A funding freeze has thrown the futures of thousands of U.S. college students into uncertainty, as the State Department paused all disbursements for Fulbright and Gilman Scholarship recipients.
The Feb. 12 freeze, initially meant to last 15 days, has left many students abroad with little to no financial support, with issues persisting weeks later. Funding has yet to be restored, a consequence of President Trump’s cuts on government spending, spearheaded by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The disruption has left students scrambling, with fears mounting over the future of these longtime programs.
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government's international educational exchange program, offering grants to accomplished students to study, teach, conduct research and exchange ideas in over 160 countries. Similarly the Gilman Scholarship supports students with financial need in pursuing study or internships abroad.
While no UP students have been affected so far, students from other universities are feeling the effects. A University of South Florida student teaching English in Moldova saw her stipend cut off abruptly, while another working with Ukrainian refugees in Estonia lost over 90% of his funding.
While uncertainty looms at the national level, UP continues to excel in Fulbright participation. For the 2024-25 school year, UP was named a “Fulbright Student Top Producing Institution,” joining 82 other schools recognized for their commitment to international exchange. More than 35 UP students are listed on the university’s Fulbright page, showcasing their contributions abroad.
With little communication from the State Department, however, UP student’s ability to participate in these programs remains unclear.
UP ‘24 Alumni Kat Motley, who is serving as an English Teaching Assistant in Slovakia, feels conflicted as she continues teaching. For her, these potential cuts in funding are deeply personal. The thought of being torn away from her students so abruptly is a pressing concern.
“I am afraid that we're going to get an email saying, ‘You are no longer an [English Teaching Assistant]. You are no longer part of Fulbright,’” Motley said. “I am worried about having to leave my students early.”
Motley noted that so far she has received all of her stipends in full and is awaiting further information from the Fulbright program regarding her status for the coming months.
While ‘24 UP alum and Fulbright semifinalist Jonah Montgomery is waiting for an update on his application status, he shares similar feelings of concern with those already abroad.
"It's definitely been a pressing matter keeping me up at night,” Montgomery said. “It's very personal, putting in so much work and then for the threat to have it completely cut is maddening.”
But despite the uncertainty looming ahead, Montgomery believes that students should continue to apply and remain optimistic about the process.
“You learn a lot about yourself,” Montgomery said. “It keeps you engaged and it keeps your skills sharp.”
Assistant Provost of Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement and Career Readiness at UP Cara Hersh remains optimistic about the future of the program. She said that no UP recipients seem to have been affected by the funding freeze, and stated that the application timelines for next year’s Fulbright and Gilman Scholarships are expected to proceed as usual.
“It would be really hard to justify yanking that funding,” Hersh said.
Hersh also stressed the value that these scholarships bring to students, pointing out that numerous high-ranking government officials who decide the future of this program have received this scholarship.
"I think many politicians themselves who are in Congress and in high roles in the government were Fulbright recipients,” Hersh said. “I think they see the value in these experiences.”
Rieve Randall is a News Reporter for The Beacon. He can be reached at randallr28@up.edu.
