Fulbright program interest on the rise at UNC

Of the most prestigious post-graduate scholarships available to UNC students, the Fulbright program continues to see a significant increase in application rates.

The rise isn’t due to a bleak job market, administrators said, but rather a special focus on the program in line with the University’s emphasis on global studies.

Donald Hornstein, a UNC law professor and former Fulbright scholar, said University officials have worked to generate more interest in the Fulbright program by preparing undergraduate students earlier.

Wednesday was the campus deadline for students to apply for the Fulbright, which grants students funds to do research or teach abroad for one year.

As interest in the scholarship grows, application rates for many other similar scholarships have remained constant.

Applications for the Rhodes and Marshall scholarships hardly vary from year to year, said Linda Dykstra, director of the Office of Distinguished Scholarships.

Tripp Tuttle, a program officer for UNC Global and UNC’s Fulbright adviser, said the University’s globalization initiative could be a reason for increased student interest in the program.

Hornstein said students are attracted to the Fulbright program for more than the financial benefits.

“I don’t think interest in the Fulbright is bound up in the job market; I think it is inherently interesting in its own sake.”

He added that he’s not surprised by the increased application rates for the program.

“Most of the great undergraduate programs, like Brown (University) and Dartmouth (College), have focused on the Fulbright for years,” Hornstein said.

Hornstein said Fulbright applicants from UNC are extensively prepared, and rough economic times have had minimal influence on students’ decisions to apply.

He added that most students who receive the Fulbright already have experience abroad, proficiency in a second language and detailed ideas for research projects they want to work on.

Tuttle said there is no predetermined mold for Fulbright scholars, and that the program’s mission is idealistic.

“The program’s overarching purpose is that of cultural exchange — to give American students the opportunity to gain deep knowledge of a culture and to serve as ambassadors for the United States,” Tuttle wrote.

Moving forward, a University-wide focus on the Fulbright is in UNC’s best interest, Hornstein said.

“There is an arms race for the best students among colleges, and in the last 10 years there has been more of an institutional effort to ramp up knowledge about Fulbright,” Hornstein said.

“UNC is finally playing this game well, and that’s good.”

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