Fully-funded master’s degree scholarships in the United States from U.S Embassy in Kigali, Rwanda

The U.S. Embassy in Kigali, Rwanda is pleased to announce the annual competition for the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, the largest Fulbright program, designed primarily to strengthen African universities through higher degree training (Master’s degree).  Although core Fulbright Exchanges are with universities, candidates who are affiliated with other educational, cultural, or professional institutions are eligible to apply.




 Eligibility Requirements:

•  Applicants should be affiliated with an academic or non-academic professional institution in Rwanda and committed to work in their home institutions upon completion of the designated program;
• Nominees must have at least the equivalent of four (4) years of university study and the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree. Nominees that have three (3) years of tertiary study should have the equivalent of thirteen (13) years of primary and secondary school and their undergraduate degree should allow them to be eligible to pursue higher education in their home country.  Please note that final equivalency decisions will be determined by each U.S. university and not all institutions will accept a three (3) year undergraduate degrees.
• Applicants should have a sufficient level of English proficiency to enable them to engage in full-time graduate level study in the United States.
• Applicants must meet the minimum scores on required standardized tests. The ideal TOEFL score is 100 or above for Internet Based test or the equivalent in other test forms. For GRE, applicants must at or above the fiftieth percentile in either section.
• Applicants must have outstanding academic records, references and preparation in their chosen fields.
• Applicants must demonstrate serious commitment to completing the program and returning home.
• Applicants must be citizens or nationals of Rwanda and reside in Rwanda.
• Preference will be given to applicants who have not previously studied in the United States.
• Applicants with no extensive or recent U.S. experience will be given preference.
• Qualified women are encouraged to apply.
• Qualified candidates living with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
• Current Employees of the U.S. Embassy are not eligible.

Application and Selection Process




 Interested candidates must submit an online application at https://apply.iie.org/ffsp2023  before May 20, 2022. Applications submitted as hard copies, by email, or after the deadline will not be considered.

Short-listed candidates will be invited for an in-person interview at the Embassy that will determine semi-finalists.

Testing

All semi-finalists, both principals and alternates, will be required to take TOEFL and GRE tests. The U.S. Embassy will provide guidance on when and how to register for tests. Test scores are not required when submitting the initial application.

 Fulbright Selection is a Year-Long Process

After national selection, independent committees review final nominations in the United States. These review committees make recommendations to the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. The Institution of International Education (IIE) will seek university placement of successful candidates. Final announcements of awards and university placement are made in spring for programs beginning in autumn.

Long-Term English Training (LTE)

In special cases, very competitive applicants with low TOEFL scores can be recommended for a Long-Term English Training (LTE) pre-academic program. Their TOEFL score must be in the range of 61-76, and they must be available to begin their LTE training in January 2023.

On successful completion of their language training and admission to an appropriate university academic program, grantees will be admitted into the Fulbright Foreign Student Program to pursue their degrees within the guidelines of the J. William Fulbright Scholarship Board. Candidates who are not successful in gaining degree admission upon completion of the English training program will return home with an English language certificate.

 Grant Provisions

Fulbright Foreign Student Program grants provide:

• Round-trip economy international travel and excess-baggage allowance;
• An allowance for settling in;
• A pre-academic orientation program;
• A monthly maintenance allowance and funding for books and professional activities;
• Tuition and university fees;
• Limited accident and sickness insurance (does not include pre-existing conditions and pregnancy);
• Program required field trips;
• Academic training.

Fulbright Foreign Student Program will fund candidates selected for the degree study for a maximum of two years. All awards are contingent upon approval by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, availability of funds, and successful academic placement. This program does NOT provide financial support for dependent spouses or children.

Availability of Special Accommodations

 Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply as the Fulbright program provides selected grantees with special accommodations e.g. screen reader and note taking software, laptops, cell phones, canes, and/or wheelchairs to assist them while on their grant in the U.S.

Zero-Tolerance Plagiarism Policy

 The Fulbright Foreign Student Program has started to implement a zero-tolerance plagiarism policy. The program administration will follow the Oxford English Dictionary’s definition of plagiarism: Plagiarism is the wrongful appropriation or purloining and publication as one’s own, of the ideas, or the expression of the ideas of another. Application materials will be processed using software to help identify any instance of plagiarism. If plagiarism appears in any part of the application, it may result in the nominee’s disqualification from participation in the program.

Questions about the Fulbright Foreign Student Program can be addressed to U.S. Embassy Kigali by email at KigalipublicAffairs@state.gov

Final-FY 2023-2024 Fulbright Foreign Student Program-Recruitment Brochure