Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program

The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program is a fully funded, 10-month, non-degree fellowship in the United States for accomplished mid-career professionals from designated countries. It is a Fulbright exchange funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE), and it combines graduate-level study with professional experience at selected U.S. universities.

Overview

The Humphrey Fellowship brings influential mid-career professionals to the United States for ten months of professional enrichment and non-degree graduate-level study. Fellows are nominated by U.S. Embassies or Fulbright Commissions on the basis of their potential for leadership and a demonstrated commitment to public service, and they are placed in groups by professional field at selected U.S. universities offering specially designed programmes of study and training. It is the U.S. Government’s flagship fellowship for mid-career professionals, and it awards no degree.

Scholarship Benefits

• Tuition and fees: full tuition and university fees at the assigned host university.
• Monthly maintenance allowance: a monthly living allowance. No cash amount is published — the programme lists the allowance as a category, not a figure.
• Settling-in allowance: a one-time allowance on arrival.
• Health cover: accident and sickness cover under the Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges, per U.S. Government guidelines.
• Study support: a book and supplies allowance and a computer subsidy.
• Travel: round-trip international air travel to the host institution, domestic travel to Washington, D.C. for a special seminar, and travel to an English-language training programme where required.
• Professional development: supplementary funds for professional activities such as field trips, professional visits and conferences.
• English training: pre-academic English-language training where required.

What it does NOT cover: the fellowship provides no allowance for dependents, and the stipend is sufficient to support the fellow only. It does not support doctoral dissertation research.

Eligibility Criteria

Potential participants must have all of the following, as listed by the U.S. Department of State and the Institute of International Education:

• Citizenship: be a citizen of an eligible country on the programme’s eligible-country list, published on the IIE programme site.
• Degree: an undergraduate (first university or Bachelor’s) degree.
• Experience: a minimum of five years of full-time professional experience.
• U.S. experience: limited or no prior experience in the United States.
• Leadership and service: demonstrated leadership qualities and a record of public service in the community.
• English: demonstrated English language ability.

The programme is aimed at mid-career professionals with leadership potential who are committed to public service, including policymakers, planners, administrators, managers and journalists. University teachers are eligible only where they hold management or policy-level responsibilities. Application deadlines vary by country.

Available Fields

For the 2027–28 cycle the fellowship’s fields were consolidated into six main fields:

• Communications and Journalism
• Law and Governance
• Natural Resources Policy
• Public and Economic Policy
• Public Health Policy and Management
• Technology Policy and Management

Each country office may prioritise particular fields — check the call published by the U.S. Embassy or Fulbright Commission in your country.

Required Documents

Applications must contain:

• Complete answers to all questions in the online application, with essay responses in English that thoroughly address the prompt.
• Two letters of recommendation in English — one must be from the applicant’s current employer.
• Official transcripts in English, listing the courses taken and grades received. Diplomas need only be uploaded if the transcript does not show proof that the degree was obtained.

Application Process

1. Check the eligible-country list and your country’s deadline on the IIE Humphrey Fellowship programme site or at the U.S. Embassy (Public Affairs Section) or Binational Fulbright Commission in your home country. Deadlines vary by country.
2. Complete the online application through the IIE application portal, with essays, two recommendation letters (one from your current employer) and official transcripts in English.
3. National selection: the U.S. Embassy or Fulbright Commission conducts an initial review and nominates candidates.
4. U.S. review: independent review committees in the United States consider the nominations, and final candidate approval is determined by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
5. Results: awards are announced in the spring, and fellowships begin in the fall (August to September).

Important Dates

Event	Date
2027–28 round (country deadlines)	Closed — country deadlines fell between June and August 2026
2028–29 round	Not yet published
Fellowships begin	August to September

There is no single deadline — each country sets its own date. The 2027–28 round has closed in most countries, and the 2028–29 call has not been published yet. Check the U.S. Embassy or Fulbright Commission in your home country and the IIE programme site for the date that applies to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I get a degree from the Humphrey Fellowship?

No. It is a non-degree programme: ten months of graduate-level study and professional experience at a U.S. university, with no degree awarded.

What does the fellowship cover?

Full tuition and fees, a monthly maintenance allowance, a settling-in allowance, accident and sickness cover, a book allowance, a computer subsidy, round-trip travel and professional development funds. No cash amount is published for the monthly allowance, and there is no allowance for dependents.

Who can apply?

Citizens of eligible countries with a Bachelor’s degree, at least five years of full-time professional experience, demonstrated leadership and a record of public service, limited or no prior experience in the United States, and English language ability.

Where do I apply?

Through the U.S. Embassy (Public Affairs Section) or Binational Fulbright Commission in your home country, on the IIE online application portal. Deadlines vary by country.

When does the next round open?

The 2028–29 call has not been published yet. Check the IIE programme site and your country’s U.S. Embassy or Fulbright Commission for the announcement.

Official source: U.S. Department of State — Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program