Members of the Fulbright scholarship board resign, accusing Trump of
meddling
[June 12, 2025]
By CHEYANNE MUMPHREY
Nearly all the members of a board overseeing the prestigious Fulbright
scholarships resigned Wednesday in protest of what they call the Trump
administration’s meddling with the selection of award recipients for the
international exchange program.
A statement published online by board members said the administration
usurped the board’s authority by denying awards to “a substantial number
of people” who already had been chosen to study and teach in the U.S.
and abroad. Another 1,200 foreign award recipients who were already
approved to come to the U.S. are undergoing an unauthorized review
process that could lead to their rejection, the board members said.
“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,” the statement reads.
Congress established the Fulbright program nearly 80 years ago to
promote international exchange and American diplomacy. The highly
selective program awards about 9,000 scholarships annually in the U.S.
and in more than 160 other countries to students, scholars, and
professionals in a range of fields.
All but one of the 12 board members resigned, according to Carmen
Estrada-Schaye, who is the only remaining board member.
“I was appointed by the president of the United States and I intend to
fill out my term,” Estrada-Schaye said.
Fulbright scholars include recent U.S. college graduates who pursue
further study or teach English overseas, American professors who spend a
year at a university in another country and international scholars who
come to the U.S. to study or work at universities here. Alumni of the
program have gone on to serve as heads of state or government and have
received Nobel and Pulitzer prizes. Notable alumni include Leslie
Voltaire, president of Haiti’s transitional presidential council;
Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser of Bangladesh; Luc Frieden, prime minister
of Luxembourg; and King Felipe VI of Spain.
Award recipients are selected in a yearlong process by nonpartisan staff
at the State Department and other countries' embassies. The board has
had final approval. The recipients who had their awards canceled are in
fields including biology, engineering, agriculture, music, medical
sciences, and history, the board members said.
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President Donald Trump walks down the stairs of Air Force One upon
his arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (AP
Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)
All the board members who resigned were selected under former
President Joe Biden. The State Department, which runs the
scholarship program, said they were partisan political appointees.
"It’s ridiculous to believe that these members would continue to
have final say over the application process, especially when it
comes to determining academic suitability and alignment with
President Trump’s Executive Orders. The claim that the Fulbright
Hayes Act affords exclusive and final say over Fulbright
Applications to the Fulbright board is false. This is nothing but a
political stunt attempting to undermine President Trump,” the
department said.
The resignations were first reported by The New York Times.
The intervention from the Trump administration undermines the
program's merit-based selection process and its insulation from
political influence, the board members wrote.
“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 statement said. “It is our sincere hope 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.”
The announcement comes as the Trump administration ratchets up
scrutiny of international students on several fronts. The
administration has expanded the grounds for revoking foreign
students' legal status, and recently paused scheduling of new
interviews for student visas as it increases vetting of their social
media activity. The government also has moved to block foreign
students from attending Harvard as it pressures the Ivy League
school to adopt a series of reforms
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