lkjl2007 Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Hello All-I, like many here, am applying for an ETA in Germany. However, this question is applicable to all that will receive flight benefits, so please forgive me for positing my question here. How do they pay for our plane tickets? Do they reimburse us after we've bought the tickets, do they give us a stipend, etc? I found a one way ticket to Germany for June that I would like to buy, but I don't want to get it if it will end up being a problem. Could anyone shed some light on this? I e-mailed Ms. Doble this evening just in case but was curious if anyone knew. Best, Molly Rowland From some stuff I've read in different places that I can't remember (don't know if it was last year's Fulbright forum or a FB group) they reimburse you. But there are also really strict rules about the ticket. It has to be from an American carrier (Delta, United, American, etc.--codeshares are okay, but you have to be ticketed on the American carrier) and I also believe that it may have to be purchased through STA--they have some special Fulbright thing. Because of all the specifics, I would not buy the ticket now...even if it's super cheap. Slash also, doesn't the idea of buying your ticket before you even know if you've gotten the grant make you anxious? Or are you planning to be in Germany anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molly Rowland Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 No, not at all because I have summer plans there anyway and will move there even if I don't get the Fulbright. (believe me, I'm not cocky and I definitely know that the Germany ETA isn't a sure thing!) Thanks for the help. Actually the ticket I was looking at is through STA travel. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eternal Icicle Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Hey, I actually said that I wanted to start an A cappella group at the school that I would be teaching at. Know its a unique project, but Its my extra curricular at school and I loved the idea. you? That sounds great! A capella is one of the most popular activities at my school. I want to do some travel writing starting with the correspondence course offered by Matador U, and hopefully ending in some published articles/expanding the amount of lit about Bulgaria in the first place. I'd also like to join or create a knitting circle. lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lkjl2007 Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 No, not at all because I have summer plans there anyway and will move there even if I don't get the Fulbright. (believe me, I'm not cocky and I definitely know that the Germany ETA isn't a sure thing!) Thanks for the help. Actually the ticket I was looking at is through STA travel. Thanks! I didn't think you were cocky...I am planning to be in Germany too, no matter what, but I'd still be too afraid to buy the ticket! Other thing is that I know they only reimburse up to a certain amount...don't remember what the amount is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxoatoc Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Re: flights, surely the reimbursement rate varies by country. I have a feeling a flight to Kyrgyzstan will cost a lot more than one to Canada! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
der Träumer Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 (edited) From some stuff I've read in different places that I can't remember (don't know if it was last year's Fulbright forum or a FB group) they reimburse you. But there are also really strict rules about the ticket. It has to be from an American carrier (Delta, United, American, etc.--codeshares are okay, but you have to be ticketed on the American carrier) and I also believe that it may have to be purchased through STA--they have some special Fulbright thing. Because of all the specifics, I would not buy the ticket now...even if it's super cheap. Slash also, doesn't the idea of buying your ticket before you even know if you've gotten the grant make you anxious? Or are you planning to be in Germany anyway? I was a Fulbrighter in Germany 2010-2011 and I can tell you that once you've established your German bank account (recommend Deutsche Bank because of 1. English online banking 2. you can withdrawal at any Bank of America ATM for free if you decide to keep your account open 3. There's a DB in almost every major European city) the Kommission will reimburse your travel expenses. Everything question you ever had will be answered at orientation. It was an amazing year, and I wish everyone the best of luck! PS: I took a German carrier (Condor) from Anchorage to Frankfurt direct and it was the cheapest fare possible ($600 one way, $800 way back) so there was an exception to the "Fly American" rule. Also, they reimburse up to $1200 for a round-trip ticket although that could change because of funding. The German Kommission is AMAZING and actually sent me an email towards the end of the year telling me how excited they were that they could give me $400 more for my return ticket. So nothing is set in stone, they're happy to help you in anyway possible. I owe a lot to the ladies in Berlin! AND Cara Doble....great asset to IIE. Edited February 7, 2012 by der Träumer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdoll Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 (edited) From some stuff I've read in different places that I can't remember (don't know if it was last year's Fulbright forum or a FB group) they reimburse you. But there are also really strict rules about the ticket. It has to be from an American carrier (Delta, United, American, etc.--codeshares are okay, but you have to be ticketed on the American carrier) and I also believe that it may have to be purchased through STA--they have some special Fulbright thing. Because of all the specifics, I would not buy the ticket now...even if it's super cheap. Slash also, doesn't the idea of buying your ticket before you even know if you've gotten the grant make you anxious? Or are you planning to be in Germany anyway? Because the money you're provided is from a federal grant, any travel you do is subject to the Fly America Act. Basically this means two thing:You must fly into and out of the United States on U.S.-flag carriers. However, a foreign carrier may be used for travel between two points abroad if no US flag carrier flies there (for example, I don't think any U.S. flag carrier flies between Malaysia and Indonesia)A code-share flight qualifies as U.S. flag air service provided the ticket identifies the U.S. carrier’s code and flight number. For example, American Airlines does not operate any flights between Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, but it has a codeshare with Cathay which does. The easiest way to find a flight with a codeshare is to search directly on the website of a U.S flag airline. Unfortunately, they are often more expensive as sometimes the only reason a U.S. airline has a codeshare is to capture the captive market of people who must book codeshare flights (i.e. people funded by the government) This is the fulbright orientation guide from 2011 with a summary of the Fly America Act starting on page 6: https://us.fulbright...on_Handbook.pdf Here is a list of U.S. Flag Carriers: http://www.ctlr.msu....CarriersUS.aspx There are some exceptions to the rule, like if using a U.S. carrier makes your flight ridiculously long. For example, I think I could theoretically fly from K.L, Malaysia. to Jakarta, Indonesia using a U.S. flag codeshare, but I would have to layover in Hong Kong and the flight would take like 8 hours longer. In that case, I would be allowed to book a non-U.S. carrier for my flight. I have heard from some people that you must book a flight through a certain travel agency for it to be approved by the IIE, so I would definitely wait to hear from Cara Doble. Germany is a large program so I would guess they would require you to do that. I believe it is dependent on the country whether you receive a stipend (money in advance) or a reimbursement (money after up to a certain amount) as I have heard of both. Edited February 7, 2012 by bdoll Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeb266 Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Does anyone know if Fulbright will still reimburse you for a ticket to your host country if you were to depart from a country other than the United States? I read through the Fly America Act ( and understand about the need to fly on American carriers in most situations), but wasn't sure if Fulbright had some policy about the flight needing to originate in the United States. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecpurcell Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 I have an interesting question regarding travel as well, since we are on the topic. I am applying for an ETA to Turkey, and if I get the grant (fingers crossed) I'd like to travel around Europe before? Say for instance I fly into London and make my way to Ankara, using my own money of course. Are there strict rules on travel after leaving the U.S.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdoll Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Does anyone know if Fulbright will still reimburse you for a ticket to your host country if you were to depart from a country other than the United States? I read through the Fly America Act ( and understand about the need to fly on American carriers in most situations), but wasn't sure if Fulbright had some policy about the flight needing to originate in the United States. I'd be interested to know that too, since I need to be out of the country for my cousin's wedding. I think they probably would? Someone at my school was travelling to the pre-departure orientation from outside of the country and they reimbursed her, but since her flight was over $1,000 or something I think she had to book it herself first. Fulbright can't really expect you to put your plans on hold for the entire summer when you might only find out in June or something right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judehermes Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 OK, I just had my interview this morning. I'm in contention for a full grant to the UK so it's particularly competitive. And of course I was (and am) nervous as hell! They called one minute ahead of schedule. The interview lasted 14 minutes. These are the questions they asked: 1) What is the broader significance of your project? 2) What are the challenges or difficulties you are going to be facing in regards to your project? (it was a bit more specific than this, but you get the gist) 3) How are you going to connect to people/your community once you get to England? 4) What would you do on a weekend for fun if you get the award? 5) What contemporary UK issue do you find interesting? 6) What is it about the Fulbright program that stands apart from the other fellowship programs you've applied to? 7) What will you do if you don't get the Fulbright? 8) Any questions for us? They said that they're going to be conducting interviews for the next couple of weeks and that I'll be notified in about 3.5 weeks, via email first. I was told by a friend of mine, who was a UK Fulbright scholar for the 2010-11 academic year, that they choose 75% of the UK finalists for interviews and then choose 75% of finalists they've interviewed for awards. I'm not sure how accurate these percentages are, but this is what she heard and so I'm just putting it out there. The interviewers were very friendly. It was a good experience overall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastaholic Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 That sounds great! A capella is one of the most popular activities at my school. I want to do some travel writing starting with the correspondence course offered by Matador U, and hopefully ending in some published articles/expanding the amount of lit about Bulgaria in the first place. I'd also like to join or create a knitting circle. lol. Those both sound awesome! II proposed to observe and interview other teachers in different content areas to see what they do and hopefully bring back some ideas with me to the states! I am actually an ed major so I plan to teach for my career. On the side, I would love to take a cooking class or possibly even do some classes of my own! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davushka Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Has anyone heard when orientation dates will be this summer? Particularly for Russia and the Europe and Eurasia group? In 2011 it was July 20-22. I will already be abroad and trying to tentatively plan for the chance of having to cut my travels short. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oa0176 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Just curious what other ETA applicants suggested they would do in their free time/as side projects while they were abroad? ETA Turkey, for my community engagement i suggested volunteering for women's NGOs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oa0176 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 OK, I just had my interview this morning. I'm in contention for a full grant to the UK so it's particularly competitive. And of course I was (and am) nervous as hell! They called one minute ahead of schedule. The interview lasted 14 minutes. These are the questions they asked: 1) What is the broader significance of your project? 2) What are the challenges or difficulties you are going to be facing in regards to your project? (it was a bit more specific than this, but you get the gist) 3) How are you going to connect to people/your community once you get to England? 4) What would you do on a weekend for fun if you get the award? 5) What contemporary UK issue do you find interesting? 6) What is it about the Fulbright program that stands apart from the other fellowship programs you've applied to? 7) What will you do if you don't get the Fulbright? 8) Any questions for us? They said that they're going to be conducting interviews for the next couple of weeks and that I'll be notified in about 3.5 weeks, via email first. I was told by a friend of mine, who was a UK Fulbright scholar for the 2010-11 academic year, that they choose 75% of the UK finalists for interviews and then choose 75% of finalists they've interviewed for awards. I'm not sure how accurate these percentages are, but this is what she heard and so I'm just putting it out there. The interviewers were very friendly. It was a good experience overall. wow 3.5 weeks thats soon!! good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgba Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Has everyone mailed their transcripts to Fulbright? Don't forget! I was foolishly hoping that once I got mine in the mail I would be able to put my application out of mind for a while, but now I've come to realize that as long as there is a forum to check every day for updates it's highly unlikely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judehermes Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 My school's Fulbright adviser sent all of our transcripts out for us. It was nice because I didn't have to reorder my transcripts from my other schools. I gave her the originals that I scanned for the application and she "certified" them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CairoKid Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 ETA Turkey, for my community engagement i suggested volunteering for women's NGOs I essentially said the same. =) I'm not looking forward to waiting what will likely be several months until Turkey makes its final decisions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mermaid9052 Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Recommended ETA South Korea - anyone else out there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oa0176 Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 I essentially said the same. =) I'm not looking forward to waiting what will likely be several months until Turkey makes its final decisions. same here... but luckily I've been pretty busy so I have not had much time to think much about it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redArcher Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Lurker here, lol. ETA Indonesia Recommended! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJS Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Hello, all! Recommended ETA for Taiwan here! Congrats to everyone who made it past round one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bejis Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Recommended ETA South Korea - anyone else out there? Yep! Also from Florida Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Re-rambles Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 (edited) Yep! Also from Florida Me too on both accounts. Edited February 10, 2012 by Re-rambles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACO Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 (edited) Recommended ETA to Andorra here =) Does anyone know if there's a way to check that my transcripts have been received by the IIE? I sent them but I would hate not to be considered on the off chance they didn't get there! Thanks! Edited February 10, 2012 by ACO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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