APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS for the ONLINE APPLICATION

Please read the Program Administration, Applying to the Program, Grant Details, and the FAQ sections of our website carefully before completing the application. Be sure that you meet eligibility requirements for the program as well as the specific requirements of each country and type of exchange for which you apply.

Applications are not considered until all of the following forms are completed properly and received by the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program.

• 1 - J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board Form;
• 1 - Application;
• 1 - Essay;
• 1 - Administrative Approval for Applicant Form;
• 1 - Immediate Supervisor Reference for Applicant Form;
• 2 - Additional references.

All forms listed above must be submitted electronically or postmarked by midnight EDT, October 15, 2008.

The online application process facilitates the submission of the above forms electronically via Internet. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, all applicants using the online application must also submit all forms electronically.

General Application Information

Save your work frequently.
The "Save Page Data" button is located at the bottom of every page. For security purposes, the online application times out after a specific length of time. If you haven't saved your work it will be lost. All questions on a particular page must be filled in before saving the page and advancing forward onto the next page. We suggest typing a character or making a selection in each box and then saving the page. Then return to the beginning of the page and correct/complete the entries on that page saving the new data as you change/correct it.

Do not type your essay directly into the online application.
The essay can not be longer than 7500 characters. This includes spaces and carriage returns. If you do not save your text frequently or you have typed more than 7500 characters the essay could be lost. Therefore, we suggest that you type your essay into a word processing program first. Save the document, make all necessary changes/corrections, count the characters and then cut and paste the final product into the online application on page 6, section XII.

Double check the e-mail addresses of your references and administrators before final submission of your application.
Applicants are responsible for making sure that all forms have been submitted by the October 15th deadline. Thus, applicants must submit their online applications well before the October 15th deadline so that their references may also meet the deadline.

After submitting the application, applicants may track the submission status of forms submitted online by logging into their application and reviewing the status box. This status box tracks only those forms submitted electronically via Internet. If it is necessary for you to submit forms by post those forms will not appear in the online status box. If you wish to track them, please use a trackable mail service.

Print out a copy of your application before final submission.
Fulbright cannot send you a copy of your application after it has been submitted. If you would like to keep a copy, please print preview your application and print a copy of the print preview before final submission on page 8.

Complete the application as best as possible and as completely as possible.
Applicants for administrative; short-term exchanges; and/or classical seminars may need to adapt some questions to fit your own experiences. The application includes some questions which do not directly reflect your situations -- please complete those sections as best as possible. If further explanation is necessary, please use Item XIV, "Remarks," (page 7) or send an e-mail to fulbright@grad.usda.gov including your name and date of birth at the top of the e-mail.

In general, if additional space is needed for a particular question, enter information in Item XIV, "Remarks," (page 7) or send an e-mail to fulbright@grad.usda.gov. Include your name and date of birth at the top of the e-mail, and identify the item number to which the answer applies. Use the "Remarks" section or send additional information via e-mail for continuation purposes only. Do not send your resume or simply say "see attached."

Specific Application Instructions (pp.1-8 of the online application)

I. Applicant Basic Data (p. 1)

Interview Sites:
Select two cities from the dropdown lists on page 1. Interview dates are set by the interview committee chairperson for each site. Once we begin screening applications in late October/November, you will be informed of the site and date of the interview for which you have been scheduled (most applicants are scheduled for an interview at their first choice site). You are responsible for attending the interview on the scheduled date.

Have you applied to the program before:
Below your address, please indicate the academic year(s) for which you applied to the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program, whether or not you received an exchange or seminar grant that year.

Ethnicity/Race:
Please note that questions about Ethnicity/Race are optional and are collected for statistical purposes only.

II. "Application For..." (p. 1)

Before choosing a country for an exchange or seminar, be sure to read the eligibility requirements for that country's program in the

III. Modern Foreign Language Fluency (p. 2)

Select languages and proficiencies from the drop down lists. You will be screened for verbal proficiency if:

	you teach French, German or Spanish;
	languages are required for countries you select;
	languages you list are spoken in participating countries, and you rate yourself "good" or "excellent."

IV. Education and Professional Preparation above Secondary School (p. 2)

Please list only completed degrees equivalent to a Bachelor, Master or Doctoral degree. Please list the highest degree completed first. Other degrees, professional certifications or non-completed education should be listed in section XIV, "Remarks" (p. 7).

V. Present Employment (p. 2)

The information collected in this section tells us about your current employment situation and will also be used to facilitate the online, electronic submission of four of the additional forms required to complete your application. Those forms are: Administrative Approval Form, Immediate Supervisor Form and two references. It is imperative that accurate information is entered in this section.

All forms are due by October 15, 2008.

The names and e-mail addresses that you provide in sections D & E for your Immediate Supervisor, Administrative Official and two references will be used to generate personalized e-mail messages. Upon final submission of your application, e-mail messages will automatically and immediately be sent directly to the individual providing him/her with a personalized link to a web page where they can fill out the appropriate form online (electronically) on your behalf. It is imperative that accurate e-mail addresses are entered.

These forms must be filled out completely, and not simply signed. If your administrator or reference has questions or trouble with the form, please contact us at 202.314.3527 or fulbright@grad.usda.gov. (See also the Frequently Asked Questions for the Online Application for more information.)

Since you are using the online application, Fulbright prefers that these four required forms also be submitted electronically via Internet. If there are extenuating circumstances that prevent your references and/or administrators from submitting a form online, then you may submit the form by post. However, if a form must be submitted by post please notify us in writing by sending an e-mail to fulbright@grad.usda.gov including your name and birthdate at the top of the e-mail. Forms submitted by post will not be tracked in the online application status box. Please use a trackable mail service if you would like to verify receipt of your forms by our office.

It is the applicant's responsibility to make sure that his/her administrators and references have received these e-mail messages with links and that the forms are submitted by the deadline - October 15, 2008. Fulbright recommends contacting each of these individuals before final submission of your application in order to inform them of the expected arrival of the e-mail so that the message is not deleted or overlooked. The e-mails will be sent immediately upon final submission of your application.

C. School Principal's or College Dean's Name (p.2)
Please enter name and contact information for your principal or college dean. The information in section C will not be used to generate and e-mail message. The contact person in section C and D (Immediate Supervisor) may or may not be the same person.

D. Immediate Supervisor's Name (p. 2)
The information provided in section D will be used to generate an e-mail that will be sent to your Immediate Supervisor. The e-mail will have a link directing him/her to a website where they will complete the "Immediate Supervisor Reference for Applicant" form online.

The "Immediate Supervisor Reference for Applicant" form must be completed by the applicant's immediate supervisor or the person responsible for the applicant's formal evaluation. Please enter accurate contact information for your Immediate Supervisor in section D.

Some applicants, especially those at independent schools, may have one individual who acts as both Administrator and Immediate Supervisor. If that is the case, please type an asterisk after the name of the Immediate Supervisor or type in a slightly different version of the name (i.e., Bob instead of Robert) in the Immediate Supervisor box. The application will not save if identical names are typed in the Administrative Approval and Immediate Supervisor boxes.

Applicants should not include performance evaluations with their applications. Immediate Supervisors who need more space to write should use the "Additional space for the items above" box and/or send an e-mail attachment to fulbright@grad.usda.gov including the applicant's name.

E. Approving Administrative Official's Name (p. 2)
The information provided in section E will be used to generate an e-mail that will be sent to your Administrative Official. The e-mail will have a link directing him/her to a website where they will complete the "Administrative Approval for Applicant" form online.

The administrative official entered in section E and who completes and signs the "Administrative Approval for Applicant" form must be the official authorized to approve participation in the exchange, grant a leave of absence, and approve the appropriate salary arrangements. Within public school systems, administrative approval must come from the district level (e.g. usually the superintendent).

Appropriate salary arrangements are as follows:

	For year and semester programs, the "with salary" box must be checked, or the application will not be considered.
	For short term programs, occurring during the school year, we recommend that approval be given "with salary." If the "with salary" box is not checked, the applicant must explain on a separate sheet how she or he will fund participation.
	For summer seminars "without salary" is appropriate.
	For administrative exchanges "with" or "without salary" may be checked.
	For one-way assignments "with" or "without salary" may be checked.

Fulbright prefers that all forms be submitted electronically via Internet. If there are extenuating circumstances that prevent your administrator from submitting this form online, then you may submit the form by post. For example, if your school district requires the "Administrative Approval for Applicant" form to be sent under separate cover or if the approval is pending board confirmation after October 15, 2008. In either case, please notify Fulbright in writing and make sure that the official who completes and signs the "Administrative Approval for Applicant" form must is the same official listed in section E.

Note: If the "Administrative Approval for Applicant" form will be submitted by post, please ask your administrator to disregard the automatic e-mail message that will be sent to him/her upon final submission of your application. Also, forms submitted by post cannot be tracked via the online application status box. Please use a trackable mail service if you would like to verify receipt of your forms by our office.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss their application to the program with their administrator in advance of submitting an application and should be aware that their application will not be considered without receipt of this approval. Applicants who do not file an administrative approval form in a timely way or whose administrator has denied approval will be informed of this omission or denial by letter. The application will not be considered until this form has been properly completed and received.

Additional Reference Names (p. 2)
The information provided in this section will be used to generate e-mails that will be sent to your References. The e-mails will have a link directing each reference to a personalized website where they will complete the "Reference for Applicant" form online.

Applicants should enter names and contact information for two additional references in section E after the Administrative Official. These references should be submitted by individuals familiar with the applicant's professional work.

VI. "Daily Schedule for Current Year" (p. 3)

To enable accurate matching, teachers are asked to describe fully their current teaching assignments. Please enter this information directly in section A, "Duties Description." The "Duties Description" box has a 700-character limit. Please use section XIV, "Remarks," (page 7) for continuation purposes only or send an e-mail to fulbright@grad.usda.gov. The e-mail should include your name, birthdate and the number/letter of the item to which your answer applies.

Please be specific and provide details (e.g. World History: European emphasis) when selecting subjects. All teachers at the elementary level (teaching one or more grades K-5) should choose Elementary in the first subject line and more specific content areas (in order of priority) in subject lines 2 through 6. Special Education teachers are requested to include details about student needs and teaching approaches.

VII. Previous Experience/Employment (p. 3)

The online application will not allow for entering "to/from" dates that occur within the same month (For example: You traveled abroad for just a few days in March 2005 - the system will not take from 3/2005 to 3/2005). Please just enter the next month. In this example it would be 4/2005.

VIII. Other Experience (p. 4)

Each box in this section has a 400 character limit. Please use section XIV, "Remarks," (page 7) for continuation purposes only or send an e-mail to fulbright@grad.usda.gov. The e-mail should include your name, birthdate and the number/letter of the item to which your answer applies.

X. School or College Information (p. 5)

Information on the schools of applicants is critical to finding suitable matches. This section should be filled out thoughtfully and completely. Section F has a 600-character limit. Please use section XIV, "Remarks," (page 7) if additional space is necessary or send an e-mail to fulbright@grad.usda.gov. The e-mail should include your name, birthdate and the number/letter of the item to which your answer applies.

XI. "Accommodations" (p. 5)

All applicants, except those applying for administrator exchanges and seminars only, must answer this section. Please answer all questions if you wish to exchange housing.

XII. Essay (p. 6)

Do not type your essay directly into the box on page 6. We suggest that you type your essay into a word processing program first. Save the document, make all necessary changes/corrections, count the characters and then cut and paste the final product into the online application on page 6, section XII. The essay can not be longer than 7500 characters. This includes spaces and carriage returns.

The 50-word synopsis about your personal/professional goals as related to this exchange program (at the bottom of page 6) is an entirely separate, stand-alone component of your application and is a separate request from the longer essay required above. The on-line application will automatically generate this required J. William Fulbright Scholarship Board form for you using the 50-word synopsis that you type in this box. In the synopsis, you should provide a brief description of what you expect to gain professionally and personally from participation in the Program. The synopsis has a 700-character limit. Do not make reference to other sections of your application or specific country choices in this synopsis. Also, please review the text carefully for omissions and spelling errors. Forms with omissions and/or spelling errors will be returned to the applicant.

The J. William Fulbright Scholarship Board form will not appear when you "Print Preview" your application. If you wish to view and/or print out a copy of this form, please choose the "Print Preview Your Foreign Scholarship Board" option after logging into "My Application".

XIII. Remarks (p. 7)

For continuation purposes only, please use section XIV, "Remarks," to complete any application questions. Please make sure to identify the item number to which the answer applies.

Terms of Agreement if Selected (p. 8)

You must click on the "I Agree/Submit Application" button in order to submit your application. By doing this you have submitted your application and agreed to the terms on page 8.

Re-Application

Reapplicants must submit a current application form each year in order to be considered for an exchange. However, a reapplicant need not resubmit the two additional references nor the essay (provided those on file were submitted within the past three years). Reapplicants will be advised if additional data or interviews are necessary.

A teacher who has previously completed a Fulbright Teacher Exchange of more than eight weeks must wait five years after completing the exchange to reapply. A teacher who has previously completed a Fulbright Teacher Exchange of less than eight weeks may reapply two more years after completing the exchange. The maximum number of Fulbright Teacher Exchanges of more than eight weeks shall not exceed TWO, with two programs of eight weeks or less counting as one Fulbright Teacher Exchange for purposes of reapplication. Previous grants from other Fulbright programs or federal grants under other auspices do not disqualify a candidate from consideration for the program. However, the required waiting period between grants still applies. Two Fulbright grants cannot be held simultaneously.

Reapplicants who have previously applied online:
If you have previously applied to the Fulbright Teacher Exchange online you may update and make changes to your previous application. If the reference information on file was submitted within the past three years no e-mail requests for "Reference for Applicant" forms will be sent to the individuals listed at the bottom of page 2 unless a change is made to the reference name or e-mail address. If a change is made then an e-mail will automatically be sent to that individual asking them to submit a "Reference for Applicant" form.

Each year you apply a new "Administrative Approval for Applicant" form and "Immediate Supervisor Reference for Applicant" form must be submitted. Therefore, e-mail requests will automatically be sent to your Administrative Official and Immediate Supervisor (section D & E, page 2) upon final submission of your application. It is imperative that accurate e-mail addresses are entered.

If the essay on file was submitted within the past three years a new essay is not necessary unless you choose to resubmit. If you do not want to submit a new essay, please type "See essay from previous application" on page 6, section XII.

Reapplicants who have not previously applied online:
Page 2 of the online application requires you to enter the contact information of your Immediate Supervisor, Administrative Official and two additional references. A new Administrative Approval form and Immediate Supervisor Form are required each year you apply to the program.

Upon final submission of your application, e-mail messages will automatically and immediately be sent directly to the Administrative Official and Immediate Supervisor providing him/her with a personalized link to a web page where they can fill out the appropriate form online (electronically) on your behalf. It is imperative that accurate e-mail addresses are entered.

Unfortunately, since you are a reapplicant that has never applied using the online application before, the system can not recognize you as a reapplicant. Therefore, upon final submission of your application automatic e-mails will also be sent to your two references asking them to submit a "Reference for Applicant" form. However, if you have applied within the past three years, you do not need to resubmit these two additional references. Therefore, please ask your references to disregard this e-mail notification unless you would like them to submit a new reference for you.

In addition, if you have applied within the last three years a new essay is not necessary unless you choose to resubmit. If you do not want to submit a new essay, please type "See essay from previous application" on page 6, section XII.

Reapplicants must submit all forms by the deadline - October 15, 2008.

Miscellaneous

	a change of address or phone number;
	a change of plans affecting the application;
	a desire to withdraw the application;
	an application to teach or study abroad under another program;
	a termination of teaching contract;
	a change in assignment or school administration.

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