Scholarship Central News

Information is from this page of the Scholarship Central website.

The Fulbright booklets have arrived! If you’re interested in applying and are still on campus please stop by the Charles Center office and pick up the application packet. If you’ve left campus already please fill out this request form and a packet will be mailed to you.
http://www.wm.edu/charlescenter/fulbrightbookletrequest.html

What is a Fulbright Scholarship?

The Fulbright program was created in 1946 to foster mutual understanding among nations through educational and cultural exchanges. In the 2008-09 application cycle, approximately 1600 people will be funded to study, conduct research, or teach in over 100 nations. Full grant applicants plan their own programs. Projects may include university coursework, independent library or field research, classes in a music conservatory or art school, special projects in the social or life sciences, or a combination. Fulbright awards for teaching abroad are also available.

Check out the Fulbright web site

What it takes

Applicants must be U.S. citizens who will receive their Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent before the beginning date of the grant. Applicants must be in good health. Preference will be given to applicants whose higher education was received primarily at educational institutions in the United States. Applicants must have sufficient proficiency in the written and spoken language of the host country to communicate with the people and to carry out the proposed study. Selection is based on the applicant’s academic (we recommend a 3.4+ GPA) or professional record, language preparation (click here to see a list of countries where English is sufficient), the feasibility of the proposed study project, and personal qualifications. Other factors affecting selection are: the extent to which the candidate and the project will help to advance the program aim of promoting mutual understanding among nations; the ability of the supervising agencies abroad to arrange supervision; the requirements of programs in individual countries (see the Fulbright website); ratio between the number of awards offered in a given country and the number of applications received; desirability of achieving a wide institutional and geographic distribution; desirability of achieving wide institutional and geographic distribution. Foreign study during the junior year or other periods of undergraduate study that are integral parts of the curricula of American institutions will not be considered a disadvantage.

How to apply

There is a W&M pre-application. This pre-application consists of:

1. a draft of your personal statement - due by April 15 (If you have missed this deadline please contact Lisa at lmgrim@wm.edu ASAP)
2. an outline of your project proposal (covering what, where, why, when, and how) - due to Lisa Grimes by June 1
3. a list of recommenders : 3 faculty members who have taught you and can speak to the importance and feasibility of your proposal, plus the name of 1 language evaluator (if required by your country) - due to Lisa by June 1
4. a list of possible in-country affiliations - due to Lisa by June 1

The purpose of turning in these materials early is to ensure that students are working on their Fulbright proposal over the summer. Lisa Grimes and the Peer Scholarship Advisors will use the information you supply to help you take full advantage of all available resources. You should provide as much information possible but keep in mind that you will be able to edit up to the campus application deadline of 12 noon on September 15, 2008.

The process:

1. Submit the pre-application materials as described above by April 15th and June 1st. Lisa Grimes and the PSAs will review your pre-application materials and use the information you supply to send you comments and feedback. You will be able to edit your application as much as you want between now and the final campus deadline of September 15. Note that no letters of recommendation are due at this time, only the names of your recommenders by June 1. Lisa will also contact your recommenders with information on the Fulbright scholarship.
2. Go to this website and start working on your online application after May 1, 2008. Be sure to enter your name and William and Mary as your home institution. NOTE: DO NOT enter ANY recommender information until you’re advised to do so by the Charles Center. The reason for this is that once a recommender submits a letter, that letter cannot be edited. Your recommenders should have read your final project proposal and personal statement before they submit their letters online. Lisa Grimes will notify you when it’s time to have your recommenders submit their letters online.
3. The original and three copies of the complete application must be submitted to the Charles Center by 12 noon on Monday, September 15, 2008. This means hard copies of your application, letters of recommendation, and original transcripts of all university work (including study abroad). Ask your recommenders to put the original of their letter and three photocopies in one envelope, seal it, sign across the seal, and give it to you for submission with the rest of your materials.
4. Applications are distributed to campus committees for review.
5. Committees conduct interviews September 20 - October 14.
6. Applicants fine-tune applications and submit the absolutely final versions online no later than 12 noon on Thursday, October 16. A signed hard copy of the complete application is also due to the Charles Center at this time.
7. Lisa Grimes submits all applications and evaluations to IIE US Student Programs by the October 20 deadline.
8. IIE National Screening Committees review the applications and recommend applications for further review by supervising agencies abroad. All applicants are notified of their recommendation status by the end of January.
9. Applications are reviewed further by supervising agencies abroad, particularly as to placement at foreign universities. These agencies make their recommendations to the Scholarship Board.
10. Final selection for Fulbright grants is made by the Scholarship Board. Selection is made taking into account the recommendations of the National Screening Committee, availability of funds, approval of the supervising agencies abroad, and other program requirements. Final notification may come anywhere from mid-March to the end of June.William and Mary students have been awarded Fulbrights to Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Burkino Faso, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Korea, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Poland, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Spain, Syria, Taiwan, Uganda, the United Kingdom, and Zimbabwe.

Read the Fulbright FAQs.

Lawrence and Jean Irwin Memorial Internship Stipend / Bertha Taylor Scholarships for Public Affairs Internships: Thanks to the generosity of these patrons, the Government Department is able to award a number of stipends to help support students undertaking summer internships related to politics and government. The exact number of awards and the amount of each will vary from year to year, but in general about ten will be given, ranging from $300 to $1000 each.

Deadline: April 15, 2008, 12 noon

The J. Edward Grimsley Fellowship for Journalism (scroll down) was created to allow William and Mary undergraduate students to gain practical journalism experience during the summer. Mr. Grimsley graduated from the College in 1951 with a degree in Government. Now retired, he is the former editor of the Richmond Times Dispatch and has won numerous awards from the Virginia Press Association.

In 2008 the Charles Center will award one $3,000 fellowship to a student doing an unpaid internship in journalism. The Grimsley Fellow must dedicate a minimum of seven full-time weeks to the Fellowship, should not be receiving funding from other sources, and must be returning to the College in the fall following the award (unless studying abroad). Applicants are responsible for securing their own internships.

Deadline: April 30, 2008, 12 noon

The Sizemore Fellowship for Graduate Study in Journalism has been created through the generosity of William & Mary alumni Mason and Connie Sizemore. Applicants must be graduating seniors who plan to enroll in a graduate school of journalism in the fall of 2008. The recipient will receive a $9,000 award.

Deadline: April 30, 2008, 12 noon

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Scholarship is for Latino students who have a history of performing public service-oriented activities in their communities and who plan to continue contributing in the future. There is no GPA or major requirement. Students with excellent leadership potential are encouraged to apply.

Deadline: April 16, 2008.

The Environmental Research and Education Foundation Scholarships are awarded by EREF to recognize excellence in master’s, doctoral or post-doctoral waste management research and education.  Recipients are chosen based on credentials and potential contributions to the solid waste industry and its scientific contributions to the solid waste industry and its scientific community.

Deadline: April 30, 2008.

Allen Lee Hughes Fellowships are for individuals interested in artistic and technical production, arts administration and community engagement. Fellowship provides a modest stipend.

Deadline: April 1, 2008.

Tony Claudino is the Director of the Fulbright Student Program Outreach. Come learn about the Fulbright Student Program. Students in all years are welcome.

March 26, 3:00pm - 4:30pm
Reves Room, Reves Center

These are paid teaching opportunities for the 2008-9 school year for graduating seniors at Lord Wandsworth College and the Royal Hospital School.

Lord Wandsworth College offers graduating seniors (male or female) from the College of William and Mary the opportunity to serve as its America Teaching Intern. Click here for information on the LWC position and the application form. The current LWC tutor is Leah Giles, and she is happy to correspond with potential applicants who have questions about the position. Click to see her Beyond the Basement blog entry.

The Greenwich Hospital, a British royal charitable trust, offers a one-year paid internship for a graduating William and Mary senior (male or female) to serve as Resident Tutor at the Royal Hospital School near Ipswich, England. Click here for information on the RHS position and the application form. The current RHS tutor, Rebecca Van Zee, is happy to correspond with potential applicants who have questions about the position.

Deadline: April 7, 2008, 12 noon

The Presidential Fellows Program is a unique non-resident educational initiative that offers 85 select undergraduate and graduate students from leading colleges and universities a year-long opportunity to study the U.S. Presidency, the public policymaking process, and our Chief Executive’s relations with Congress, allies, the media, and the American public.

Fellows will attend two conferences with scholars and senior government officials. They will be required to research and write an original paper on an issue of the modern Presidency.

Deadline: March 26, 2008, at 12 noon