Overview

• On June 11, all 12 members of the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board resigned to protest what they called unprecedented political interference by President Trump’s administration.
• They said the State Department unlawfully revoked about 200 merit-based awards for U.S. professors and researchers selected for the 2025-2026 academic year.
• The administration has subjected roughly 1,200 foreign Fulbright recipients to an unauthorized review process that may lead to additional rejections.
• Board members warned these actions violate the Fulbright-Hays Act, undermine academic freedom and compromise the program’s mission of fostering international diplomacy.
• They also flagged a proposed cut to the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs budget from $691 million to $50 million, which they said would threaten program operations.