Fulbright students are waiting for their money: Pausing USA

Fulbright program affected

USA will refuse to receive scholarship recipients

Thousands of recipients of US scholarship programs sit on the dry. The US State Department has paused the financing.

Several of the most renowned scholarship programs in the United States are currently on hold. Recipients of the Fulbright Scholarships and the Gilman program USA report that they have not received any money or less support.

The Fulbright program is an international exchange program of the USA that was launched in 1946 by US Senator J. William Fulbright. It offers scholarships for students, scientists, teachers and specialists to research, teach or study abroad. The program is financed by the US State Department and works with various governments, universities and educational organizations worldwide.

In February, the Foreign Ministry announced that there would be a break when financing the various scholarship programs. This should last 15 days until February 27th. Now participants in the prestigious program have received an email, as reported by the US broadcaster Wooub. In this, reference is made to the cuts. “Because of this break, we are only authorized to send you part of the expected scholarship,” it says.

The Foreign Ministry finances several scholarships. In addition to the Fulbright scholarship, this also includes the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, which supports weaker students in studying abroad or doing an internship. The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program has so far been supported that brings experienced experts from other countries to the United States for study purposes, and the Mandela Washington Fellowship, which brings young African leaders to the USA for academic and leadership training.

Both students from the United States study abroad and foreign students who visit American universities or do research in the USA are affected. The “New York Times” (NYT) reports on the student Frida Larois, who studies in South Korea. She traveled to Seoul with a Gilman scholarship, which is intended for students with limited financial resources.

It should receive about $ 3,000 from the program, which would have contributed to their living costs during the stay. “The scholarship is the only reason why I could go abroad,” said Larios. “I was shocked, yes, but at the same time I saw it coming.” In an email from the organization IIe, it says: “The financing for the Gilman program comes from a prize of the US State Department,” says the email. “IIe has not received any planned repayments. We currently have no further information.”

Woub reported on a foreign student at the Ohio University, who instead received an email from the organization instead of money in his account that should actually support him. It is also announced that there is no payment. “We are still in this vacuum in which we do not know exactly what is going on, and everyone just waits,” said John, who does not want to make his true name public.

In the Ohio University, the problems are aware. “We are aware that the changing legal situation at the federal and state level could cause concern for some of our international students and scientists,” spokesman Dan Pittman wrote in an email to the broadcaster.

The Fulbright program promotes around 8,000 students, teachers and experts from over 160 countries every year. About 4,000 Americans and 4,000 international participants are around 4,000 of them. It is one of the largest and most prestigious exchange programs worldwide. The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program promotes around 3,000–4,000 US students every year. The program is aimed at students with financial restrictions and supports them in foreign studies or internships. Since its foundation in 2001, more than 41,000 students have received a Gilman scholarship.

Frida Larois now has to save what it takes, even if the cost of living in South Korea is high. “I try to spend as little as possible. I currently live on ram noodles,” she told the NYT.