Fulbright board resigns over Trump admin's interference in scholarships

The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board resigned en masse to protest what it called unprecedented interference after the Trump administration denied a significant number of US academics from receiving the prestigious awards. 

 

The rejected scholarships for the 2025-2026 academic year would have covered studies in areas from biochemistry and medical sciences to history, the 12-member Fulbright board said in a statement Wednesday on Substack. Trump aides may also reject more scholarships as they conduct an “unauthorized review” of 1,200 foreign Fulbright recipients, it said. 

 

When Congress established the Fulbright scholarship program, it gave the board final approval over applicants, with the pool traditionally screened by nonpartisan career staff at the State Department. More than 35 foreign governments match or exceed the US contributions to the program, according to the board.

 

“The current administration has usurped the authority of the board,” its members said. “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.” 

 

The board resigned amid a broader push by the Trump administration to exert greater control over American higher education. In one prominent example, the administration has scrapped about $3 billion in federal funding to Harvard University while also trying to block the school from enrolling foreign students. 

 

The State Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. 

 

Political appointees at the department canceled Fulbright scholarships for almost 200 US professors and researchers to work at universities and research centers abroad, according to the New York Times, which reported the board resignation earlier. 

 

The board said it had raised its objections to senior administration officials, including in writing, but failed to receive a response. 

 

“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,” it said.