The Graduate Fellowship, run by the Asian Cultural Council (ACC), supports a small number of students from Asia who have been admitted to a full-time graduate degree program in the United States in one of sixteen arts and culture disciplines. It provides $15,000 USD per academic year toward travel and living expenses related to graduate study — tuition is not supported — and is renewable for one additional year. ACC prioritises applicants from countries or regions that lack comparable programs, or whose field is underrepresented at home.
Benefits & funding
- $15,000 USD per academic year toward travel and living expenses related to graduate study.
- Renewable for one additional academic year (up to two years of support).
- Tuition costs are not supported.
- Access to ACC’s network of grantees and alumni across Asia and the United States.
Eligibility
- Citizens or legal permanent residents of ACC’s eligible Asian countries, territories, and regions (listed below). U.S. citizens — including dual nationals — and U.S. permanent residents are not eligible.
- Admitted to, or enrolled in, a full-time graduate degree program at a U.S. institution.
- The graduate program must fall within one of ACC’s sixteen accepted disciplines: architecture (design, history, and theory), archaeology, art history, arts administration, arts criticism, conservation, crafts, curation, dance, ethnomusicology, film/video/photography, literature, museum studies, music, theater, and visual art.
- No minimum professional-experience or age requirement, unlike ACC’s other fellowships.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
Afghanistan · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Brunei · Cambodia · China · Timor-Leste · Hong Kong · India · Indonesia · Japan · South Korea
+ 13 more
Laos · Macau · Malaysia · Mongolia · Myanmar · Nepal · Pakistan · Philippines · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Taiwan · Thailand · Vietnam
Residence required
Afghanistan · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Brunei · Cambodia · China · Timor-Leste · Hong Kong · India · Indonesia · Japan · South Korea
+ 13 more
Laos · Macau · Malaysia · Mongolia · Myanmar · Nepal · Pakistan · Philippines · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Taiwan · Thailand · Vietnam
Education required
Bachelor · Master Enrolled · PhD Enrolled
Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.
We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1When the cycle opens (early October), create or log in to a GoApply account on ACC’s application platform.
- 2Complete the Graduate Fellowship application, providing evidence of admission to a U.S. graduate program and details of your field of study.
- 3Submit before the November deadline and arrange the required recommendation letter(s) by the separate recommendation deadline; notifications follow in mid-May.
Program timeline
Applications open on GoApply (2026 cycle)
Oct 1, 2025
Application deadline (2026 cycle)
Nov 19, 2025
Recommendation letter deadline
Nov 26, 2025
Applicant notifications (mid-May)
May 15, 2026
Grant period
Aug 1, 2026 to Dec 31, 2027