Scholarship Overview

The Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships are designed for highly motivated individuals who demonstrate outstanding leadership qualities, have completed the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree, have at least three years professional work experience, and are committed to return and contribute to their communities in India.

These fellowships are awarded for up to two years to pursue a master’s degree at U.S. colleges and universities.

Applicable course, university and country

This scholarship is applicable for Masters Degree

This scholarship is applicable for all universities in USA

• Each applicant must choose one field of study that matches their main area of interest. The following field descriptions are illustrative, and applicants should note that individual academic host institution programs of study may differ in course offerings, subspecialties, and academic requirements.

  Applications are invited in the following fields only:

  Economics

  Environmental Science/Studies

  Higher Education Administration

  International Legal Studies

  Journalism and Mass Communication

  Public Health

  Sustainable Development/Sustainability

  Urban and Regional Planning

Scholarship amount details

Scholarship amount can be used for

Type of Expense	Indicates if scholarship can be used for this type of expense
Tuition & Fees	✔Scholarship amount can be used for this
Living Expense	✔Scholarship amount can be used for this
Accommodation	×Not covered in scholarship
Air Fare/Travel Expenses	✔Scholarship amount can be used for this
Spouse/Child Care	×Not covered in scholarship
Health Cover	✔Scholarship amount can be used for this
Application	×Not covered in scholarship
Others	✔Scholarship amount can be used for this

• The fellowship will provide J-1 visa support, round-trip economy class air travel from fellow’s home city to the host institution in the U.S., funding for tuition and fees, living and related costs, and accident and sickness coverage per U.S. Government guidelines.*

  The Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships provide no financial support for dependents.

  * USIEF funding may not cover all costs and the fellow may need to supplement grant benefits with other resources.

Student Awards

Number of students to be awarded: Varies

Scholarship Eligibility

Special Restrictions

• No Special Restriction applicable

Exams Details

Exam name	Indicates if exam is required and cutoff (if any)
TOEFL	Required
GRE	Required
UG	Required (minimum score 55.0%)
Work Experience	Required (minimum 3 years)
Interview	Required

Eligibility

• In addition to the General Prerequisites, the applicant:

  • Must have completed an equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree from a recognized Indian university with at least 55% marks. Applicants must either possess a four-year bachelor's degree or a completed master's degree; or a full-time postgraduate diploma from a recognized Indian institution, if the bachelor's degree is of less than four years' duration;
  • Must have at least three years' full-time (paid) professional work experience relevant to the proposed field of study by the application deadline;
  • Should demonstrate experience in leadership and community service;
  • Must not have another degree from a U.S. university or be enrolled in a U.S. degree program; and
  • If employed, should follow the instructions carefully regarding employer’s endorsement. If applicable, obtain the endorsement from the appropriate administrative authority on the FNMasters Employer’s Endorsement Form. The employer must indicate that leave will be granted for the fellowship period.
  • Employees of the Government of India and Indian State Governments are not eligible for any Fulbright-Nehru Fellowships. This includes civil servants in central services (such as IAS, IPS, IRS, IFS, and allied services), state government services (including state civil services), and bureaucratic staff employed in central and state ministries or departments.

• General Prerequisites

  • Applicant must be responsible citizens of India who can contribute to cultural understanding between India and the United States.
  • Applicant must not be residing in U.S. during the recruitment and placement cycle (February 2025-July 2026).
  • Indian citizens with active permanent resident status in foreign countries are ineligible.
  • Applicants must not be applying for or holding a U.S. permanent resident (green card).
  • Applicant should have a strong academic or professional achievement. Additionally, applicant must demonstrate a high level of proficiency in English to undertake the project/program and adapt to life in the U.S.
  • If an applicant plans to travel abroad (e.g., for a conference or fellowship) during the application cycle (February 2025-July 2026), they must notify USIEF in advance.
  • If employed, the applicant must be eligible for leave during the fellowship period.
  • Applicant must give an undertaking to return to India on the completion of the fellowship.

Application Process for this scholarship

Application Documents

Type of documents	Indicates if this type of document is required to be submitted
LOR	Required
CV	Required
Work Experience	Required
Official transcripts	Required

• LOR: 3 references are required
• Personal Statement: This personal statement should be a narrative statement describing how you have achieved your current goals
• CV: The curriculum vitae describes academic credentials and demonstrates a record of scholarly achievements (document should not exceed four (4) pages
• Upload scanned photocopies of proof of work/professional experience
• TOEFL/ GRE test score
• Upload study plan/research objectives
• Upload scanned copies of mark sheets or transcripts and diploma/degree certificates
• Upload the passport bio pages (pages with photo, name, passport number, date of issue and validity, etc 
• If employed, should follow the instructions carefully regarding the employer’s endorsement. If applicable, obtain the endorsement from the appropriate administrative authority on the FNMasters Employer’s Endorsement Form. The employer must indicate that leave will be granted for the fellowship period
• If the applicant has letters of admission, letters of invitation, deferral requests, or other correspondence from a school, especially a preferred program, please forward a copy (not the original) of this correspondence to masters@usief.org.in
• Application Process: Applications must be submitted online
• Placement of successful candidates is done by the Institute of International Education (IIE), New York. Recommended applicants are not required to apply to U.S. institutions on their own. IIE/Fulbright Program will apply to four different institutions on their behalf, taking into consideration the candidates’ preferred institutions and the candidates’ competitiveness. If a recommended candidate has previously applied to U.S. institutions and has requested a deferral from the institution, the candidate must notify USIEF immediately

Scholarship Application

This scholarship needs a separate external application.

Important Dates

	Date	Additional Details
Application final end date	May 14, 2025	Not Available
Other Important Dates	Not Available	Timeline and Placement Process End June 2025  Review of applications Early August 2025 USIEF informs the applicants about the review outcome End August 2025 Interviews of short-listed candidates End August 2025 USIEF notifies principal and alternate nominees. Nominees take tests (such as TOEFL and GRE) October 2025 USIEF forwards applications of recommended candidates to the U.S. for J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB) approval and placement March/April 2026 USIEF notifies the finalists about the FFSB approval May/June 2026 Pre-Departure Orientation July/August 2026 Pre-academic training in the U.S. (if required) August/September 2026 Degree program begins

Please note that these dates could be in local country times and may not be IST (Indian standard time).

Contact email

masters@usief.org.in