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UC Berkeley Press Release

Berkeley graduate students to receive Fulbright funding

– The University of California, Berkeley and FedEx Corp. have agreed to jointly fund special Fulbright research abroad fellowships for advanced graduate students.

FedEx will contribute approximately half the anticipated need for the fellowships. Chancellor Robert M. Berdahl stated that the balance of the funding will come from the campus's fellowship endowment.

Through a collaborative effort between FedEx, UC Berkeley and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a solution was found to assist with the funding of the Fulbright awards
following a special review of the UC Berkeley applications that was put in place by the Fulbright Scholarship Board.

"The care and concern for these students shown by FedEx and Gov. Schwarzenegger is tremendously impressive," said Berdahl.

The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is managing a special review of applications from UC Berkeley graduate students. The review will adhere to the rigorous Fulbright guidelines, thereby providing recipients a fellowship that will carry the Fulbright name and prestige. This solves the last issue, which resulted from the earlier rejection of the UC Berkeley graduate students' applications by the U.S. Department of Education.

The review by the Department of State follows productive consultations between all parties. The Fulbright board recommended the separate review of the UC Berkeley applicants, but required that funding for any fellowships awarded not come from Fulbright funds. FedEx and UC Berkeley officials agreed on this solution, which places the students' interest first and foremost at this critical time in their careers.

Last year, 30 Berkeley graduate students applied for Fulbright grants and half the students were awarded fellowships. Again this year, 30 students from a number of fields were applying for fellowships for the 2004-05 school year.

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