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Fulbright Hubert H. Humphrey

Fulbright Hubert H. Humphrey

Marien Alvarado (second, from right to left), Guatemalan Humphrey Fellow, Class of 2021-2022. Location: Syracuse University, United States.

The Fulbright Hubert H. Humphrey program is a professional exchange that combines postgraduate courses with professional development activities. This 10-month fellowship is ideal for professionals in the mid-stage of their career who seek to develop a capacity or knowledge set not currently available in Guatemala. The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, a Fulbright exchange, enhances leadership among international professionals, who collaborate to address local and global challenges and foster change for the collective good.

The call for applications for the Fulbright Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program for 2023 is open from May 1, 2022, until July 1, 2022, on which date it closes at 8:00 p.m. EST.

About the program

  1. About the Humphrey program

The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, established in 1978, brings leaders from approximately 140 countries from all world regions to the United States. This exchange program brings mid-career professionals with demonstrated leadership potential to the United States for non-degree graduate-level study, leadership development, and substantive professional collaboration with U.S. counterparts.

During their fellowship, Humphrey Fellows participate in non-degree study at approximately 13 host campuses across the United States and complete at least six weeks of a professional affiliation at a U.S.-based governmental, non-governmental, private sector, or international organization. Through their academic and professional experiences, fellows gain knowledge about the United States, deepen their professional expertise and experience in their field, and expand their network to include U.S. and international counterparts.

The main program components are:

  • a) Academic study: Humphrey Fellows pursue tailored study programs at participating host institutions, where freedom from the requirements of a degree program gives each fellow the flexibility to pursue a self-directed, individualized program at a host campus.
  • b) Leadership and Professional Development: Professional enrichment activities include professional visits, enhancement skills workshops, conferences, training programs, and a professional affiliation (placement). The professional affiliation provides firsthand exposure to a U.S. work environment on a full-time basis for a minimum period of six weeks.
  1. Fields of Study

Applicants must select one (1) of the following fields. Any field not listed below is not eligible.

Human and Institutional Capacity:

  • Economic Development
  • Finance and Banking
  • Public Policy Analysis and Public Administration
  • Technology Policy and Management
  • Human Resource Management

Rights and Freedoms: 

  • Communications and Journalism
  • International Religious Freedom
  • Law and Human Rights
  • Trafficking in Persons Policy and Prevention

Sustainable Lands:

  • Agricultural and Rural Development
  • Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change
  • Urban and Regional Planning

Thriving Communities:

  • Contagious and Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health Policy and Management
  • HIV/AIDS, Policy and Prevention
  • Substance Abuse Education, Treatment and Prevention
  • Educational Administration, Planning, and Policy
  • Higher Education Administration
  • Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Note on the fields of Substance Abuse Education, Prevention, and Treatment: The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) cooperates with the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which provides some co-funding to work with Humphrey fellows in the field of substance abuse.  Candidates must have either a research background in the field or demonstrated ability to learn the results and policy implications of current research.  The candidates are recruited and ranked together with candidates in other fields and must complete the supplementary field-specific page of the application for this topic area.

  1. Eligibility: Am I eligible for the Fulbright Humphrey scholarship?

Humphrey is a highly competitive program. Priority is given to candidates with little or no previous experience in the United States. Applicants must fulfill all the following requirements to be eligible:

  • Be a Guatemalan citizen currently living in Guatemala. U.S. citizens or permanent residents are not eligible.
  • Have graduated with a bachelor’s degree (licenciatura or ingeniería) or master’s degree. Applicants must have earned their degree (pensum cerrado is not valid).
  • Have a minimum of five (5) years full-time professional experience (prior to May 2022) in the relevant field.
  • Be a professional working in one of the fields of study mentioned in Section 2, Fields of Study.
  • Demonstrate a grade point average (GPA) of at least 85/100 points in the Guatemalan system or ranking in the top 15 percent of their class related to their most recent university degree. (This must be proven with documents issued by the university.)
  • Have an advanced English level: Spoken and written as demonstrated by a minimum TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 525 (paper-based) or 71 (internet-based). A TOEFL score is not required to initially apply. Exceptionally promising candidates with lower TOEFL scores may be nominated. Nominees will take the TOEFL test in September 2022. Applicants are advised to start preparing for this test before they apply.
  • Possess leadership skills, be highly motivated, and demonstrate capacity to adapt and potential for professional advancement.
  • Demonstrate a commitment to public service through community service, volunteering, or other activities.
  • Have little or no prior U.S. experience, as those candidates receive priority consideration. A candidate with recent third-country experience, especially in developed countries, may have a less compelling need for the Humphrey fellowship program than a candidate who has never had a significant professional opportunity abroad.
  • Be eligible for a J-1 visa.
  • Commit to returning to Guatemala for at least two (2) consecutive years after finishing the program in the United States and to multiplying knowledge from your professional field.

Important note for all potential applicants to U.S. exchange programs:

As of November 8, 2021, all non-U.S. citizens seeking to enter the United States by air must comply with specific requirements related to COVID-19 testing and vaccination status. In order to be eligible for consideration at this time, you must be able to meet these requirements.  Please visit the links below, and we note that it is the responsibility of all applicants to keep abreast of changes as the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve.

Please review the information available here: https://gt.usembassy.gov/updated-requeriments-for-air-travelers-to-the-u-s-due-to-covid-19/.

For further details and guidance, we refer you to the U.S. CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/noncitizens-US-air-travel.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/proof-of-vaccination.html

  1. Ineligible candidates include:
  • Recent university graduates;
  • University teachers or academic researchers with no management responsibilities (except in the fields of Substance Abuse Education, Prevention, and Treatment and Teaching of English as a Foreign Language);
  • Individuals who have attended a graduate school in the United States for one academic year or more within seven years prior to August 2023;
  • Individuals with U.S. in-country experience of any kind lasting more than six months within five years prior to August 2023; and
  • Individuals with dual U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent resident status. Such individuals may not apply to the program and are ineligible for a J-1 visa. 
  1. Application process: How do I apply to the Fulbright Humphrey scholarship?

The call for applications is open from May 1, 2022, until July 1, 2022, on which date it closes at 8:00 p.m. EST.

The application process is conducted completely online  and in English at this link:  https://apply.iie.org/huberthhumphrey

Note: All documents must be submitted in English. It is ideal for candidates to submit a letter from their current employer indicating approval for the time away from work to participate in the program.

These are the steps of the application process:

  • Apply through this link https://apply.iie.org/huberthhumphrey and submit all documents before the deadline. Incomplete and/or late applications will not be reviewed.
  • Interviews: Candidates selected to move on in the application process will be interviewed. Interviews will be held in English. All interview notifications are sent via email. Candidates should check their inbox on a regular basis. If you are not contacted to schedule an interview by October 1, 2022, you were not selected to move to the next stage. (You will not receive a notice of non-selection.)
  • Testing: In September 2022, selected candidates will take the TOEFL exam. In some cases, the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) may be required. If you are selected to proceed to the testing stage, Fulbright will provide one voucher per person to cover exam costs.
  • Selection process: If you are selected by the U.S. Embassy, you will move on to the next stage, where profiles are reviewed by the Fulbright Board and a U.S.-based independent review panel. Finalists will be confirmed by February 2023.
  • Apply for a J-1 visa: If participation is confirmed by the Fulbright Board, the U.S. Embassy will provide guidelines on how to apply for a J-1 visa.
  • Travel: Selected fellows will travel to the United States in August 2022. Some programs may have a different start date.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) – Fulbright Humphrey 

Which expenses are covered by the Fulbright Humphrey scholarship?

This scholarship covers the candidate’s expenses for the visa, travel, lodging, a stipend for meals, university fees, and medical insurance. Dependents are not covered.

If I receive the Fulbright Humphrey scholarship, can my family travel with me to the United States?

Humphrey fellows may bring dependents on J-2 visas to accompany them while in the United States, if approved. All expenses for J-2 dependents must be covered by the fellow. Eligible dependents are husband/wife and children under the age of 18.

Hoy many scholarships are there for Guatemala?

The number varies each year. Previous cohorts have been of one or two persons per year.

Do I need to take the TOEFL test to apply?

No. If you have a recent result, please share it, but it is not necessary to apply.

Can I apply to a master’s degree with Humphrey?

No.  This is a scholarship for professional exchange. Fellows will receive a diploma that certifies they are a Humphrey alumnus, but this is not equivalent to a master’s degree.

May I apply for a virtual program?

No. This program only covers a 10-month in-person program. Fellows do not have to apply to universities directly, only to the Humphrey fellowship.

In which university will I study?

The program has a list of university that host students. Fellows will be assigned an institution based on the field of study. We recommend you read the alumni section as a reference.

Must I be vaccinated against COVID-19 to apply?

No, but as of November 8, 2021, all non-U.S. citizens seeking to enter the United States by air are required to comply with specific requirements related to COVID-19 testing and vaccination status. To be eligible for consideration at this time, you must be able to meet these new requirements. Please review the information available at the links below and  be sure to stay abreast of any new changes, as the COVID-19 environment continues to evolve, and regulations change:

https://gt.usembassy.gov/updated-requeriments-for-air-travelers-to-the-u-s-due-to-covid-19/ .

Fulbright Humphrey Alumni – Guatemala

If you are a Humphrey alumnus/a, you can write to the email address: GTMAlumniDOS@state.gov

Angélica Rocha and Nehemias Calel, Guatemalan Fulbright Humphrey 2019 fellows during a program activity in Washington D.C. October 2019.

Angélica Rocha and Nehemias Calel,

Guatemalan Fulbright Humphrey Scholars 2019,

during a program activity in Washington D.C., October 2019.