Awards to Taiwan

English Teaching Assistant Award (ETA)

Description and Purpose

The Fulbright ETA award fosters mutual understanding between the people of the United States and those of other countries. ETAs provide a native speaker presence in schools, thus improving foreign students’ English language abilities. Additionally, ETAs serve as cultural ambassadors, sharing knowledge of the United States while enhancing the U.S. student’s own language skills and knowledge of the host country. The award facilitates not only English language learning, but also cross-cultural exchange. 

The award period is eleven months and ETAs must arrive by August 1, 2024 for orientation. The school year is from September through June. ETAs in Taiwan will be full-time Teaching Assistants in one or more elementary schools or junior high schools assisting local English teachers. A few may teach independently. Some of the English Assistants’ other activities will be to consult with teachers on American cultural issues and to assist in editing or writing of educational materials for English Teaching. ETAs will be placed in schools located in Yilan County, Kaohsiung City, Taichung City, Changhua County, Yunlin County, Taipei City, Taitung County, Hualien County, New Taipei City, and Kinmen County on an outlying island of Taiwan.

AWARD

Up to 150 awards

ACTIVITY

Teaching /
Culture Activities

LENGTH

11 months

DEADLINE

October 10, 2023

Benefits

  1. Total monthly payment (stipend): NT$43,000-NT$53,000, which includes:
    – Base Stipend: NT$20,000-NT$25,000
    – Living Allowance: NT$15,000
    – Partial Housing Allowance: NT$5,000-NT$10,000
      The Foundation for Scholarly Exchange (Fulbright Taiwan) makes arrangements for housing.
    – Incidental Allowance: NT$3,000
  2. Settling-in & Baggage Allowance (A one-time only allowance): NT$26,000
  3. Round-trip Air Ticket
  4. National Health Insurance
  5. One month free housing (August, 2024)

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants are eligible who:

  1. Must be U.S. citizens. Permanent resident status is not sufficient.
  2. At least a Bachelor’s degree required by the start of the grant. (Master’s-level candidates are also encouraged to apply.) 
  3. Are recent graduating seniors and recent graduates, who are interested in teaching English.
  4. Are native English speakers.
  5. Hold teacher certifications (not required).
  6. A  degree in TESOL, ESL, English, Linguistics, or Education is highly preferred.
  7. Experience (one to two years) in tutoring/classroom teaching for elementary and secondary school students is preferred.
  8. Meet the Grant Conditions and Provisions

Applicants are Ineligible who:

  1. Currently residing in Taiwan (or those who will be living in Taiwan during the 2022-2023 academic year) will not be considered. 
  2. Has lived outside the United States for five or more consecutive years in the six-year period preceding. An applicant who has lived outside the United States for nine months or more during the calendar year is deemed to have resided abroad for that year. 
  3. Has dual U.S.-Taiwan nationality or permanent residency
  4. Holds a doctorate.

Application Procedure

1

Apply online no later than October 10, 2023. For more application information, please see the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website for details which provides general information about awards for Taiwan, as well as application instructions.

2

Submit the following all required application components for the 2023-2024 U.S. Student Program by the application deadline: October 10, 2023.

  1. Statement of Grant Purpose
  2. Personal Statement
  3. Affiliation Letter 
  4. Three letters of recommendation 
  5. Transcripts
  6. Portfolio: For applicants in the creative/performing arts, including: Architecture, Creative Writing, Dance, Design and Crafts, Filmmaking, Journalism, Music, Theater Arts, Visual Arts

Please refer to the Application Components section for details of application requirements

3

Application process has been completed! Wait for the notification letter!

If there are any questions with regard to the Fulbright Student Program, please direct your inquiry to:  FBstudent.EAP@iie.org

Application FAQ

The application for Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards opens in early April and closes in early October every year. For more details about application criteria, application deadlines, application guidelines, grant benefits, etc., please visit IIE’s website.

Fulbright “students” are participants in the Fulbright Student Program, which enables graduating college seniors, graduate students, early career professionals and artists to study, teach, or conduct research. A bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) is generally required by the start of the Fulbright grant period. Some exceptions may apply, especially for artists.

Fulbright “scholars” are participants in the Fulbright Scholar Program, which enables college and university faculty members with a Ph.D. (or equivalent terminal degree) to teach and/or conduct research. The Fulbright Scholar Program is also open to artists and professionals. A small number of grants are also offered annually to U.S. international education administrators through the Fulbright Scholar Program.

The Fulbright Program does not have age limits for applicants.

Contact a Fulbright Program Advisor on your campus or visit the Fulbright Student Program website for application information. The application cycle opens in the first week of April each year.

A GPA of 3.0 or higher is required usually. In general, GPA is not the deciding factor. Reviewers look for cogent and feasible projects, well-written proposals, and candidates who demonstrate in their proposals that they understand the purpose of Fulbright.

We recommend that you allow a minimum of 4-6 month’s preparation. Start early! Also, if you plan to start your Fulbright student program immediately following graduation, prepare your application in your junior year and submit at the beginning of your senior year. 

A GPA of 3.0 or higher is required usually. In general, GPA is not the deciding factor. Reviewers look for cogent and feasible projects, well-written proposals, and candidates who demonstrate in their proposals that they understand the purpose of Fulbright.

Click here to view the Online Application Portal and Application Period for the Master’s Degree Program Award. 

No, you cannot defer your Fulbright award.

No. Previously unsuccessful applicants are strongly encouraged to re-submit.

Yes. You can travel outside Taiwan for a maximum of two weeks (14 days), excluding weekends, based on a 10 to 12-month grant period. The actual maximum # of days is calculated on a pro-rata basis depending on the approved grant period.

For all trips outside of Taiwan during the grant period, prior approval is required from FSE. In addition, host institutions/professionals must also agree to grantee travel plans to release grantees. Trips outside Taiwan cannot occur during the first or the last month of the grant period.

Fulbright Taiwan will provide you with detailed information, required documents, and visa cable number provided from MOFA to process once you are selected as a grantee. Please see the website for details.

U.S. grantees who are in Taiwan with a resident visa are eligible for Taiwan National Health Insurance (NHI). FSE pays the NHI cost for grantees. Also, all U.S. Grantees are offered an additional group insurance coverage for emergency/accident treatment at FSE’s expense. The group insurance helps strengthen compensation packages. The goal of a group insurance plan is to provide some basic additional insurance protection if something unexpected happens.

Nevertheless, all U.S. grantees are still encouraged to retain their own health insurance.

Selection Procedure

Early January

Regional Peer Review (First Run Selection) 

Reviewers screen applications based on a comprehensive match to each award and recommend candidates for further consideration. Regional reviewers evaluate and rate applicants within each award. Regional reviewers consider criteria, award requirements, regional fit, language requirements, J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB) policy, and cultural adaptability and sensitivity. After this stage, all applicants are notified by IIE of their review status (recommended or not recommended). Recommended applicants are then sent forward for review abroad and to the FFSB.

End of January

Recommended Applications from the IIE Received

Recommended applicants are received from the Institute of International Education (IIE).

Mid-February

Review in Host Country/Countries (Second Run Selection) 

A Selection Committee (academic peers from a variety of disciplines, board members, and staff) reviews all documents and research proposals and recommends a slate for final selection by Fulbright Taiwan’s Board.

End of February

Submit the Nominee List

Provide the selected applicants (nominee/non-nominees list) to the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB) after the board meeting.

April of the grant year

Final Approval from FFSB

Review and official selection of recommended candidates for Fulbright grants by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB). Selected applicants receive a letter from the FFSB chair as official notice of selection for a U.S. Fulbright Scholar award. Alternates and applicants not selected will receive a letter regarding status from IIE.

Final approval is then normally received by Fulbright Taiwan in April. Then, Fulbright Taiwan will contact the grantees and send them the grant packets.

Note:  All Taiwan grantees must hold a J-type visa to enter Taiwan for educational and cultural exchange programs

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Additional Comments

Candidates need to be adaptable, flexible, independent, and enjoy working with elementary and secondary school students. No research or independent study is required. ETA awards are not study/research awards, and teaching takes most of the grantee’s time. 

No Chinese language skills are required. All classroom instructions are in English. Mandarin study in Taiwan is highly encouraged. 

All ETAs are also required to have a service project during the grant period. ETAs share their skills, learn from others, influence others, and experience the joy of serving people from different cultures.

Contact

East Asia and the Pacific Team:
FBstudent.EAP@iie.org