On Wednesday, all twelve members of the esteemed Fulbright program board, which advocates for international educational exchanges, resigned. They cited political interference from the Trump administration as the reason, as reported by sources close to the matter and a memo acquired by The New York Times.
The members expressed concern that political appointees at the State Department, which oversees the program, are unlawfully canceling Fulbright scholarships for nearly 200 American academics and researchers set to travel abroad to universities and research organizations starting this summer, according to individuals including Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire.
After a year-long selection process, the board had approved these scholars over the winter, with the State Department expected to send acceptance letters by April. Instead, they discovered that the agency’s public diplomacy division had started sending rejection letters based largely on the subjects of their research, the sources said.
Additionally, the department is re-evaluating the applications of about 1,200 international scholars who had already received board approval to come to the U.S. These foreign scholars were also anticipated to get acceptance letters around April.
The board’s memo states that members chose to resign “rather than support unprecedented actions that they believe are unlawful, jeopardize U.S. national interests, and undermine the mission established for the Fulbright program almost 80 years ago,” as indicated in a copy obtained by The Times.
The memo was shared online on Wednesday morning, following the sending of a resignation letter to the White House.
Furthermore, the board is alarmed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is proposing a budget for the upcoming fiscal year that cuts funding for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs—which includes the Fulbright program—from $691 million to $50 million.
The State Department did not respond to requests for comments on Wednesday morning.
These developments occur as President Trump and his close staff seek to influence academic institutions to align with their ideological views. The State Department’s public diplomacy office is led by Darren Beattie, a political appointee previously dismissed from a position in the first Trump administration due to a speech he gave at a conference attended by white nationalists. Beattie has shared social media posts reflecting white grievances, including one stating that “competent white men must lead if you want things to work,” alongside mocking remarks directed at Mr. Rubio.
The administration is attempting to withhold federal funding primarily for scientific research from various universities and, in some instances, is requesting changes in academic departments. It has also tried to block foreign students and scholars from attending Harvard University, though a court has temporarily prevented the administration from enforcing that directive.
Last month, Mr. Rubio instructed the State Department to halt new appointments for foreign applicants seeking student or exchange visas while the agency increases scrutiny of their social media activity. American universities significantly depend on tuition from international students for their revenue and appreciate the research contributions from these students and visiting scholars.
Top officials in the Trump administration argue that many U.S. universities are overly liberal and need to incorporate more conservative perspectives into their education, research, and hiring policies. Additionally, the administration has dismantled research institutions created by Congress, including the Wilson Center and the United States Institute of Peace, with a federal judge recently ruling that the administration’s cuts to USIP were unlawful.
The Fulbright program was founded in 1946 following legislation introduced by J. William Fulbright, a Democratic senator from Arkansas. The Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961 solidified legal parameters for the program, which designates that the selection of scholars, educators, and others is under the authority of a board of twelve members appointed by the president.
The nearly 200 rejected scholars are part of a larger pool of around 900 American scholars approved by the board over the winter.
“The bipartisan Fulbright Board was established by Congress to serve as a check on the executive branch, ensuring that students, researchers, and educators are not subject to blatant political favoritism that this administration is known for,” Ms. Shaheen, the leading Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, stated.
“While I commend the bipartisan Fulbright Board for resigning en masse rather than lend credibility to a politicized and unlawful process,” she added, “I am painfully aware that today’s actions will diminish the quality of Fulbright programming and the independent research that has made our country a leader in various fields.”
Ms. Shaheen and the board asserted that the State Department was contravening congressional statutes by rejecting or re-evaluating scholarship candidates already approved by the board, as indicated by sources familiar with the matter.
Typically, the selection process for American scholars begins with career diplomats at overseas missions and educational institutions, taking months until the board provides pro forma approval in the winter. Across both Republican and Democratic administrations, the board has typically approved the candidates submitted by the State Department due to the rigorous selection process and to avoid any appearance of political bias.
The United States operates 49 bilateral commissions established through treaties with other nations, many of which are American allies, to assist with the selection process and pair scholars with institutions. Over 35 countries contribute a significant portion of the funding for scholarships.
The composition of the board changes as members complete their three-year terms. The current members are appointees of President Joseph R. Biden Jr. because those who served during the first Trump administration have rotated out.
The nearly 200 American scholars receiving rejection letters from the State Department represent about one-fifth of the total U.S. scholars approved by the board this winter.
Mr. Beattie and his team appear to be rejecting candidates based on their research subjects, which include issues such as climate change, environmental resilience, migration, gender, race, and homelessness, as well as scientific topics like biology, agriculture, and animal studies, according to sources close to the State Department’s actions.
The Fulbright program accommodates around 8,000 scholars, students, teachers, and researchers across various categories at any given time.
Last month, the board sent separate communications to Mr. Beattie and Christopher Landau, the deputy secretary of state, voicing their concerns about the undermining of the selection process for American scholars, as conveyed by informed sources.
Most of the American and foreign scholars approved by the board had received preliminary indications of their acceptances from officials and commissions, allowing them to arrange leave from their universities and prepare for a year abroad.
