The Philippine-American Educational Foundation (PAEF) is a non-profit, binational organization responsible for the administration of the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship Program, Hubert H. Humphrey fellowships, and other educational exchange initiatives. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis to Filipino and American students, teachers, scholars and professionals to study, teach, lecture and conduct research in the United States and in the Philippines.

PAEF was established through an executive agreement signed by the governments of the United States and the Philippines on March 23, 1948 to carry out educational exchanges involving students, academics and professionals from both countries. Since 1948, Fulbright grants have been awarded to nearly 3,000 Filipinos and close to 1,000 Americans for graduate degree study, teaching and research in the Philippines and the United States. Close to 400 graduate degree awards and 2,000 non-degree grants have been given to Filipinos through the East-West Center program. Another 70 Filipino professionals have gone to the United States on Humphrey fellowships. The Philippine program is the world’s longest continuing Fulbright program. It has enriched several generations of Filipinos and Americans. Living in a different culture, forming lasting friendships with colleagues in foreign countries and sharing new horizons are all part of what has come to be known as the “Fulbright experience.”

Principal funding support for the exchange programs administered by PAEF comes from the United States and the Philippine governments. In addition, the Philippine Department of Agriculture, the Philippine Commission on Higher Education, and the Washington SyCip Family Foundation have generously supported the Fulbright Program in the Philippines. Other organizations and institutions, including US and Philippine universities (link to page which lists names of Philippine universities, which also links to the universities’ websites), contribute through direct and indirect cost-sharing.

While continuing to strengthen links with the academic and policy community, PAEF will broaden partnerships with the private sector and build new connections with business and philanthropic organizations in order to carry on its mission of recruiting the best and the brightest young leaders and professionals for the service of Philippine and American societies.

Organizations and corporations can be part of the best known and most prestigious scholarship program in the world by being a sponsor of Fulbright awards. Sponsoring a scholarship award or awards earns the institution the right to have its name linked to the prestigious Fulbright name. Organizations may also sponsor Fulbright publications and orientation programs for scholars.