Program Administration

The Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program is one of several Fulbright programs funded by the Federal Government and administered by the United States Department of State. The Program is organized and administered through three national entities:

The J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FSB)

The FSB, composed of 12 educational and public leaders appointed by the President of the United States, has statutory responsibility under the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, the Fulbright-Hays Act, P.L. 87-256, as amended, for the selection of all academic exchange grantees and the supervision of the Fulbright Program worldwide, including the formulation of policy guidelines governing such exchanges. All proposed exchanges must be approved by the FSB.

The United States Department of State

The United States Department of State's Office of Global Educational Programs is responsible for several educational exchange programs authorized by the Fulbright-Hays Act. It administers these programs with the assistance of binational educational exchange commissions and foundations in 51 countries (Fulbright Commissions), U.S. Embassies in more than 85 other countries, and cooperating agencies in the United States.

The Office of Global Educational Programs is responsible for administering the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program. Each year, the Office of Global Educational Programs publishes announcements of opportunities abroad and conducts a national competition for international teaching, administrator and seminar awards.

Graduate School, USDA

Under a cooperative agreement with the United States Department of State, the International Institute of the Graduate School, USDA, administers the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program. The Graduate School, USDA staff handles outreach activities, screens applications, arranges interviews, assists in the arrangement of all exchanges and seminars, collects all documentation, prepares publications and orientations, and sends information and correspondence to teachers and schools. It also maintains contact with international teachers and their host administrators during their time in the U.S.

In counterpart countries, the Program is administered through binational Fulbright Commissions or Foundations, the U.S. Embassy's Public Affairs Section, and foreign education departments or ministries. Please see the For Overseas Applicants and Partners section of our website for more information.

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