Fulbright Foreign Student Program (Master’s)

About the Program

The Fulbright Commission funds Nepali students for the Fulbright Foreign Student Program (FFSP) for Master’s level study in the US. Approximately 4000 foreign students from 155 countries worldwide receive Fulbright scholarships each year. The program provides all expenses (including travel) for a Master’s degree program of up to two years at selected US universities, in any field except Medicine and Nursing.

Depending upon budget availability, approximately five candidates will be nominated by the Fulbright Board in Nepal. 

The Fulbright Foreign Student Program announcement is generally made in late February/early March and eligibility requirements are as follows:

1. Possess Nepali citizenship
2. Have at least three years (for men) or two years (for women) of post-bachelor’s degree, full-time, professional work experience in an area directly relevant to the applicant’s chosen field of study as of the application deadline. This experience must be outlined by the professional recommender, verifying your position(s) and years of employment. Even if you worked at several organizations, you are eligible to apply as long as your work experience at those organizations adds up to the minimum work-duration requirement
3. Possess either a four-year bachelor’s degree; or, if the bachelor’s degree was of fewer than four years’ duration, then a Master’s degree is also required, such that the total number of years of formal education equals at least 16 
4. Students with a three-year bachelor’s degree who have completed only the first year of a two-year Master’s degree program, and Master’s degree students who have cleared all exams but still need to fulfill other university-mandated degree requirements are ineligible to apply. Similarly, students who have two or more two-year/three-year bachelor’s degree but no Master’s degree are ineligible to apply for the Fulbright program
5. Demonstrate in post-intermediate degrees (Bachelors and Master’s) a minimum aggregate mark of:
   • 54% for students in non-technical fields (Humanities and Social Sciences)
   • 62% for students in Science and Technical fields
   • The minimum requirements for students under the semester system are: 65% in non-technical fields; 75% in technical fields; or a Cumulative GPA of 3.50/4.00 in either field
   • If the grading systems, fields of study or educational systems for the Bachelor’s and Master’s level are different (percentage and GPA grades, non-technical and science/technical fields, yearly and semester systems, etc.), the applicant needs to meet the minimum score requirements separately, not in the aggregate
6. Be eligible for a non-immigrant J-1 US visa, and not already in possession or in the process of obtaining a US immigrant visa (“green card”)

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