“A number of US government-funded exchange programs remain in place and are available to Pakistanis, including the Fulbright Program. Fulbright participants in the US continue to receive their stipends. Assertions that the Fulbright Program has been terminated or that students will be left stranded in the US are false,” a USEFP stateement said -Image Ad GuruMarketing

 

USEFP Dismisses Rumours of Fulbright Scholarship’s Termination

 

The United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) on Friday rejected rumours regarding the termination of the long-standing Fulbright scholarship program — which has given scores of talented Pakistani students the opportunity to study at top US universities over the years.

On Tuesday, a formal announcement regarding the  closure  of the Global Undergraduate Exchange (Global UGRAD) Pakistan Program — which had been going on for around 15 years — came as a blow to the ambitions of scores of Pakistani students, who would have benefitted from spending a semester in top US colleges and universities.

Long seen as the crown jewel of US-Pakistan exchanges, the Fulbright program has been in limbo since February, when the US State Department abruptly suspended all cultural and academic exchanges administered by its Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA).

The scholarship usually covers travel, living stipends, health insurance, and tuition for a student’s entire study period.

Initially described as a temporary 15-day freeze, the suspension remains in place more than two months later, with no official explanation or timeline for resumption.

The Institute of International Education (IIE), which administers the Fulbright Program and other ECA-managed scholarships and fellowships, had indicated last month that their employees were being furloughed.

Recent communications sent to Fulbright scholars currently in the US have also indicated that the payment of their stipends would be affected by the State Department’s funding ‘pause’.

Following press reports and public concern expressed about the termination of the Global UGRAD Pakistan Program, the USEFP said Friday it wanted to “offer a few points of clarification”.

“A number of US government-funded exchange programs remain in place and are available to Pakistanis, including the Fulbright Program. Fulbright participants in the US continue to receive their stipends. Assertions that the Fulbright Program has been terminated or that students will be left stranded in the US are false,” it said.

However, it added that the US State Department of State was conducting a strategic global review of US exchange programs to ensure close alignment with the current administration’s priorities.

“As we receive further information on the status of US government-funded exchange programs, we will keep you updated,” the USEFP added.

The foundation continued that it and the US “remain committed to promoting the strong and enduring people-to-people ties” between the United States and Pakistan.

“The US proudly hosts 11,000 Pakistani students at US universities and we encourage Pakistanis to continue to choose the US for higher education opportunities.”

Regarding the 54 Pakistani students currently in the US under the undergraduate exchange program, the USEFP said they would complete their programs and return to Pakistan as planned. “They have and will continue to receive their stipends and all benefits associated with the program,” it added.

The Fulbright program has a particularly strong presence in Pakistan, offering financial support for Master’s and PhD programs, as well as a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant fellowship.

According to the US Embassy in Islamabad, over 4,000 Pakistani students have availed of the Fulbright scholarship since it was launched in 1951.

“Since its inception, more than 9,300 Pakistanis and over 935 Americans have participated in USEFP-managed exchange programs,” according to the embassy’s website.

The lack of clarity from Washington has deepened anxieties, not only about the fate of the Fulbright program, but also the broader environment for Pakistani students in the US. Many now fear that visa restrictions, regulatory overreach, and changing political attitudes are threatening the future of academic mobility.

A number of Pakistani students Dawn spoke to said that even minor infractions — such as traffic violations or administrative delays — have led to visa complications. These issues are often discovered only when a student tries to re-enter the US or applies for work authorisation.

In some cases, students lost their legal status without notification, as federal agencies no longer inform universities of such changes. - Dawn.com