This year, nine UC Davis students were selected to participate in the 2024-25 Fulbright U.S. Student Program. They join the ranks of program alumni who went on to become presidents, diplomats, Nobel prize winners and distinguished leaders and scholars.

Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program has become one of the most highly recognized academic and professional advancement programs in the world and in the past decade, UC Davis has twice won recognition as a top producer of Fulbright U.S. students.

Fulbright recipients begin their journey applying to one of three grant experiences in their country of choice. This fall, two UC Davis students travel to complete advance degree programs, one in France, the other in Israel. Three will conduct independent research in Denmark, India, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and four will teach English in Brazil, Italy, Mongolia and Switzerland.

A Fulbright recipient carries on the Fulbright legacy for the rest of their lives. The Fulbright “tradition of excellence,” starts at home, at UC Davis, with quality advising that helps students jumpstart their application process.

Navigating the application

A program this large with so many different experiences, starts to get complex fast for students who are not enmeshed with its everyday logistics. That is where Scott Palmer, prestigious scholarship advisor and lead Fulbright program administrator comes in.

“Most people complete applications on their own but Fulbright has a lot of components and specific requirements, so I talk students through what applying really does entail and we do that behind-the-scenes work together,” Palmer said. “The most common answer I give to a student when they ask me about Fulbright, is, it depends.”

When Palmer begins his work with students, he starts by talking through their future goals and guides them through some of the more particular application pieces.

“Initially what I am helping them do is understand what Fulbright is all about, the context of their country of interest and how this program helps connect the dots to where they see themselves going in the future,” Palmer said. “Maybe they need a certain language capability to do archival research if they are interested in that. If they conduct research, they need a country contact, so that conversation turns into how we can leverage their current network like UC Davis world-class faculty.”

Some countries only have one to two awards available; some give out as many as 100. There is no GPA requirement to apply but also a specific GPA might increase applicants’ chances to study or work in certain countries. Students applying to Fulbright need to complete a bachelor’s degree by their specific program’s start date but cannot have completed a doctoral degree. In addition to all this variety, everyone’s program is unique to them, their grant experience and their country.

“Someone’s time doing research in India vs. teaching English in Switzerland is so different,” Palmer said. “It even varies on the individual program level. A grantee could teach English assisting a university professor or run their own classroom instructing elementary level students."

Prestige, benefits and more

For recipients, receiving a Fulbright grant brings prestigious recognition and helps them build an overall mutual understanding between the U.S. and abroad.

“Receiving this award shows that someone has interests in cross-cultural experiences, within a foreign environment for the minimum amount of time needed to gain a deeper understanding of a people and culture,” Palmer said. “It also shows you were selected for something highly prestigious, that another award body found you credible. This makes it easier to get selected for other awards in the future.”