Fulbright 2013-2014

[faithfullywaiting]

If anyone cares, I hopped on the bandwagon and called IIE about making sure my transcript is in, and I was told it's not a problem. They can't confirm it now, but if they haven't received it they'll just send a follow up e-mail--no automatic disqualification as the January e-mail suggests...heh...

Thank you!!

[there'sanappforthat]

I knew I remembered reading about additional funding, http://us.fulbrightonline.org/award-benefits

 

Or, to cut to the chase:

 

"Other Funds

If awarded a Fulbright grant, a candidate is required to report all funds received from other sources. Non-duplicative funds are permitted, but scholarships, fellowships or grants in dollars or foreign currencies received concurrently with a Fulbright grant that duplicate Fulbright benefits will be deducted. Fulbrighters may not accept remunerative work abroad during the grant period without prior approval of the supervising agency in the host country and/or IIE."

 

So you want to be cautious about getting more funding, it may turn out to be not really more money, if you get my drift. 

 

About taking extra time: probably your FPA could answer that best but I have received federal grant money for travel before and I had to make my flight arrangements within a few weeks of my program start/end dates and always on a US carrier. There was very little wiggle room. So for three summers I would fly back to the States for 24 hours then get on another flight out. Financially it actually worked well since I needed to be in another country anyway. So if this is something you actually want/need to plan now I would hedge on the side of not being able to spend more than a week over if you plan on taking the subsidised flight. But I am also just guessing from past experiences.

Thanks, that answers my question. Seems that getting another scholarship/grant would be unnecessary.

[jahanzlik]

Thanks, ill do that.

If I don't hear by June I'm going to withdraw. I have grad school and ROTC to deal with as well.

I think it's silly that they won't tell alternates where they are on the list....

 

Yes, its annoying. I even had my campus advisor call and try to talk to them. I would definitely wait a few months, since most of us apply to several things at once. People do drop out sometimes. Keep positive! 

[Hanuta]

How does AIESEC rank in all of this? I was thinking if the visa process goes smoothly, I could get a six-week or more internship in Europe prior to Fulbright, or take a longer internship if it doesn't work out. I just really want to resign from my job soon, and I'm trying to figure out how to close the gap. Has anyone heard of, or worked with AIESEC before?

I think I had looked into AIESEC as well for internships during the summer in the event I got a fellowship, but was eventually deterred because you have to pay a fee for them to take your application. May have been another org, but I'm pretty sure it was AIESEC...

[amirah]

Thanks, that answers my question. Seems that getting another scholarship/grant would be unnecessary.

 

That depends.

For example if you wanted language funding but didn't get/apply to CLEA or language options weren't available from Fulbright. I could see someone going to Germany wanting take specialised language courses or study Turkish, in the UK there are loads of opportunities to study Southeast Asian and old Anglo languages etc.. Maybe you are an artist studying pottery and there is a scholarship for a pottery course. Maybe there is some amazing field/study trip and you can get funds to cover solely that experience...and so on...

 

So you see I think it really depends on the specifics of the Fulbright award you are granted and what other opportunities you are looking into. Don't forget that there are loads of little grants out there like Rotary and culture organisations who could give you $500 or so without you having to work to hard for it and it would not cause a change in the Fulbright award. I wouldn't rule out looking for money entirely. Depending on the country you are going to Fulbright is not that lucrative, especially in Europe. I used to live in France and met Fulbrighters there living on air basically :-).

Edited February 27, 2013 by amirah

[there'sanappforthat]

That depends.

For example if you wanted language funding but didn't get/apply to CLEA or language options weren't available from Fulbright. I could see someone going to Germany wanting take specialised language courses or study Turkish, in the UK there are loads of opportunities to study Southeast Asian and old Anglo languages etc.. Maybe you are an artist studying pottery and there is a scholarship for a pottery course. Maybe there is some amazing field/study trip and you can get funds to cover solely that experience...and so on...

 

So you see I think it really depends on the specifics of the Fulbright award you are granted and what other opportunities you are looking into. Don't forget that there are loads of little grants out there like Rotary and culture organisations who could give you $500 or so without you having to work to hard for it and it would not cause a change in the Fulbright award. I wouldn't rule out looking for money entirely. Depending on the country you are going to Fulbright is not that lucrative, especially in Europe. I used to live in France and met Fulbrighters there living on air basically :-).

I was actually meaning the "little grants" like Rotary, when I asked.  So those types of thinks would not change your stipund for Fulbright? Do you know where a good place to look for other options like this would be?

[amirah]

I was actually meaning the "little grants" like Rotary, when I asked.  So those types of thinks would not change your stipund for Fulbright? Do you know where a good place to look for other options like this would be?

 

Again it's going to depend on the type of Fulbright you get. Using myself as an example (and like they say with vitamins - always consult someone who knows what they are talking about before taking this or any advice :-) I applied for a full grant and a CLEA. If I got the full grant but NOT the CLEA I could apply for another award which was directed at language such as the FLAS, Foreign Language Area Scholarship, or another language specific award and it should not alter my Fulbright grant in any way as the full research grant to Jordan does not have tuition earmarks. Does that make sense? 

 

Where I suspect it gets weird is the clash between what the stipend is meant to cover and any additional awards which would do the same thing. On that benefits page it also says "*Grantees with projects that require extensive research support, in-country travel, study materials, or equipment should explore additional funding from other sources to supplement the Fulbright funding." I could see needing to rent a 4x4, buy an additional hardrive and some recording equipment. Thus I should be able to solicite additional funds under the 'extensive research support' heading and not run afoul of the Fulbright folks. So to a large extent, like most things, its a little about the spin you put on it. I have had to do this before to get technology cleared as an additional expense rather than as covered by an already spread to thin grant.

 

Probably the best thing to do right now is take a hard look at some of the funding opportunities out there and a) see if you can naturally get the award to fall in the 'additional funding needed' category and 'b) email the organisation and see if they have awarded these grants to Fulbrighters in the past and if they know about any potential contraindication (to continue the medical metaphor).

 

As to where to find such things: I suspect you have an office at your college/university which is designated to help with that. It may be only technically for graduates but if you are an undegrad don't let that daunt you. At UW ours has been great for all sorts of students and usually alumni are welcome as well. They have access to databases which can make your search a lot faster. One you have written a few of these you will have cover letters, statements, resumes and projects stored away which just have to be lightly tailored to the opportunity and so the process goes a lot faster than the Fulbright process-from-hell.

Otherwise embassy websites, both US and your chosen place, school websites, again local and abroad, and any local cultural organisations in your state. Google for those. Usually once you find one they have links to more. Also any ethnic organisations. There is an Arab American group I have run across which often funds a non-Arab American student to study Arabic in the Gulf. I know I have written a couple rec letters for students applying for a Seattle-Nantes scholarship to study language in France. Totally random little Francophile org in Seattle. Wacky. But they give about $1000 to some lucky person. 

 

I hope that helps and if anybody else has advice do chime in. I know I am pretty burnt out on looking for money, I have been looking for a job for months, but any little amount helps and its another line on the old resume.

 

Cheers and happy constant-email-refreshing-for-the-next-three-months!

 

PS

I have also found international students to be pretty good at giving advice on finding funding because if they are not here because a family member has the money to foot the bill than they probably had to seek some significant funding to be in the US where international tuition is out of control. They don't get to tap into the financial aid that citizens do. I know one person who has a whole electronic file of grant materials and he just applied to whatever looked good. He ended up raking in $20,000 one year from all sorts of random places. So if you know any international students start asking them how they are funding and if they can help you.

Edited February 27, 2013 by amirah

[there'sanappforthat]

Again it's going to depend on the type of Fulbright you get. Using myself as an example (and like they say with vitamins - always consult someone who knows what they are talking about before taking this or any advice :-) I applied for a full grant and a CLEA. If I got the full grant but NOT the CLEA I could apply for another award which was directed at language such as the FLAS, Foreign Language Area Scholarship, or another language specific award and it should not alter my Fulbright grant in any way as the full research grant to Jordan does not have tuition earmarks. Does that make sense? 

 

Where I suspect it gets weird is the clash between what the stipend is meant to cover and any additional awards which would do the same thing. On that benefits page it also says "*Grantees with projects that require extensive research support, in-country travel, study materials, or equipment should explore additional funding from other sources to supplement the Fulbright funding." I could see needing to rent a 4x4, buy an additional hardrive and some recording equipment. Thus I should be able to solicite additional funds under the 'extensive research support' heading and not run afoul of the Fulbright folks. So to a large extent, like most things, its a little about the spin you put on it. I have had to do this before to get technology cleared as an additional expense rather than as covered by an already spread to thin grant.

 

Probably the best thing to do right now is take a hard look at some of the funding opportunities out there and a) see if you can naturally get the award to fall in the 'additional funding needed' category and 'b) email the organisation and see if they have awarded these grants to Fulbrighters in the past and if they know about any potential contraindication (to continue the medical metaphor).

 

As to where to find such things: I suspect you have an office at your college/university which is designated to help with that. It may be only technically for graduates but if you are an undegrad don't let that daunt you. At UW ours has been great for all sorts of students and usually alumni are welcome as well. They have access to databases which can make your search a lot faster. One you have written a few of these you will have cover letters, statements, resumes and projects stored away which just have to be lightly tailored to the opportunity and so the process goes a lot faster than the Fulbright process-from-hell.

Otherwise embassy websites, both US and your chosen place, school websites, again local and abroad, and any local cultural organisations in your state. Google for those. Usually once you find one they have links to more. Also any ethnic organisations. There is an Arab American group I have run across which often funds a non-Arab American student to study Arabic in the Gulf. I know I have written a couple rec letters for students applying for a Seattle-Nantes scholarship to study language in France. Totally random little Francophile org in Seattle. Wacky. But they give about $1000 to some lucky person. 

 

I hope that helps and if anybody else has advice do chime in. I know I am pretty burnt out on looking for money, I have been looking for a job for months, but any little amount helps and its another line on the old resume.

 

Cheers and happy constant-email-refreshing-for-the-next-three-months!

 

PS

I have also found international students to be pretty good at giving advice on finding funding because if they are not here because a family member has the money to foot the bill than they probably had to seek some significant funding to be in the US where international tuition is out of control. They don't get to tap into the financial aid that citizens do. I know one person who has a whole electronic file of grant materials and he just applied to whatever looked good. He ended up raking in $20,000 one year from all sorts of random places. So if you know any international students start asking them how they are funding and if they can help you.

Wow, thanks for the lengthy response! I appreciate your thoroughness. And if that comes across as seemingly sarcastic or snotty or something.. It wasn't meant to be! I genuinely appreciate it!

 

I am applying for an ETA to Germany, and there was not the option to apply for a critical language award. I would jump at the chance to do some sort of language course before the ETA starts. I have taken plenty of German, but it has been unused for a number of years. I am trying to study on my own, but nothing beats a classroom environment. I suppose talking to my FPA would be my best bet. The head of the scholarship department at my alma mater was also a huge resource for me while applying, so I will definitely ask her as well. I'm sure she would be able to point me in the right direction, but I thought it couldn't hurt to ask you folks, as you all seem pretty well versed in this area!!

[lunita]

I had never even heard of AISEC before now; just did some internet research. Is it a legit organization? It almost seems too good to be true, like somehow there's a pyramid scheme wrapped up into it or something...

 

No, it's not a pyramid scheme. It's an organization that set's you up with an internship, wherein you get paid by an employer. It's a legitimate organization. I don't know why it would sound too good to be true.

[there'sanappforthat]

No, it's not a pyramid scheme. It's an organization that set's you up with an internship, wherein you get paid by an employer. It's a legitimate organization. I don't know why it would sound too good to be true.

Well, I can't speak for Torrid, but any time I have looked into internships abroad, you usually have to pay an arm and a leg to do it, rather than getting paid. That may be where the disbelief stems from.

[lunita]

I think I had looked into AIESEC as well for internships during the summer in the event I got a fellowship, but was eventually deterred because you have to pay a fee for them to take your application. May have been another org, but I'm pretty sure it was AIESEC...

 

Yes, there's a fee, which has also deterred me, initially. There's another fee, around $300 if you get placed. So, it would depend on how much I will get paid, the hours, and the housing situation before I would actually do it. The income would have to justify the fees, basically.

[there'sanappforthat]

Yes, there's a fee, which has also deterred me, initially. There's another fee, around $300 if you get placed. So, it would depend on how much I will get paid, the hours, and the housing situation before I would actually do it. The income would have to justify the fees, basically.

What's the application fee?

[lunita]

What's the application fee?

$125

[lunita]

Well, I can't speak for Torrid, but any time I have looked into internships abroad, you usually have to pay an arm and a leg to do it, rather than getting paid. That may be where the disbelief stems from.

How much is an arm and a leg?  I'm just trying to get a feel for whether AIESEC is overpriced or reasonable. I just opened discussions with my Study Abroad advisor on it, I'm looking forward to hear what she has to say.

[there'sanappforthat]

How much is an arm and a leg?  I'm just trying to get a feel for whether AIESEC is overpriced or reasonable. I just opened discussions with my Study Abroad advisor on it, I'm looking forward to hear what she has to say.

That sounds reasonable. I'm talking like.. in the thousands. Like the cost of an undergrad study abroad trip.

[bastana]

That's true! I am an information person (read: internet & society) and I applied for a full grant & CLEA to look at refugee information systems. How about you?

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmoTe-gJd4B9dFJ0aW1mYTVkYnhKcUEzR28yRTNwdlE&pli=1#gid=1

very cool, hope we get to know each other.

 

thanks for sharing your thoughts on funding (re: another post). i've been working on jobs and other apps all the time, i should probably look at additional funding opps  too.

 

re: the aiesec issue - aiesec is an amazing definitely legit organization and a network of motivated awesome young people around the world that calls for fees but also hooks you up with a paying gig. no they're not paying me to say that, but i know for a fact. considering applying also. 

[Torrid]

Well, I can't speak for Torrid, but any time I have looked into internships abroad, you usually have to pay an arm and a leg to do it, rather than getting paid. That may be where the disbelief stems from.

 

Yeah, that's pretty much where I was coming from -- generally international internships are seen as so lucrative/sexy/exciting that there are a lot of groups out there that will hook you up with them, for a fee, and there are plenty of young people out there willing to shell out the cash for the experience. The unpaid internship situation in the US is bad enough, the idea of paying someone to land me an unpaid job in a country where I will have pay $1000k+ in airfare to get there, plus living costs... yeah, just leaves a sour taste in your mouth. Hence, my curiousity as to whether AISEC was all that it presented itself to be -- it may well be, I have no grounds to mistrust it; I just have a general mistrust of organizations with similarly stated goals.

[amirah]

Wow, thanks for the lengthy response! I appreciate your thoroughness. And if that comes across as seemingly sarcastic or snotty or something.. It wasn't meant to be! I genuinely appreciate it!

 

I am applying for an ETA to Germany, and there was not the option to apply for a critical language award. I would jump at the chance to do some sort of language course before the ETA starts. I have taken plenty of German, but it has been unused for a number of years. I am trying to study on my own, but nothing beats a classroom environment. I suppose talking to my FPA would be my best bet. The head of the scholarship department at my alma mater was also a huge resource for me while applying, so I will definitely ask her as well. I'm sure she would be able to point me in the right direction, but I thought it couldn't hurt to ask you folks, as you all seem pretty well versed in this area!!

Google search:

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=german+language+scholarships&aq=f&oq=german+language+scholarships&aqs=chrome.0.57j0l3j62l2.4789&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[LisaFrankXOXO]

I'm a finalist for a European country, and I was offered a different fellowship that will need a 'yes' or 'no' response within the next 2 weeks. Does anyone know who you should email to find out when your country will announce their final decision? More importantly, does anyone know if countries will even tell you when they will announce their decision? Thanks!

[kltree]

I'm a finalist for a European country, and I was offered a different fellowship that will need a 'yes' or 'no' response within the next 2 weeks. Does anyone know who you should email to find out when your country will announce their final decision? More importantly, does anyone know if countries will even tell you when they will announce their decision? Thanks!

Eek! Does the fellowship allow you to back out once you've accepted? I'd call IIE and let them direct you to the right place. Good luck!

[lkjl2007]

Thanks, that answers my question. Seems that getting another scholarship/grant would be unnecessary.

 

If I recall correctly, you're a Germany ETA applicant, right? Most of the TAs here in Austria pick up some extra income by tutoring (their students, random adults, etc.), doing English conversation (usually with businesspeople), and sometimes babysitting. What you can get will really depend on the size of your city, but I'm sure it's possible in Germany too

[lkjl2007]

Wow, thanks for the lengthy response! I appreciate your thoroughness. And if that comes across as seemingly sarcastic or snotty or something.. It wasn't meant to be! I genuinely appreciate it!

 

I am applying for an ETA to Germany, and there was not the option to apply for a critical language award. I would jump at the chance to do some sort of language course before the ETA starts. I have taken plenty of German, but it has been unused for a number of years. I am trying to study on my own, but nothing beats a classroom environment. I suppose talking to my FPA would be my best bet. The head of the scholarship department at my alma mater was also a huge resource for me while applying, so I will definitely ask her as well. I'm sure she would be able to point me in the right direction, but I thought it couldn't hurt to ask you folks, as you all seem pretty well versed in this area!!

 

Once you're in Germany, you will have plenty of free time and can sign up to take a German class (or another language) at your local Volkshochschule. You will have to pay--but it's still a German class!

[there'sanappforthat]

If I recall correctly, you're a Germany ETA applicant, right? Most of the TAs here in Austria pick up some extra income by tutoring (their students, random adults, etc.), doing English conversation (usually with businesspeople), and sometimes babysitting. What you can get will really depend on the size of your city, but I'm sure it's possible in Germany too

Yes, I am. I thought Fulbright said specifically, that you can't do work on the side for money?

Edited February 28, 2013 by there'sanappforthat

[vPersie]

What do you all think about the possibility of some decisions going out tomorrow, Friday March 1st?

[Torrid]

What do you all think about the possibility of some decisions going out tomorrow, Friday March 1st?

 

I told my mother that starting tomorrow, I'll be on red alert

Edited February 28, 2013 by Torrid