Will Fulbright scholarships face the axe?

ISLAMABAD: Earlier in the week, the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) announced that the Global Undergraduate Exchange Pakistan Programme (Global UGRAD-Pakistan) has ended after 15 years. Now, many are worried that the Fulbright scholarship programme, which allows students and professionals to study or conduct research in the US, is next.

Fulbright operates in over 160 countries and about 4,000 students looking to complete a masters or doctorate degree partake each year, according to the programme’s website.

Global UGRAD has been used by thousands of Pakistani students over the past 15 years to study in the United States, with the goal of “fostering academic growth, cultural exchange, and leadership development” as stated by USEFP. The end of the programme came due to the Trump administration’s cuts to US aid and development.

Pakistani nationals who are fluent in English and have the equivalent to a US bachelor’s degree are eligible. If awarded the scholarship, the programme will provide a J-1 visa sponsorship, funding support, health benefit plan, and various activities. Since the program’s launch in 1951, over 4,000 Pakistanis have been granted the scholarship.

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However, 2024 was been the last year Pakistani students made use of the programme because the post shared by USEFP on Instagram said that the news would be disappointing for those who applied this year.

In February, the US State Department suspended exchange programmes provided by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) for 15 days, but the suspension still remains in place. Applications for 2026 have still been accepted by USEFP, in hopes that the programme will resume, but there is no guarantee that it will.  

Adding to the uncertainty is the threat of a new travel ban restricting access to student visas. Students will now have to wait and see if the US will continue to fund the Fulbright program, or if its indefinite suspension will spiral into full cancellation.

The Trump administration has begun to reinstate a few cancelled US foreign aid programs, however those are related to emergency food assistance.

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