from abroad to come study and conduct research in the United States. It operates in more than 160 countries worldwide and approximately 4,000 foreign students are Fulbright scholarship recipients each year. If you are an international student considering graduate school in the U.S., we encourage you to apply to the Fulbright program in your home country!
If you’re already a Fulbright Foreign Student grantee, congratulations! Getting a Fulbright is no easy feat. Now that you’ve done the heavy lifting, your next question is probably “Where do I apply to?”.
The U.S. offers a wealth of world-leading academic institutions where you can study and do research. Hence, deciding where to apply can be an overwhelming decision. I felt that way when I was deciding where to apply to when I got my Fulbright in 2020. However, one thing was clear to me, I wanted to be in an institution where I would be able to engage with like-minded individuals from different cultures with whom I could help foster the mutual understanding between the U.S. and other countries the Fulbright program strives to achieve. That is how I found Rice University.
Rice is one of America’s leading research institutions. The university is consistently ranked in the top 20 by U.S. News and World Report. Rice is in the heart of Houston, one of the U.S. most diverse and largest cities. Rice University has over 50 degree programs in eight different schools: Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences.
Applying to Rice Graduate School as a Fulbrighter
Applying to Rice as a Fulbright scholar was one of the best (and easiest) application processes I had when applying to grad school. First, Rice provides application fee waivers to all Fulbrighters, Fulbright applicants, and Fulbright finalists to Rice graduate programs (except for the Jones School). The fee waiver is automatically applied when you state your Fulbright status in your application! My top advice is to always be very vocal about your Fulbright in your graduate school applications. Include this information in your SOPs, when contacting potential advisers, and when completing your application through an online portal.
If you are working with a representative of a Fulbright Commission to apply to graduate school (IIE, LASPAU, AMIDEAST, EducationUSA, or other agencies) tell them you are interested in applying to Rice University. Rice is always happy to connect with mentors or mentees served by these organizations.
Financial Support
At Rice, all Fulbright graduate students who hold a current fellowship are eligible for a tuition waiver. In addition, doctoral students also receive a stipend to support cost of living in Houston. That means you can earn your Ph.D. and get paid for it!
Fulbright@Rice
At Rice being a Fulbrighter is celebrated and encouraged. We have a diverse and vibrant community in Fulbright@Rice. A group of current Rice University graduate students who either have held or currently hold a Fulbright. We are a passionate and diverse group of people committed to Fulbright’s goals and mission, as wel asl research, and education. You can learn more about current and past Fulbrighters at Rice here. Feel free to reach out with any questions you may have!
When joining Rice as a Fulbrighter, you are already part of a community of kind and brilliant individuals who will become your second family. As Fulbright scholars at Rice, we regularly get together throughout the academic year for social events where we get to explore Houston and get to know each other. In the past we have visited the Houston Rodeo, Houston Zoo lights, local parks, and restaurants. You can check our events calendar here.
We hope you will consider joining our Rice family!