Fulbright 2017-2018

[lyonessrampant]

20 minutes ago, Horb said:

If you look at previous Iceland years, they notified in April. It seems last year was very early, so who knows if there is actually a delay or if Iceland's release last year was just abnormal. 

Japan's was also early (March 4) and earlier than in previous years. Either way, I hope that notifications start coming soon.

[Horb]

1 minute ago, lyonessrampant said:

Japan's was also early (March 4) and earlier than in previous years. Either way, I hope that notifications start coming soon.

Oh I agree. I don't know if I can take it much longer.

[LibbyCreek]

Funny one of the first things on my mind this morning was, "oh! I wonder if anyone on the East Coast got their notification?!?" and then I thought maybe those of you first in line would like me to call your Fulbright Commission on your behalf and politely and firmly request the notification date? I'm looking at you Belgium and Germany! 

HAH! Can you imagine ... well, it was fun to consider for a moment anyway... 

still waiting.

 

[catsbloom]

10 hours ago, Horb said:

Speaking of loans, what are peoples plans for that (assuming anyone else here has them)? I know for study they can be deferred because you're enrolled full time, but I know some loan providers don't allow deferments for ETAs. I'm not sure about research, which is what I'm applying for.

I am going to try to defer. If my loan carrier won't allow me to defer, I'm not sure what I'd do. I don't think I'd be able to pay my loans back on the Fulbright stipend and we're not allowed to work otherwise. My backup plan is to start a second master's degree in policy to prepare for my PhD. If I don't get Fulbright, I'll be back in school full-time so I'll defer my existing loans

[ibette]

10 hours ago, Horb said:

Speaking of loans, what are peoples plans for that (assuming anyone else here has them)? I know for study they can be deferred because you're enrolled full time, but I know some loan providers don't allow deferments for ETAs. I'm not sure about research, which is what I'm applying for.

So part of me re-applying for Fulbright two years later was because I wanted to pay off my student loans. So I am very thankful, I don't have to linger that on my head. I think Fulbright does work with lenders because Fulbright's grant program (ETA and Study Research) comes under some clause that equates it to a full time study program so loan providers have to defer them after Fulbright submits paperwork on behalf of the student.

[ibette]

3 hours ago, edon16 said:

Bulgaria doesn't. It seems like a good handful of countries don't have PDOs.

Colombia doesn't either. But I do believe that there is some sort of in-country orientation in Bogota before everyone disperses. 

[minswho]

On 3/3/2017 at 3:43 PM, Sarah1812 said:

I thought they were technically required to have submitted their final decisions by March 1st? If that's not the case, then my mistake! That's partly why I was wondering. I know I'm probably grasping for straws here, and the USC office will probably confirm that. I'm really just asking!

The reason why I'm looking into it is because it could have a really big impact on my life  I wasn't willing to defer a two-year commitment to my job for a year for anything except a Fulbright, and the firm couldn't wait for another 3-4 weeks, so I told them I would start working this June. That being said, if I called them back on Monday and said I had received the award, then they would probably still be able to defer the position. Hope that clarifies my position!

Before it was password protected, there was a page on the fulbright website that said all final recommendations from foreign commissions must be made by March 3rd. There have been few contradictions though so no one's really sure.

And of course! I completely understand.
I'm currently holding off on planning next few months till the decisions come out and I'm slowly dying inside.

Hope everything works out with your job and Fulbright!

[Paradoxin756]

7 minutes ago, minswho said:

Before it was password protected, there was a page on the fulbright website that said all final recommendations from foreign commissions must be made by March 3rd. There have been few contradictions though so no one's really sure.

March 3rd would be in line with what I was told during my interview as far as the host country decision. There could be a delay stateside, and also some people for other countries have yet to interview. I'd expect to see some results trickle in the end of this week into next for the early countries though.

[Horb]

1 hour ago, ibette said:

So part of me re-applying for Fulbright two years later was because I wanted to pay off my student loans. So I am very thankful, I don't have to linger that on my head. I think Fulbright does work with lenders because Fulbright's grant program (ETA and Study Research) comes under some clause that equates it to a full time study program so loan providers have to defer them after Fulbright submits paperwork on behalf of the student.

The ETA doesn't count for loan forgiveness for all providers because you aren't studying. My friends had issues with that.

[LibbyCreek]

Hey fellow patient applicants!

I was just offered a four month position organizing a local non-profit as a contract position. It doesn't start for a few weeks and while the money could be a great boost the time needed to complete the job will certainly create a balancing act between my other jobs, my family, and packing up my farm and farmhouse to rent it out should I receive the Fulbright. The question is, is it crazy to take on something completely new and different 20-30 hours a week right before leaving the country for a year or two?

Feel free to send me your considerations, ask me questions etc. I may have to decide on the job before I hear about the Fulbright and want to be as realistic as possible about what it will take to move a family of four! Any help is great!

[ibette]

4 hours ago, Horb said:

The ETA doesn't count for loan forgiveness for all providers because you aren't studying. My friends had issues with that.

I think it might depend on the lender then. The Fulbright website doesn't mention excluding ETAs (they just say Fulbright in general). I also found @kbui's blog where he was an ETA in Thailand and talks about his deferment with Sallie Mae. 

 

Edit: I also found the Korea 2013 ETA handbook that talks about deferment for ETAs. 

Edited March 7, 2017 by ibette

[maelia8]

6 hours ago, ibette said:

So part of me re-applying for Fulbright two years later was because I wanted to pay off my student loans. So I am very thankful, I don't have to linger that on my head. I think Fulbright does work with lenders because Fulbright's grant program (ETA and Study Research) comes under some clause that equates it to a full time study program so loan providers have to defer them after Fulbright submits paperwork on behalf of the student.

When I was a Fulbright ETA, I was able to get my loans deferred - there was a certification form that Fulbright Germany had to stamp/sign, which I then sent to my loan provider and was then in the clear. I have Nelnet (federal sub and unsub) loans.

[Photogeographic]

I hope I can defer my private loans other wise I wouldn't be able to take on a Fulbright ?

[Horb]

7 hours ago, ibette said:

I think it might depend on the lender then. The Fulbright website doesn't mention excluding ETAs (they just say Fulbright in general). I also found @kbui's blog where he was an ETA in Thailand and talks about his deferment with Sallie Mae. 

 

Edit: I also found the Korea 2013 ETA handbook that talks about deferment for ETAs. 

Yeah, as I said, it doesn't necessarily count for all loan providers. I'm just giving a heads up, because I know I'll have to deal with it and I'm sure others will too. My friend was an ETA in Germany and wasn't allowed to defer her loans. Fulbright helps with the process, but if the loan company doesn't grant the deferment, Fulbright can't do anything. I'm fortunate in that I could probably pay my loans out of savings, if needed, or stay enrolled at my uni full time (do independent studies or something) to keep the loans in deferment, but I'm not sure. It'll be my first question if I'm fortunate enough to have to deal with this problem.

[BeeKayCee]

8 hours ago, LibbyCreek said:

Hey fellow patient applicants!

I was just offered a four month position organizing a local non-profit as a contract position. It doesn't start for a few weeks and while the money could be a great boost the time needed to complete the job will certainly create a balancing act between my other jobs, my family, and packing up my farm and farmhouse to rent it out should I receive the Fulbright. The question is, is it crazy to take on something completely new and different 20-30 hours a week right before leaving the country for a year or two?

Feel free to send me your considerations, ask me questions etc. I may have to decide on the job before I hear about the Fulbright and want to be as realistic as possible about what it will take to move a family of four! Any help is great!

I say go for it! That sounds awesome. Worst comes to worst you have a bit of stress to distract you from an even more stressful situation. 

[bi6b0i]

8 hours ago, maelia8 said:

When I was a Fulbright ETA, I was able to get my loans deferred - there was a certification form that Fulbright Germany had to stamp/sign, which I then sent to my loan provider and was then in the clear. I have Nelnet (federal sub and unsub) loans.

this makes me feel so much better. I have NelNet too and if I couldn't get a deferment, I wouldn't be able to do a potential ETA. Which would kind of deflate me.

[ibette]

4 hours ago, Horb said:

Yeah, as I said, it doesn't necessarily count for all loan providers. I'm just giving a heads up, because I know I'll have to deal with it and I'm sure others will too. My friend was an ETA in Germany and wasn't allowed to defer her loans. Fulbright helps with the process, but if the loan company doesn't grant the deferment, Fulbright can't do anything. I'm fortunate in that I could probably pay my loans out of savings, if needed, or stay enrolled at my uni full time (do independent studies or something) to keep the loans in deferment, but I'm not sure. It'll be my first question if I'm fortunate enough to have to deal with this problem.

I just noticed we were meaning the same thing (providers/lenders) that's why I was confused, lol. When I got semi-status notification, my husband and I started to talk about the potential idea of him coming with me but when I was looking up the monthly stipend vs. how much his student monthly payments are, there was no way that can happen. And I am sure loan deferment would only work for the grantee and not the spouse. I still find it disappointing some lenders wouldn't cooperate with a national agency to defer. I am wondering if people could then apply to Income Based Repayment (IBR) if their deferment is denied (but I am guessing that also depends on the federal vs. private lender deal). My friend doing peace corps was in IBR and her monthly payments were $0 because she was earning a very small monthly amount. 

[Horb]

1 minute ago, ibette said:

I just noticed we were meaning the same thing (providers/lenders) that's why I was confused, lol. When I got semi-status notification, my husband and I started to talk about the potential idea of him coming with me but when I was looking up the monthly stipend vs. how much his student monthly payments are, there was no way that can happen. And I am sure loan deferment would only work for the grantee and not the spouse. I still find it disappointing some lenders wouldn't cooperate with a national agency to defer. I am wondering if people could then apply to Income Based Repayment (IBR) if their deferment is denied (but I am guessing that also depends on the federal vs. private lender deal). My friend doing peace corps was in IBR and her monthly payments were $0 because she was earning a very small monthly amount. 

Yeah, the bulk of mine are private, which tends to be the issue. But they were through Sallie Mae (now Navient), so hopefully for Research they'll defer. If not, I'll have to think of something.

[ibette]

3 minutes ago, Horb said:

Yeah, the bulk of mine are private, which tends to be the issue. But they were through Sallie Mae (now Navient), so hopefully for Research they'll defer. If not, I'll have to think of something.

I think you will be okay, especially with the Research Fulbright one. I am also thinking we should start hearing some decisions by next week in some countries.

 

(ughhh)  

[Horb]

Just now, ibette said:

I think you will be okay, especially with the Research Fulbright one. I am also thinking we should start hearing some decisions by next week in some countries.

 

(ughhh)  

Thanks for the positive thoughts  Also yes: I hope we hear soon. I care more about results starting than getting mine first, at this point! I just want people to start winning so we can celebrate!

[LibbyCreek]

11 minutes ago, ibette said:

I just noticed we were meaning the same thing (providers/lenders) that's why I was confused, lol. When I got semi-status notification, my husband and I started to talk about the potential idea of him coming with me but when I was looking up the monthly stipend vs. how much his student monthly payments are, there was no way that can happen. And I am sure loan deferment would only work for the grantee and not the spouse. I still find it disappointing some lenders wouldn't cooperate with a national agency to defer. I am wondering if people could then apply to Income Based Repayment (IBR) if their deferment is denied (but I am guessing that also depends on the federal vs. private lender deal). My friend doing peace corps was in IBR and her monthly payments were $0 because she was earning a very small monthly amount. 

@ibette I can't remember to which country you applied, but does it offer an increased stipend for your husband? I will truthfully say that part of the reason I chose Hungary was tit offered family support and a possible extension of an extra year. I am hopeful the extra stipend $$ will really help us, though I doubt it is a sigificant amount of money.

[maelia8]

1 hour ago, Horb said:

Yeah, the bulk of mine are private, which tends to be the issue. But they were through Sallie Mae (now Navient), so hopefully for Research they'll defer. If not, I'll have to think of something.

You may be right, it could have to do with private vs. federal loans. Since all of mine are federal, that might have made getting deferral easier.

[ibette]

2 hours ago, LibbyCreek said:

@ibette I can't remember to which country you applied, but does it offer an increased stipend for your husband? I will truthfully say that part of the reason I chose Hungary was tit offered family support and a possible extension of an extra year. I am hopeful the extra stipend $$ will really help us, though I doubt it is a sigificant amount of money.

@LibbyCreek I applied to Colombia and unfortunately they don't offer dependent support  however, we have been living separately while I am wrapping up my doctoral work so it won't be an extreme change (we are living 9 hours apart). HOWEVER, we do hope that if I happen to get it, there is a possibility he can do his work remotely for months at a time. We also have a good savings account in case he needs to take some time off and come down visit + saving all his vacation days. First I need to get the finalist status though, and then we can run around like headless chickens trying to figure it out 

 

Ack, good luck to all of you! Last year people had heard from Austria, Japan, Iceland, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Turkey around this time.  I am also suppose to hear from another fellowship the latest on the 15th  hoping it's not a double rejection this month (sigh). 

[yoh_rrg]

On 3/6/2017 at 10:24 AM, Photogeographic said:

Wonder if anyone will be notified this week ???

I was just scouring the internet in hopes of finding out an exact date when the Netherlands would announce (or if anyone really had announced) only to stumble on this thread and see so many other anxious people waiting too! It definitely gives me a little relief, but not much 

[LibbyCreek]

3 hours ago, ibette said:

@LibbyCreek I applied to Colombia and unfortunately they don't offer dependent support  however, we have been living separately while I am wrapping up my doctoral work so it won't be an extreme change (we are living 9 hours apart). HOWEVER, we do hope that if I happen to get it, there is a possibility he can do his work remotely for months at a time. We also have a good savings account in case he needs to take some time off and come down visit + saving all his vacation days. First I need to get the finalist status though, and then we can run around like headless chickens trying to figure it out 

 

Ack, good luck to all of you! Last year people had heard from Austria, Japan, Iceland, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Turkey around this time.  I am also suppose to hear from another fellowship the latest on the 15th  hoping it's not a double rejection this month (sigh). 

Wow! 9 hours! That's impressive! I will hold hope for you that there is a way for you to be together often