Fulbright Grants for students

A grant from Fulbright Denmark is not just a bag of money, but a commitment to the academic exchange between the U.S. and Denmark. A Fulbright Denmark grant is also recognized as a mark of distinction. Those receiving this grant have been evaluated both in the U.S. and Denmark not only on their academic, professional, and personal achievements but also on their potential to build upon these to become leaders in their fields. A Fulbright grant fosters lifelong connections across the worldwide elite Fulbright community.

Each year Fulbright Denmark awards grants to top Master and PhD-students wanting to study in the U.S. Grants are awarded to graduate-level non-degree or degree seeking students, ‘free-movers’ who plan their own studies/research in the U.S.

Available Grants

Core Fulbright grants

Core grants are available for all eligible applicants. The grants are offered for:

Master’s or PhD non-degree studies/research (one semester)
Master’s or PhD non-degree studies/research or full-degree (two semesters)

Joint Grants

Fulbright grant + reduced/waived tuition at select U.S. universities. Read more about the grants here.

Fulbright and grants within the Arts

Through the Danish Ministry of Culture, Fulbright Denmark can offer grants to students enrolled in their institutions. Read more here.

How

You can only apply for grants for the following academic year. Please note that you may apply before receiving a final admissions letter from your host university. Instead, you can submit proof of admissions correspondence if you have not yet been accepted.

All applicants must apply online using the global application portal through the U.S. Institute of International Education (IIE). The application link can be found by clicking the ‘How to Apply’ button in the box on the right side of this page.

Application decisions will be made in Spring – grants will be awarded before departure.

About Fulbright Denmark grants for students

Fulbright’s grants are awarded to the most talented graduate and PhD-students who demonstrate outstanding academic performance and will actively contribute to the promotion of mutual understanding as cultural ambassadors of Denmark.

If you are awarded a Fulbright grant, we will help and advise you through the entire process. In addition, you will be invited to a Pre-departure meeting in June where you receive practical advice and meet other future Fulbrighters.

Current DK Fulbrighters

Eligibility

General

For one semester, grants are for min. four and max six months –
For two semesters, grants are for min. eight and max. ten months
You must have an undergraduate degree within the field of study you wish to pursue in the U.S.
You are able to apply before you have been accepted to the U.S. university
You must be accepted through general graduate admission, if you are applying as a masters-level student
The grants will only be awarded if an official Letter of Acceptance/Invitation has been received
The grants will not be awarded to dependents
Applicants must have Danish citizenship (permanent residence is not sufficient)
Applicants cannot have dual Danish-American citizenship or an American ‘Green card’
Applicants must be affiliated with a Danish university and have a permanent address in Denmark, unless they will be applying for a full degree in the US
If you are doing a Double Degree in the U.S. and another country, the first year must be in the U.S.

You cannot apply if

You are going on an exchange agreement and/or will not pay tuition. The only exceptions to this are PhD students and students on exchange agreements through one of the Danish educational institutions under the Danish Ministry of Culture
You are applying through continuing education, extension service, lifelong learning institute, MOOCS etc.
You work through an agent, middleman or any other entity beyond the US university’s general graduate admission, which guarantees open and free, competitive admission
You have already commenced your studies in the U.S.
You want to study undergraduate studies in the U.S.
You will study/research for less than four months
Your stay in the U.S. as a non-degree Ph.D. student is longer than 12 months
You want to do an internship, Summer School, or go on a conference
You are currently studying or will study an LL.M. or an MBA
You are going to the U.S. before August
You have recently had had a longer stay in the U.S.
Please contact us, if you have lived or studied in the U.S. and think it might affect your chances of applying

Visa - Fulbright grantees

All grantees will receive a J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa. The grants consist of funds from the Danish and American governments and all Fulbright grant recipients will therefore have to comply with a “Two-Year Home-Country Physical Presence Requirement” when their time in the U.S. is over.

It is thus NOT possible to obtain certain types of visas for work and immigration before the two-year period is over. However, one can easily travel back to the U.S. on conference and tourist trips. Similarly, one can apply for a visa for employment with the international intergovernmental organizations (UN, World Bank etc.) located in the United States.

Degree-seeking students should pay attention to the timeframes set by a J-1 visa and the Fulbright program rules. This means that it is not always possible to obtain further study or research time in the U.S. following the degree as the “Two-Year Home Rule’ will apply. In particular, the transition from PhD studies to Postdoc programs can be problematic. It is grantees own responsibility to research this in due time if the visa needs extension.

Read more about visas for the US and “Two-Year Home-Country Physical Presence Requirement”.

Insurance

In order to receive a Fulbright grant, grantees are required to have adequate insurance coverage. A Fulbright grantee will automatically receive a so-called Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges (ASPE) coverage. This coverage is minimal, therefore the grantee needs to secure Danish insurance that can cover, e.g. liability insurance and repatriation; it is also acceptable to take out American insurance if the coverage is equal to Danish insurance.

Our future is not in the stars but in our own minds and hearts. Creative leadership and liberal education, which in fact go together, are the first requirements for a hopeful future for humankind.

— William J. Fulbright, The Price of Empire

Fulbright Grants for Danish Students