Fulbright Forms, Documents After Becoming a Fulbright Fellow

After being accepted, there are multiple documents and forms you will have to take care of before actually starting your Fulbright year.

Fulbright Medical examination

My “Medical history and examination form instructions” arrived in mid April. This is a form that has to be filled in by the applicant and his/her personal medical doctor. Beside the usual questions about past or family conditions, you also have to fill in people to be notified in case of emergency (one in the US and one in your home country). Since the doctor has to fill in some details about your physical health, you will most probably have to take a couple of tests (urin and blood analysis). Following vaccines are mentioned in the form: BCG (tuberculosis), measles, rubella, polio, mumps, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus. When your doctor signs the forms, they have to be taken to your local Fulbright contact and sent to IIE (the original).

Fulbright Terms of Appointment and Special Instructions

This is the Fulbright document you’ve been waiting for. It contains instructions about the institution, which you most probably know by now, some contact information (IIE and foreign student advisor) and most importantly grant information! This lists the amount of money and payment dates. Afaik everybody gets $350 to cover expenses during first days in the US, a $1000 books-and-supplies allowance and a fixed monthly grant, which is set according to your city of research. It is also listed that the round-trip international transportation from my home country to the US will be funded by a home-country source.

The Terms of Appointment should be signed and delivered to your local Fulbright adviser or Fulbright representative.

Fulbright Program Terms and Conditions of Grant

A three pages long contract which states your: rights and responsibilities, financial terms, duration of stay, USA visa information (about DS-2019 and J-1 visa terms (read below), reporting requirements, Fulbright taxes, and revocation, termination or suspension of award).

Fulbright Grant Payment Information, DS-2019

You will most probably get this package approximately one month before your departure. Apart from DS-2019 (read below), you will find out about the E-Funds card, how it is supposed to activated and how the Fulbright funds can be accessed. The bank associated with the E-Funds card is the JPMorgan Chase Bank, but you don’t actually have to open an account there to access your grant. Also included is a page with info about what to do after arriving to the U.S.A. and with your IIE Grantee ID.