Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board Resignation Statement
Effective immediately, members of the Congressionally mandated Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board voted overwhelmingly to resign from the board, rather than endorse unprecedented actions that we believe are impermissible under the law, compromise U.S. national interests and integrity, and undermine the mission and mandates Congress established for the Fulbright program nearly 80 years ago.
At the program’s inception, Congress clearly specified that the Fulbright Board has final approval authority of applicants, which occurs after an exhaustive and deliberate, year-long process led by non-partisan career staff at the State Department and Embassies around the world. The process involves 49 binational, treaty-based commissions and over 150 countries, which contribute a significant amount of the annual funding for the Fulbright program. In fact, 35+ foreign governments match or exceed the U.S. government’s annual contribution.
Under Democratic and Republican administrations alike, the Board has followed the law, operating with independence pursuant to its statutory mandate. Indeed, the Fulbright-Hays Act emphasizes the non-political and non-ideological character of the program.
However, the current administration has usurped the authority of the Board and denied Fulbright awards to a substantial number of individuals who were selected for the 2025-2026 academic year. The administration is also currently subjecting an additional 1,200 foreign Fulbright recipients to an unauthorized review process and could reject more. 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.
It is worth noting that the awards that were overridden include studies in categories such as biology, engineering, architecture, agriculture, crop sciences, animal sciences, biochemistry, medical sciences, music, and history.
Through generations of war and peace, the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Program has been a bipartisan pillar of American diplomacy—an enduring symbol of our nation’s commitment to mutual understanding and diplomacy, academic excellence, and international cooperation. It has promoted U.S. interests and global stability. Fulbright alumni have gone on to become leaders of government, industry, academia, arts, and culture in every part of the world.
Members of Congress of both parties tout the prestige and economic benefits bestowed upon their home state colleges and universities who support such distinguished students and alumni.
This proud legacy has depended on one thing above all: the integrity of the program’s selection process based on merit, not ideology, and its insulation from political interference. That integrity is now undermined.
We have raised these legal issues and our strong objections with senior administration officials on multiple occasions, including in writing. The officials have refused to acknowledge or respond to the Board, failing to even attempt good faith efforts to course correct and operate the Program in accordance with the statute.
Our resignation is not a decision we take lightly. But 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. Indeed, the erosion of the Fulbright program weakens America and our national security interests. Institutions and the rule of law matter and have distinguished our country for almost 250 years. As a Board, we are proud of our stewardship of the program, the way we’ve worked to uphold its mission, integrity, and adherence to the law.
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. Injecting politics and ideological mandates into the Fulbright program violates the letter and spirit of the law that Congress so wisely established nearly eight decades ago.