In a
, the dozen former board members said they “voted overwhelmingly” to resign “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.”
The prestigious program — which awards a select group of scholars and academics the opportunity to continue research abroad each year — is managed by the State Department, where career officials conduct a yearlong search for applicants, who are ultimately approved by the independent Fulbright board.
But the former board members said the Trump administration “has usurped the authority of the Board” by denying Fulbright scholarships to “a substantial number of individuals” selected for the upcoming academic year.