Eligibility criteria:

• must have citizenship and live permanently in the Republic of Moldova (permanent residents of the Transnistrian region may be considered regardless of citizenship)
• be eligible for a U.S. J-1 visa. Program participants must return to and reside in Moldova for two years after completion of their program
• have an undergraduate (licenta or Bachelor’s) degree at the moment of application
• demonstrated personal leadership qualities
• specific study objectives
• limited or no prior experience in the United States
• English language ability (selected finalists will be required to take the TOEFL and GRE tests, which the Embassy will pay for)

Fellows are placed at academic institutions throughout the United States to take part in graduate programs that are one year or longer in length.  Program managers in Washington will determine where fellows are placed. Neither the Embassy nor Fellows will make this decision. Many programs lead to a master’s degree or certificate from a U.S. institution, depending on the field of specialization, type of program, and the needs of the candidate.

For more information please visit: https://foreign.fulbrightonline.org/   

How to apply

Only short-listed candidates will be interviewed, and the final selection and placement will be made in the spring of the following year.

• Instructions for completing the application (.docx 407 KB)
• Essay-Guidelines (PDF 85 KB)
• Online application for 2024-2025 academic year: https://apply.iie.org/ffsp2024

If you have questions, please write to: education-moldova@state.gov
We highly encourage you to read FAQ section below:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Plagiarism? 

• Cite – Citations should be included whenever referencing another individual’s work, whether paraphrasing or quoting.
• Citations usually include the author(s) and the date of the publication or similar information.
• Quote citations usually include the author(s) and the page number, or paragraph number in the case of web content.
• A reference page or page of works cited at the end of your essay should include the author(s), date of publication, title, and source.

• Paraphrase – Read the source text you would like to reference in your essay and put it into your own words, making sure not to copy the work verbatim. If you use text as written in the original, you must use quotation marks. Citations for paraphrased work must be included.
• Quoting – If quoting a source, use the quote exactly as it appears in the original work. It is important to note that most higher education institutions discourage “block quotes” or quotes of 40 words or more. Quoting should be done whenever using someone else’s text as written and must be cited to avoid plagiarism allegations.

Is the Fulbright Foreign Student Program a degree-granting program?

Yes.  Many programs lead to a master’s degree or certificate from a U.S. institution, depending on the field of specialization, type of program, and the needs of the candidate.

What is the application deadline?

The application deadline varies from year to year.  Usually the program is announced in early April and the deadline is in early June.  Please check the website in the spring.  The deadline of October 1, mentioned on the program website, is for the Embassy to submit the nominations of selected candidates to Washington DC for final review and candidates’ approval.

At the start of the application there is a question on contacting the U.S. Embassy.  Whom we should contact?  

The on-line application is part of a worldwide system. Unlike in other countries, in Moldova you can start completing the application without contacting the Embassy.

What does it mean to be eligible for J1 visa? 

To qualify for a J visa, an applicant must show that they meet the qualifications for the exchange program, have no visa ineligibilities, and overcome the presumption of being an intending immigrant by sufficiently demonstrating strong ties to their home country that will compel them to leave the United States at the end of their temporary stay.

I’m a Moldovan citizen and for the last year (or more) I’ve been living abroad.  But my permanent residence is in Moldova.  Am I eligible for the program?

One of the qualifications requirements is to have citizenship of the Republic of Moldova and permanent residence in the country.   Permanent residence in program terms means that candidate is living and working in Moldova, including at the moment of application and during the whole process of selection.

What tests should I take?

All semi-finalists selected for the last step of the competition are required to take TOEFL and GRE tests.  The program offers vouchers that cover the cost of tests.  Tests should be taken in the fall of application year.

How is selection for the program made?

The selection of semi-finalist is done in several steps by a selection committee made up of representatives of the U.S. Embassy.  These steps include application review, evaluation of study objectives, and in-person interviews with candidates.  TOEFL and GRE scores are taken into consideration at the following step. The final decision of selecting finalists is made by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

What is a transcript? 

A transcript is a certified record of a student throughout a course of study, including all courses (or subjects) completed, grades earned, and degrees conferred. It is issued by the educational institution. In Moldova it is called diploma supplement or academic certificate. You should upload scanned copies of original transcripts into your on-line application.  “Supliment la Diploma”  is your original transcript.

Should I submit my original transcripts?

Those selected for the final stage of competition will be asked to submit an official transcript, not the original.  The official transcript should be stamped and signed by the issuing university and should be received by the Embassy in a sealed envelope with the university stamp on it.  It can be a copy of the original transcript (if it was in English,) but it must be issued by the educational institution with all required signatures and stamps.  Please pay attention that the official transcript should be issued by the university.  Notarized copies of your original transcript (Supliment la Diploma) are not acceptable.

The candidate should submit all official transcripts issued by attended higher education institutions, including exchange or study abroad programs, that list all subjects and grades.  An attested copy of the original document must be stamped and certified by the Registrar or appropriate issuing authority at the institution.

Please note – if the official transcript is issued in Romanian (or other) language it should also be translated into English by the issuing university.

If I’m selected, what are the time demands of the Program?

The Fulbright Foreign Student Program is quite rigorous.  Program participants should maintain good academic standing to be able to secure funding for the following semester.

May I bring my family with me?

Fellows may choose to apply to have their family join them shortly after they have arrived in the U.S. Careful consideration should be given to bringing one’s family, however, as the Program is very demanding. The Program also does not provide an additional maintenance allowance for dependents.  Program participants must show proof of financial support, adequate insurance coverage for their dependents that meets U.S. State Department requirements.  They also should demonstrate childcare plans before they may be approved to apply for J-2 visa(s) for their dependents.

May I choose the university I will go to?

Fellows are not able to choose which university they will attend.  The administering organization submits candidate’s application to several universities on behalf of the applicant.  The universities are identified based on candidate’s qualifications and needs.  Depending on admissions and available funding, the program determines the university. The list of preferred universities included in the application is taken into consideration.

What does the Program stipend cover?

The Program provides funds for:

• Payment of tuition and fees at the assigned host university
• A maintenance (living) allowance, including a one-time settling-in allowance
• Accident and sickness coverage
• A book allowance
• Air travel (international travel to and from the U.S. for the Program)
• A Professional Development allowance

What is the timeline of the Program?

The program is announced in April and closes for applications in early June.  Embassy must submit its nominations of semi-finalists to the Institute of International Education (IIE) office in Washington, DC by October 1.  Approved candidates are notified in April the following year and start their program in the U.S. in September of the same year.

If I’m not selected this year, may I reapply?

Participants generally may reapply for the Program. Please note that we recommend looking for ways to strengthen your application package and potentially your English language ability if you plan to apply again.

Am I eligible if I’m an alumna/us of other exchange programs?

Participation in other exchange programs does not disqualify for the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, but preference is given to qualified candidates with little or no previous U.S. experience.

Where can I access the Fulbright Foreign Student Program application?

Please note, that you can submit application only in time period when the program is open for applications in Moldova.  It is announced annually around April 1 with the deadline at the beginning of June. The direct link to the application will be available in the program announcement.