Applicants must:

• Be full-time school teachers (6th to 12th grades) in a school that serves a primarily local (not expatriate) population;
• Have completed at least five years of full-time teaching by the application deadline in FTEA teaching disciplines: English, English as a Foreign Language (EFL), Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, or Special Education;
• Live and teach in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Odisha, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands;
• Have earned a bachelor’s degree;
• Be citizens of and residents of India;
• Be present in India at the time of submitting the application and for the interview;
• Obtain a minimum score of 45 on TOEFL iBT or equivalent English language examination*;
• Demonstrate a commitment to continue teaching after completion of the program; and
• Have submitted a complete application.

*TOEFL scores are not required at the time of application. If you are short-listed for interview, USIEF will provide instructions for TOEFL or an equivalent of English proficiency test. A valid passport is required to take iBT TOEFL.

Former participants of the Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) Program, the International Leaders in Education Program (ILEP), Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program for International Teachers Program, or Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program are not eligible to apply. While alumni of some teacher exchange programs funded by the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and other professional exchange programs in the United States are eligible to apply for Fulbright Teacher Exchange Programs, preference will be given to applicants who completed these programs at least three years before the start of the program for which they are applying and can demonstrate that the program has had significant impact on their professional practice. If you have participated in other U.S. government-funded professional development exchange programs, please talk to USIEF staff about your eligibility.

Applicants with PhDs from India are eligible to apply for Fulbright Teacher Exchange programs, but if you have a PhD in topics that are the focus of Fulbright TEA, this program is likely not suitable for you. FTEA is a program for practicing teachers. Educational administrators (such as representatives or officials of the Ministry of Education) and school administrators who do not teach at least fifty percent of their time, full-time teacher trainers, university faculty, private English Language tutors, and teachers from schools primarily serving expatriates are not eligible. Staff or families of staff at a U.S. Embassy or Fulbright Commission are not eligible to apply.

APPLICATIONS NOT MEETING THE ABOVE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS WILL NOT BE FORWARDED TO THE SELECTION COMMITTEE.

IREX reserves the right to verify all the information included in the application. If there is a discrepancy, or information is found to be false, the application will immediately be declared invalid and the applicant ineligible.

• J-1 visa support;
• A pre-departure orientation in India;
• Round-trip airfare to and within the U.S.;
• Academic program fees;
• Housing and meals;
• Accident and sickness coverage;
• Transportation to the practicum school (as needed);
• A daily allowance for incidentals during the university academic program;
• A baggage allowance; and
• The opportunity to apply for alumni small grants for alumni in good standing (contingent on federal funding and may not be offered every year)

Fulbright TEA Program fellows will be selected through a merit-based open competition according to the eligibility and criteria below. Top candidates will be interviewed by a selection panel and must take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or provide valid results from within the past year (test date no earlier than May 2025).

Selection Criteria (not in order of importance):

• Demonstrated commitment to teaching in the field of secondary education;
• Demonstrated leadership potential;
• Professional and educational experience and achievements;
• Potential for developing long-term linkages between the U.S. and Indian educational institutions and schools;
• Preparedness (including maturity, flexibility, and ability to function independently) for an intensive U.S.-based training program with very limited free time for personal travel or sightseeing;
• Willingness and capacity to work and live collaboratively with international peers to foster a positive learning community for professional development;
• Articulated ideas for applying program experience to improving secondary education in India;
• Ability to express ideas clearly and effectively;
• Oral and written English language skills adequate to manage coursework, develop lesson plans, and team-teach in U.S. schools (a minimum score of 45 on internet based TOEFL is required for FTEA participation);
• Applicants who have had few or no opportunities to travel to the U.S. will be given priority; and
• Preference will also be given to applicants who have not previously received a Fulbright grant.

Please note: All applications will be reviewed internally for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) writing tools. Applications found to contain extensive use of AI-generated content may be deemed ineligible. Limited use of AI tools for grammar correction or minor editing is permitted. Your responses should reflect your own original ideas and writing.

• What is allowed:
  o Using AI tools for grammar checks, spelling corrections, and minor phrasing adjustments.

• What is not allowed:
  o Submitting essays or responses that are substantially written by AI or generated with minimal human input.

• Why this matters:
  o We value authentic, personal perspectives. Over-reliance on AI compromises the integrity of your application.

You are required to submit an online application along with supporting documents. Candidates can access the online application at https://fulbright.irex.org/. For instructions on completing the online application, please click here.

Please note that USIEF will accept only online applications from Indian applicants. Paper applications will not be accepted.

PROGRAM TIMELINE