Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD)

Benefits & funding

• Tuition and mandatory university fees.
• On-campus housing and a comprehensive meal plan, including arrangements for campus dining closures.
• A monthly stipend for personal expenses.
• Accident and sickness coverage during the exchange.
• A book allowance.
• International airfare and ground transportation between the home country and host institution.
• Relevant U.S. taxes on the scholarship.

Eligibility

• Be at least 18 years old when the program starts.
• Be a citizen of and currently reside in a participating country: Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, Georgia, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Malawi, Malaysia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, or Zimbabwe.
• Be enrolled full time and in good standing in an undergraduate program at an accredited public or private university.
• Have completed secondary education in the home country and, for the latest published cycle, at least one university semester by January 2025.
• Have at least one academic year remaining at the home university after Global UGRAD ends.
• Communicate effectively in written and spoken English; some finalists may receive English-language training.
• Be eligible for and maintain the required J-1 exchange visa, pass medical clearance, and return to the home country after the program.
• U.S. citizens are not eligible. The application also screens for U.S. permanent-residency history, certain immediate-family employment with the U.S. Department of State or USAID, current U.S. academic participation, and unfulfilled home-residency obligations from prior U.S. government exchanges.

Application process

1. 1
   Check the country-specific route with the local U.S. Embassy or Fulbright Commission; applicants in Pakistan use the separate IREX-administered Global UGRAD Pakistan process.
2. 2
   Create an account in the Global UGRAD Student Portal and confirm the account by email.
3. 3
   Complete eligibility, personal, contact, academic, English, activities, employment, and essay sections.
4. 4
   Upload two recommendations, the most recent transcript, and a government-issued photo ID.
5. 5
   Submit the complete application before the published deadline and retain the confirmation email.

Program timeline

1. Latest published application cycle opened.

   November 1, 2024

2. Applications closed at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time.

   December 15, 2024

3. U.S. Embassies and Fulbright Commissions reviewed applications and selected semifinalists.

   December 16, 2024–February 10, 2025

4. Semifinalist interviews and TOEFL testing took place.

   January 2–February 8, 2025

5. Finalists and alternates were notified.

   March 27, 2025

6. Selected participants began one semester of U.S. study.

   August 2025 or January 2026