Fulbright Board Resignation Highlights Clash With Trump Administration

On Wednesday, the board responsible for overseeing the prestigious Fulbright scholarships saw all 12 of its members resign in objection to what they describe as the Trump administration's interference with the selection of award recipients. The resignations underscore tensions between the board and the administration.

The board accused the administration of overstepping its authority by rejecting a number of candidates who had already been accepted to study and teach in the US and abroad. Additionally, 1,200 previously approved foreign award recipients face an unauthorized review process that could retract their acceptance, further igniting the controversy.

The Fulbright Program, established by Congress nearly 80 years ago, is a storied international exchange initiative aimed at fostering diplomacy through educational scholarships. As the board members see it, political interference threatens the program's merit-based selection process, which they assert was outlined in the Fulbright Hayes Act. The administration refutes these claims, calling this a political maneuver.

(With inputs from agencies.)