WINTER 2012 - National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and ...

Fulbright Program for Foreign Students
VARIATIONS IN FULBRIGHT PROGRAMS
As I mentioned in the introduction to this essay, my reflections are based
on observations and experiences that can be significantly different from those of
another FPFS Scholar. The reason for this variation, accounting for personal and
intellectual uniqueness of individuals, is the design of the FPFS, or in a broader
sense, the Fulbright Program itself. Before becoming a part of the program, I
used to perceive Fulbright Scholars in general and FPFS Scholars in particular
as somewhat fraternal groups with the same or, at least, similar logistical and
financial arrangements and academic and regulatory expectations. I noticed that
a number of my peers and teachers in Pakistan as well as in the United States
shared this perception. This, however, was far from the situation on the ground.
Fulbright scholarship arrangements not only vary in terms of academic programs
sponsored but also are different in terms of amount and duration of scholarships,
services included in the scholarship, modes of disbursement, contractual
obligations, and many other matters depending mainly on the recipient’s country
of origin, program of study, and the scholarship competition they participated
in to become a part of the FPFS. I will outline some of these variations in the
following paragraphs.
Among the several different Fulbright-funded programs for foreign students
and scholars, the most significant distinction can be made based on the country
of origin of the scholar. Two Fulbright Scholars from different countries of
origin can experience different levels of funding, modes of disbursement, and
contractual obligations even if they are in the same program of the same learning
institution. For example, while my living cost stipends are transferred to my
account on a monthly basis by the Fulbright office administering my scholarship,
some of my Mexican colleagues receive a similar amount as biannual lumpsum
checks. Similarly, while my contract requires me to return to Pakistan
immediately after the completion of my degree program, a number of my
colleagues can stay in the United States for over a year doing internships or other
practical training relevant to their area of study. These differences are a result
of the bilateral agreements between the U.S. government and the participating
country governments, and the terms are decided depending on the amount
of financial contribution made by the participating government. In fact, the
same country might enter into two similar Fulbright exchange contracts with
the United States with slight difference in logistics. Again, an example of such
arrangement will be with the Fulbright scholarship for Pakistan, where I am
required to return immediately after my degree completion and serve a Pakistani
establishment for at least the number of years I spent in the United States. Some
of my peers from Pakistan are exempt from this condition.
The second major distinction, though not as confusing as the first, involves
the program of study. Fulbright Scholars can come to the United States either to
pursue a formal degree in a U.S. institute of higher learning or for a nondegree
Journal of Public Affairs Education 233