U.S. Embassy 2026 Fulbright Foreign Student Programme.

The Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Mission in Nigeria invites qualified candidates to apply for the Fulbright Foreign Student Program for the 2026/2027 academic year. This research program is funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in New York.

Benefits

The grant covers the grantee’s round-trip airfare to the U.S., a settling-in allowance, monthly stipend, housing allowance, books-and-supplies allowance, and computer allowance. The grant also covers basic university health insurance as a primary insurance coverage and the Fulbright ASPE health benefit as secondary coverage.

Note: The grant does not cover travel of dependents, hence grantees will not be allowed to travel with spouse and children to the United States.

Requirements

To be eligible for a grant:

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.
Note: MASTERS and First-Degree applicants are NOT qualified to apply for this program.
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 2025.
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.

Selection Process

Applicants should log onto the website, enter an email address, and create a password. Please remember this password, as it will be used throughout the application process. Applicants are also advised to carefully read the instructions preceding the application and seek assistance from senior colleagues who are Fulbright alumni before filling out the forms. All FFSP program applicants should select “Visiting Researcher “or “non-degree” as their degree objective in their applications.

Application Documents

A complete application includes:

An online application which includes:
- A clearly written research objective.
- Professional resume.
Three letters of reference specifying the personal, academic and professional competence of the candidate (submitted electronically and attached to the online application).
Student copy of academic transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended should be scanned and attached to the online application if available.
TOEFL score report.