‘Authority usurped, fairness compromised’: US scholarship board quits after Trump Govt denies awards

The United States (US) board which oversees the Fulbright Scholarship has resigned, effective immediately, over interference by the Donald Trump administration. The board accused the administration of unlawfully overriding its authority by denying Fulbright scholarships to selected recipients and subjecting others to unauthorized reviews.

In a public statement, the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board members said, “Effective immediately, members of the Congressionally mandated Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board voted overwhelmingly to resign from the board, rather than endorse unprecedented actions that we believe are impermissible under the law, compromise U.S. national interests and integrity, and undermine the mission and mandates Congress established for the Fulbright program nearly 80 years ago.”

The board argued that when the Fulbright Program was created, Congress made it clear that the board has the final say on selecting applicants for scholarships, which comes after a careful, year-long review process led by non-partisan staff at the state department and US Embassies. The programme works with 49 international commissions and over 150 countries, many of which contribute significant funding. In fact, more than 35 foreign governments match or give more than the US does each year, it said.

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Despite following the law under democratic and republican administrations, the board argued, the current administration has “usurped” the authority of the board and denied Fulbright awards to a substantial number of individuals who were selected for the 2025-2026 academic year. The Trump administration is also currently subjecting an additional 1,200 foreign Fulbright recipients to an unauthorized review process and could reject more. “We believe these actions not only contradict the statute but are antithetical to the Fulbright mission and the values, including free speech and academic freedom, that Congress specified in the statute,” it added.

Fulbright Program

FFSB believes that the Fulbright Program has long been a ‘bipartisan pillar’ of US diplomacy. It stands for mutual understanding, academic excellence, and international cooperation. The program has supported US interests and global stability, with alumni becoming leaders in government, business, education, the arts, and more around the world.

The Fulbright Program’s success and strong reputation have always relied on a fair selection process that chooses participants based on merit—not politics or ideology. But now, that fairness is being compromised, it said.

Despite raising legal issues and strong objections with senior administration on multiple occasions, the officials have refused to acknowledge or respond to the board, it complained.

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“Our resignation is not a decision we take lightly. But to continue to serve after the Administration has consistently ignored the Board’s request that they follow the law would risk legitimizing actions we believe are unlawful and damage the integrity of this storied program and America’s credibility abroad. Indeed, the erosion of the Fulbright program weakens America and our national security interests. Institutions and the rule of law matter and have distinguished our country for almost 250 years. As a Board, we are proud of our stewardship of the program, the way we’ve worked to uphold its mission, integrity, and adherence to the law,” the board further stated.

Appealing to others to support, the US scholarship board hoped that Congress, the courts, and future Fulbright Boards will prevent the administration’s efforts to degrade, dismantle, or even eliminate one of our nation’s most respected and valuable programs. Injecting politics and ideological mandates into the Fulbright program violates the letter and spirit of the law that Congress so wisely established nearly eight decades ago.