Frequently Asked Questions

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1. May I apply for countries not listed in the application?
2. May I apply for a subject or level that I don't currently teach if I'm certified to teach other subjects/levels?
3. Do I have to speak a foreign language to participate in the program?
4. I'm a special education teacher. May I apply to the program?
5. If I'm a guidance counselor, school psychologist, librarian, nurse or media specialist am I eligible to apply?
6. Who pays me while I'm on the exchange?
7. Where will I live while I'm on the exchange?
8. May I take my family on the exchange with me?
9. May I apply with my spouse, who is also a teacher?
10. May I do a teacher exchange in the summer?
11. Is there an age limit? Can I apply for an exchange after I retire?
12. Is there a cost to my school for participating in an exchange?
13. May my administrator choose the international Fulbright Teacher who will take my place?
14. Are international teachers certified to teach in the U.S.?
15. What happens if the international teacher has problems while they are on an exchange in the U.S.?
16. May I do a one-way exchange?
17. Will the mentor at the U.S. host school be compensated for supporting an international teacher?
18. May I apply if I have previously received a Fulbright grant?
19. Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchange Program funds my participation in the program. How much money would it cost to bring my family?
20. I am a full-time teacher but I teach a several schools in my district am I eligible to apply?

1. May I apply for countries not listed in the application?

No. You may only apply for countries listed in the participating countries section of the website.

2. May I apply for a subject or level that I don't currently teach if I'm certified to teach other subjects/levels?

No. Since an international teacher will be assuming your teaching duties, the placement of the international teacher in your school is based on the subject and level that you currently teach.

3. Do I have to speak a foreign language to participate in the program?

Yes, if you are applying for Mexico. It is highly recommended that teachers applying to Mexico be proficient in Spanish. Candidates will be required to participate in an oral language evaluation. If you are applying to any other country, foreign language proficiency is not required.

4. I'm a special education teacher. May I apply to the program?

Yes. Full-time teachers of any subject are eligible to apply. See individual country listings for more detail. In the past we have placed special education teachers in the United Kingdom.

5. If I'm a guidance counselor, school psychologist, librarian, nurse or media specialist am I eligible to apply?

No. These positions are not eligible for the Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchange Program. Please see the Distinguished Fulbright Awards in Teaching Program for more information about opportunities.

6. Who pays me while I'm on the exchange?

Your U.S. school district continues to pay your salary and the international teacher's home school district continues to pay her/his salary for the duration of the exchange. In addition, U.S. teachers and teachers from the Czech Republic, Hungary, India and Mexico will receive a supplemental maintenance allowance. Teachers must receive administrative approval to take part in the program and to continue to receive their salary on the exchange.

7. Where will I live while I'm on the exchange? 

Housing arrangements are the responsibility of the selected teacher. Once your Fulbright Exchange is confirmed, teachers are expected to help locate suitable housing for their partner and vice-versa before going on exchange. Most teachers on programs in the U.K. exchange housing with their partners. In other cases you will find housing with assistance from your exchange partner. 

It is recommended that participants consider the following options when making housing determinations:

• Locate temporary housing for a week to ten days upon arrival in the host country
• Find housing on your own in the open market with suggestions from your exchange partner
• Ask your exchange partner to help locate local rental options
• Exchange housing with your partner if both partners are in agreement

The ultimate responsibility for finding suitable accommodations rests with each individual exchange teacher.

The Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchange Program reserves the right to request termination of an exchange should housing issues impede professional exchange. Any problems arising from a housing situation into which an individual teacher has entered are the sole responsibility of the teacher and not of the Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchange Program.

8. May I take my family on the exchange with me? 

Yes. Exchange teachers take their families on exchange but at their own expense. If you are taking your children along, you will receive a modest dependent stipend. However, you should plan to cover travel, insurance and the majority of expenses for your dependents. 

9. May I apply with my spouse, who is also a teacher?

Yes, teaching couples may apply. However, there are a limited number of international candidate couples with similar qualifications, so it may not be possible to arrange assignments in the same locality or to place both you and your spouse.

10. May I do a teacher exchange in the summer?

No. Unfortunately, the Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchange Program is not available during the summer.

11. Is there an age limit? May I apply for an exchange after I retire?

While there is no age limit for participating in the program, you must have a full-time teaching position to apply, thus you may not be retired.

12. Is there a cost to my school for participating in an exchange? 

U.S. Fulbright Teachers participating in a direct exchange of teaching positions are granted a leave of absence with pay and benefits and use their regular salaries to cover daily expenses while abroad. International Fulbright Teachers are paid by their home schools and replace their U.S. counterparts at no additional cost to the hosting school. U.S. schools are asked to cover substitute costs for several days while the international Fulbright Teacher attends required Fulbright meetings.

13. Can my administrator choose the international Fulbright Teacher who will take my place?

No, but they will have a chance to review the application of the proposed international teacher and accept or decline the exchange before final selection. With the help of the Institute of International Education (IIE), host school administration may interview the prospective international Fulbright Teacher prior to the proposed exchange. If an applicant is proposed for a direct exchange of teaching positions, IIE sends the application of the international teacher to the U.S. teacher's principal and district official. If the applicant or the administration finds the proposed exchange in any way unsatisfactory, the applicant or the administration may decline the proposal and Fulbright will search for a more suitable match. Only after all parties have agreed that the exchange is acceptable will the final selection and exchange take place.

14. Are international Fulbright Teachers certified to teach in the United States?

International and U.S. teachers undergo a rigorous screening and interview process by IIE, U.S. Embassies or Fulbright Commissions and partner organizations in their own countries before applicants are approved for a match. We use the results of these interviews and other supporting documents to find a match for your school's particular needs. All international Fulbright Teachers must be fluent in English and be fully credentialed to teach in their own countries before they can apply to the program. We encourage potential U.S. host school administrators to interview prospective international Fulbright Teachers directly if there are any questions about that teacher's qualifications. Since the international Fulbright Teacher will not be employed by your district and will remain employed and paid by his/her own international school. In our experience, the majority of states will waive the credential requirement for the teacher. Other states give the teacher an emergency or temporary certification or they have a specific exemption for exchange teachers.  

15. What happens if the international Fulbright Teacher has problems while they are on exchange in the United States?

U.S. teachers selected for an exchange are required to set up a support network for the incoming international Fulbright Teacher before leaving the U.S. To assist the incoming international Fulbright Teacher, schools must also designate an official mentor teacher, who will assist the international teacher on-site. In addition, the U.S. host school and international Fulbright Teacher are supported by IIE for the duration of the exchange and IIE staff offer assistance when problems arise. The international teacher relies on the day to day support of a mentor teacher over the course of the exchange.

16. May I do a one-way exchange?

One-way assignments are rare but may be available depending on funding and interest by a particular country. A U.S. applicant may not apply directly for a one-way assignment. However in special situations you may be considered should a suitable assignment become available. In that case, you would need to take a leave of absence with pay and your school would need to cover your teaching assignments while you are on the Fulbright Exchange, if applicable.

17. Will the mentor at the U.S. host school be compensated for supporting the international Fulbright Teacher?

Yes, the U.S. mentor will receive a stipend of $500 per semester.

18.  May I apply if I have previously received a Fulbright grant?

Preference will be given to candidates who have not had previous Fulbright grants. However, recipients of a semester or year-long Fulbright grant are eligible to receive another Fulbright grant five years after the date of completion of the previous grant. The five-year requirement between two grants does not apply to short-term grants which are defined as grants of under two months duration. Waiting periods with regard to short term grants are as follows:

• Recipients of a short-term grant are eligible to receive a semester or year-long grant two years after the date of completion of the preceding short-term grant.
• Recipients of a semester or year-long grant are eligible to receive a short-term grant two years after the date of completion of the preceding basic grant.
• Recipients of a short-term grant are eligible to receive another short-term grant two years after the completion of the preceding short-term grant.

Number of Awards: The maximum number of any combination of basic Fulbright grants for Scholars and Teachers is limited to two with the following conditions and exceptions:

• that a Student grant does not count toward this lifetime limit
• that a short-term grant (two months or less) shall count as ½ of a basic Fulbright grant for purposes of counting the lifetime limit and shall not exceed two in a lifetime.

19. Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchange Program funds my participation in the program. How much money would it cost to bring my family?

U.S. participants will receive a maintenance allowance. It is suggested that a couple with two children have available approximately $30,000 for the school year. 

20. I am a full-time teacher but I teach at several schools in my district. May I apply?

Yes, you may apply, however placement of the international teacher mat be difficult in that situation.