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Fulbright-Nehru Master's (USA) 2026: eligibility, amount, selection and how to apply

Fully funded Study in United States

Fulbright-Nehru Master's Fellowships, given by United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF). Funded: tuition, living costs, airfare, J-1 visa support and health cover.

Given byUSIEF
LevelPostgraduate
MoneyFunded: tuition, living costs, airfare, J-1 visa support and health cover
How many get itNot published
This yearSee usief.org.in for the current round

USIEF: Fulbright-Nehru Master'sCheck if you can applyLetter of recommendation helperVisa

Who can apply for Fulbright-Nehru Master's (USA)

You can apply if

  • A US-equivalent bachelor's degree from a recognised Indian university with at least 55% marks (a four-year bachelor's, or a master's or full-time postgraduate diploma if the bachelor's was shorter)
  • At least three years of full-time paid professional work experience relevant to your field by the deadline
  • Leadership and community service experience
  • Fields: Economics, Environmental Science, Higher Education Administration, International Legal Studies, Journalism and Mass Communication, Public Health, Sustainable Development, Urban and Regional Planning

Not eligible

  • Employees of the Government of India and State Governments
  • Holders of a US degree or people enrolled in a US degree programme

Check if you can apply

Answer from your own documents. The questions are the scholarship's published rules; your answers stay in this browser.

Do you have a four-year bachelor's (or a master's) with at least 55%?
Will you have three years of full-time paid work experience in your field by the deadline?
Is your field one of the eight listed?
Are you not employed by the central or a State government?

Answer the questions to see if you meet the published conditions.

JanWatchdog does not give a percentage chance: the scholarship does not publish one. Meeting every rule makes you eligible to apply; selection then depends on the steps below.

What Fulbright-Nehru Master's (USA) pays

Funded: tuition, living costs, airfare, J-1 visa support and health cover. J-1 visa support, round-trip economy airfare, tuition and fees, living and related costs, and accident and sickness cover. USIEF says the funding may not cover all costs; there is no support for dependants.

What it covers

How Fulbright-Nehru Master's (USA) selection works

  1. Applications are reviewed and shortlisted candidates are interviewed
  2. Principal and alternate nominees take tests such as TOEFL and GRE
  3. The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board approves the nominees
  4. IIE applies to US universities for the finalists; you do not apply to universities yourself

How to apply for Fulbright-Nehru Master's (USA), step by step

  1. Read the call for the current round on usief.org.in.
  2. Apply online on the IIE application site linked from the USIEF page.
  3. Upload the Annexure and, if employed, the Employer's Endorsement Form.
  4. Attend the interview if shortlisted.

Dates: The 2026-27 round closed on 14 May 2025. Check usief.org.in for the current round's dates.

Documents to keep ready

USIEF: Fulbright-Nehru Master's

Letters of recommendation for Fulbright-Nehru Master's (USA)

How manyAs listed in the USIEF applicant instructions
From whomThe USIEF page checked does not state the number or type of reference letters; read the Applicant Instructions and Checklist on the USIEF page
How they are sentThrough the online application

Who should write them: The USIEF page checked does not state the number or type of reference letters; read the Applicant Instructions and Checklist on the USIEF page.

How they are sent: Through the online application.

Prepare notes and a starting draft for your referee

Fill in what you can. The helper puts your examples under each point the scholarship asks about and writes notes and a plain starting draft. Your referee must write the letter in their own words, check every fact and sign it: scholarships check references, and a letter your referee does not stand behind can cost you the scholarship.

Visa: US J-1 exchange visitor visa

  1. Your programme sponsor gives you Form DS-2019; a J-1 visa needs it.
  2. Fill in the online visa form DS-160 and pay the visa fee.
  3. Book the interview at the US Embassy in New Delhi or a Consulate (Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata).
  4. F and J applicants are asked to set all social media accounts to public for vetting.
  5. If your exchange is funded by your government or the US government, the two-year home-country physical presence rule can apply: you must return home for a total of two years before some US work or family visas.

Fees and rules change: check the official visa pages before you apply.

Visa sources

Sources

Everything on this page comes from these documents and pages. Checked 18 Oct 2026.

JanWatchdog is not connected with any scholarship. Apply only on the official website; applying is free and no agent is needed.

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