Brazil - English Teaching Assistant Award — Cultural Exchange

The Brazil English Teaching Assistant Award places 10 grantees at public universities across Brazil for the March–November 2028 academic year. The Fulbright Commission in Brazil administers the program with CAPES as co-sponsor.

Assistants support English teaching, classroom activities, and discussion of U.S. culture for 30 hours per week, including planning. They also pursue a flexible personal, educational, or career-related supplementary project for 10–15 hours per week.

Benefits & funding

An estimated USD 1,020 monthly stipend, paid in USD 3,060 installments every three months.
Estimated one-time allowances of USD 1,120: USD 50 for registration or permits, USD 1,020 for settling in, and USD 50 for local orientation transport.
International travel benefits, accident and sickness coverage, a visa-fee waiver, a 24/7 mental-health support line, and an English-teaching preparation course.
Mandatory online pre-departure sessions and an arrival orientation in São Paulo; accommodation, meals, and an airport-transport allowance are provided for the arrival orientation.
Housing and financial or logistical support for dependents are not provided.

Eligibility

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or nationals at the application deadline; permanent residents are not eligible, while dual U.S.–Brazilian citizens may apply.
A bachelor’s degree or equivalent must be conferred before the grant begins; this award accepts applicants at bachelor’s or master’s degree level, but anyone holding a doctoral degree by the national deadline is ineligible.
One to two years of tutoring or classroom-teaching experience with young adults is required.
Applicants need three years of college-level Portuguese or equivalent before the grant, or three years of college-level Spanish plus Portuguese study already underway when applying. A Portuguese Foreign Language Evaluation is required for every applicant; applicants using the Spanish route must submit evaluations in both languages.
Applicants may not have resided in Brazil for three months or more during the year before the grant.
Placements may be in any Brazilian city, and grantees must accept the Commission’s assignment and commit to the host university calendar.
TESOL, ESL, English, linguistics, or education degrees and a master’s degree are preferences, not requirements. Applicants from other fields may apply but, if selected, must complete a Fulbright-sponsored TEFL or TESOL certification before March 2028.

Can you apply?

Here's who can apply

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Eligible nationalities
USA
Education required
Bachelor · Master
Experience required
1–2 yrs

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Application process

1
Confirm the program-wide citizenship and degree rules and the Brazil-specific teaching-experience, language, and prior-residency requirements.
2
Apply through a U.S. institution if eligible to do so, observing its earlier campus deadline and review, or apply at large through the Fulbright online application.
3
Complete the ETA application, including the 1,750-character proposal summary, 3,000-character Statement of Grant Purpose, three short answers, language forms, three confidential recommendation forms, and required transcripts.
4
Submit the complete application and recommendations by October 6, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
5
If selected as a semifinalist, attend the Commission’s online interview and deliver a short class presentation in February 2027.

Program timeline

National application and recommendation deadline.
October 6, 2026, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Semifinal results announced.
December 2026–January 2027
Commission interview and short class presentation for selected semifinalists.
February 2027
University placements determined.
November 2027
Mandatory arrival orientation and grant start.
March 2028
Grant ends.
November 2028