The Fulbright Commission’s Campus Scholarship Program provides a unique opportunity for talented students from the Netherlands and Belgium to spend one year at U.S. universities. Most Campus Scholarship Program (CSP) students do a “gap year” – enrolling at an American university for one year as a non-degree student – before returning to their home country to pursue their studies. Some CSP students elect to stay and complete their degrees in the United States.
The purpose of CSP is aligned with the mission of the Fulbright Commission – promoting mutual understanding through education. CSP students are bright, motivated, and excited to be active on campuses in the United States.
The Fulbright Commission manages the program and the selection process. Students must complete a detailed application which includes a personal statement and recommendation as well as appear for an interview. Students are selected based on their academic credentials, extracurricular activities, ambassadorial qualities, and motivation. The Fulbright Commission also ensures that their command of English and financial circumstances allow them to manage a year in the United States.
The Fulbright Commission guides students through the U.S. university application process but provides no direct funding for CSP students. For non-degree studies, Dutch students are not eligible for loans from the Dutch government and thus must finance their CSP year independently. The Fulbright Commission therefore works with interested universities to secure scholarships, discounts, or tuition waivers to enable these talented students to study in the United States and contribute to a vibrant campus life.
The Fulbright Commission assists CSP students in researching, selecting, and applying to appropriate universities. We work closely with students and their families to determine where could be a good fit. The universities make admissions and scholarship decisions. Once admitted, the Fulbright Commission continues to support CSP students by helping them prepare for their departure.
CSP alumni tend to stay in touch with the Fulbright Commission and are often keen to share the stories of their transformative experiences in the United States. They often serve as volunteers, speaking in high schools, at information sessions, or at other events about their time in the United States. Because of this, U.S. universities who accept CSP students will often have higher than expected name recognition in the Netherlands.
Are you a U.S. institution interested in working with the Campus Scholarship Program? Feel free to reach out to the program manager.
Are you a student from Belgium interested in applying for the Campus Scholarship Program. You can find all application information in the menu on the left. For questions please reach out to us via email.