Students and staff are grappling with uncertainty after the US State Department temporarily halted federal funding for all current and upcoming study abroad grants. The 15-day pause, effective February 12, has left many in the education sector concerned.
Melissa Torres, president of the Forum on Education Abroad, shared with The PIE News, “There’s no indication the funding will be permanently cut, but the sudden uncertainty has been deeply unsettling.” Torres noted that while grantees had been informed of the pause, the State Department had not issued an official statement or explained the reasons behind the decision.
Torres further emphasized that without an immediate resumption of funding, many international educators could lose their jobs, which would affect local communities and economies. These funds not only support students but also pay for staff who manage study abroad programs.
Programs such as the Fulbright Program, IDEAS Program, Gilman Scholarship, and Critical Languages Scholarships have all been impacted by the freeze.
The lack of clarity from the State Department has caused confusion. Some Fulbright locations have been told by local embassies to pause operations, while others have resumed. “It’s unclear why some students are receiving conflicting instructions,” said Torres.
Additionally, some grant awards for FY2025 have already been removed from the State Department’s website, making recipients hesitant to reopen program applications without assurance of future funding. There is also uncertainty over whether current study abroad students will face delays in their funding, potentially forcing some to cancel their spring or summer plans.
The Fulbright Program alone, one of the most prominent US initiatives, provides over 2,200 grants annually to US students and brings around 4,000 international students to the US for study or research.
Torres warned that the absence of these grants would “undoubtedly” weaken the US’s global standing, making it less secure and less economically competitive, while depriving the country of future leaders.
The Forum on Education Abroad is working with other key organizations to address the issue and gather financial data to assess the impact of the funding pause. NAFSA has also asked its members to provide feedback on how this pause and related policies are affecting them.
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