International education associations in the United States are urging the government to restore funding for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) study abroad, exchange, and scholarship programs after a funding pause was announced in February.
On February 13, recipients of State Department grants were notified of a 15-day temporary halt on all payments, effective from February 12. This pause applied to both current and future payments. Although it was originally set to expire on February 27, as of March 4, no action had been taken to lift the freeze.
Several associations, including NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the Alliance for International Exchange, and the Forum of Education Abroad, have launched a lobbying campaign to restore the funding.
The associations warned that the pause has effectively suspended several key international education programs, including Fulbright, the Gilman Scholarship Program, the IDEAS Program, and the Critical Language Scholarship Program. They noted that the situation has disrupted the lives of thousands of American students both at home and abroad, as well as scholarship recipients in the U.S.
Fanta Aw, Executive Director and CEO of NAFSA, stated, “The freeze on State Department grant programs threatens the survival of study abroad and international exchange programs that are essential to U.S. economic and national security.” She emphasized the importance of these programs in fostering global understanding and innovation, warning that other nations could easily fill the gap left by the U.S. if the freeze continues. She called on Congress to intervene, arguing that restoring funding is vital to the national interest.
Mark Overmann, Executive Director of the Alliance for International Exchange, expressed concern that the freeze endangers the health, safety, and future of more than 12,500 Americans currently abroad or scheduled to travel soon. He also highlighted that the freeze affects U.S. programs that host over 7,400 international students and professionals in American communities.
Overmann added that many U.S. organizations supporting these programs are now facing severe financial strain, jeopardizing thousands of American jobs and livelihoods.
The Alliance pointed out that about 90% of the State Department’s exchange program budget benefits Americans or is spent within the U.S. Overmann stressed that these programs contribute significantly to the safety, strength, and prosperity of the nation, and suspending them would have the opposite effect.
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