Think Fulbright is Just for Students? Think Again.

Seven tips for RPCVs looking to turn their Peace Corps experience into a Fulbright opportunity.

Did you know that you don’t need to be enrolled in graduate school to become a Fulbright scholar? For people who are interested in exploring one very specific subject in a more self-directed environment, it’s an option that you might not know about.

In 2026, I participated in the Fulbright U.S.-France/Senegal International Education Administrators Award, joining a cohort of higher education administrators for an intensive experience in France and Senegal. Together, we explored the higher education systems of both countries, engaged with university leaders and international education professionals, developed professional relationships, and considered possibilities for educational exchange and institutional partnerships.

For me, however, France and Senegal carried an additional meaning.

Marseille was one of my early Mediterranean liberty ports when I served as a sailor in the U.S. Navy, and Dakar was where I began my Peace Corps training before serving as a Volunteer in Guinea. Returning decades later through Fulbright created two unexpected full-circle moments for me.

In Senegal, I reconnected with a member of my former Peace Corps host family whom I had known as a baby during pre-service training. He was now a businessman — and this time, he treated me to lunch.

The visit also allowed me to connect with another part of my life in Senegal. At North Carolina Central University, I had come to know a Senegalese student-athlete whose family had not had the opportunity to travel to the United States to see her play basketball. During the Fulbright visit, I carried one of her NCCU basketball jerseys to Senegal and presented it to a member of her family.

For me, that simple exchange captured something important about international education. Programs and institutional partnerships matter, but ultimately this work is about people — students, families, communities, and relationships that stretch across borders.

For RPCVs wondering whether Fulbright might become part of their own journey, I suggest seven things to think about.

1. Find the Fulbright that fits you.
   Fulbright is not a single program. Opportunities exist for students, scholars, educators, administrators, and experienced professionals. Start by determining which opportunity matches your education, experience, career stage, and goals.
2. Begin with purpose, not destination.
   Rather than asking only, “Where do I want to go?” ask what you want to study, teach, research, exchange, or contribute. Then identify the country and award that best align with that purpose.
3. Read the specific requirements.
   Every Fulbright opportunity is different. Some awards require or recommend a host affiliation, invitation letter, language proficiency, or particular credentials; others do not. Read the requirements for the specific award carefully.
4. Build relationships where appropriate.
   If your award requires a host affiliation, identify a university, organization, scholar, or professional partner whose work genuinely intersects with yours. Peace Corps relationships, universities, professional associations, and international networks can provide valuable starting points.
5. Translate your Peace Corps experience.
   Do not assume “RPCV” tells the entire story. Explain what service taught you about listening, adaptability, language, intercultural communication, relationship-building, working with limited resources, and navigating unfamiliar environments. More importantly, show how those experiences prepared you for what you propose to do next.
6. Demonstrate mutual benefit.
   Fulbright is an exchange. Explain what you hope to learn, what you can contribute, and how relationships or collaborations might continue after the award ends. RPCVs should recognize this principle: successful international engagement is rarely about what we bring to a community alone. It is also about what we learn and create together.
7. Start early—and do not self-select out.
   Talk with Fulbright alumni and advisers, attend information sessions, give recommenders adequate time, and expect several drafts. Most importantly, do not decide that Fulbright is “not for someone like me” before exploring the possibilities.