Latest news with #CarmenEstradaSchaye
CNN
12-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Fulbright scholarship board members resign over ‘unprecedented actions' by the Trump administration
Nearly all of the members of the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board resigned on Wednesday, claiming the Trump administration is taking 'unprecedented actions' they believe are 'impermissible under the law.' The board said the Trump administration denied a 'substantial number' of Fulbright awards to people who had already been selected for the 2025-2026 academic year and included 'an unauthorized review process' for an additional 1,200 foreign Fulbright recipients who could now be rejected from the program, according to a statement posted online. '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,' they write. The resignations are the latest development in the saga between President Donald Trump and educational institutions that has seen the administration target colleges and universities across the country, threaten funding over political ideology and revoke scores of student visas. The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board consists of 12 members appointed by the president and was established by Congress in 1961. The members select students, scholars, teachers and others to participate in the cultural exchange program. Carmen Estrada-Schaye is the only remaining board member after the resignations, according to the Associated Press. She is also the only member currently listed on the State Department's website. CNN has reached out to the State Department for comment. The award's '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,' the former board members wrote in their statement. New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the move will 'change the quality of Fulbright programming.' 'While I understand and respect the bipartisan Fulbright Board for resigning en masse rather than grant credibility to a politicized and unlawful process, I'm painfully aware that yesterday's move will change the quality of Fulbright programming and the independent research that has made our country a leader in so many fields,' Shaheen said in a statement. The scholarship board said they have raised legal issues and objections with senior officials in the Trump administration on multiple occasions but claim the officials have failed to respond or attempt 'good faith efforts to course correct.' The Trump administration has recently made moves that could deter international students from studying in the US. Trump signed a proclamation earlier this month to suspend international visas for new students at Harvard University, and the State Department instructed US embassies and consulates around the world to pause new student visa appointments as it moves to expand 'social media screening and vetting.' A Fulbright scholar and Columbia University student left the country after she was told she faced immigration action as part of Trump's crackdown on international students who participated in protests against the Israel-Hamas war. The Trump administration's statements and actions aimed at curtailing the number of international students in the US have already sent a chill of uncertainty through higher education institutions, and a drop-off in international students could reverberate through the US labor market and broader economy in years to come.
CNN
12-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Fulbright scholarship board members resign over ‘unprecedented actions' by the Trump administration
Nearly all of the members of the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board resigned on Wednesday, claiming the Trump administration is taking 'unprecedented actions' they believe are 'impermissible under the law.' The board said the Trump administration denied a 'substantial number' of Fulbright awards to people who had already been selected for the 2025-2026 academic year and included 'an unauthorized review process' for an additional 1,200 foreign Fulbright recipients who could now be rejected from the program, according to a statement posted online. '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,' they write. The resignations are the latest development in the saga between President Donald Trump and educational institutions that has seen the administration target colleges and universities across the country, threaten funding over political ideology and revoke scores of student visas. The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board consists of 12 members appointed by the president and was established by Congress in 1961. The members select students, scholars, teachers and others to participate in the cultural exchange program. Carmen Estrada-Schaye is the only remaining board member after the resignations, according to the Associated Press. She is also the only member currently listed on the State Department's website. CNN has reached out to the State Department for comment. The award's '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,' the former board members wrote in their statement. New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the move will 'change the quality of Fulbright programming.' 'While I understand and respect the bipartisan Fulbright Board for resigning en masse rather than grant credibility to a politicized and unlawful process, I'm painfully aware that yesterday's move will change the quality of Fulbright programming and the independent research that has made our country a leader in so many fields,' Shaheen said in a statement. The scholarship board said they have raised legal issues and objections with senior officials in the Trump administration on multiple occasions but claim the officials have failed to respond or attempt 'good faith efforts to course correct.' The Trump administration has recently made moves that could deter international students from studying in the US. Trump signed a proclamation earlier this month to suspend international visas for new students at Harvard University, and the State Department instructed US embassies and consulates around the world to pause new student visa appointments as it moves to expand 'social media screening and vetting.' A Fulbright scholar and Columbia University student left the country after she was told she faced immigration action as part of Trump's crackdown on international students who participated in protests against the Israel-Hamas war. The Trump administration's statements and actions aimed at curtailing the number of international students in the US have already sent a chill of uncertainty through higher education institutions, and a drop-off in international students could reverberate through the US labor market and broader economy in years to come.
CNN
12-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Fulbright scholarship board members resign over ‘unprecedented actions' by the Trump administration
Nearly all of the members of the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board resigned on Wednesday, claiming the Trump administration is taking 'unprecedented actions' they believe are 'impermissible under the law.' The board said the Trump administration denied a 'substantial number' of Fulbright awards to people who had already been selected for the 2025-2026 academic year and included 'an unauthorized review process' for an additional 1,200 foreign Fulbright recipients who could now be rejected from the program, according to a statement posted online. '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,' they write. The resignations are the latest development in the saga between President Donald Trump and educational institutions that has seen the administration target colleges and universities across the country, threaten funding over political ideology and revoke scores of student visas. The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board consists of 12 members appointed by the president and was established by Congress in 1961. The members select students, scholars, teachers and others to participate in the cultural exchange program. Carmen Estrada-Schaye is the only remaining board member after the resignations, according to the Associated Press. She is also the only member currently listed on the State Department's website. CNN has reached out to the State Department for comment. The award's '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,' the former board members wrote in their statement. New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the move will 'change the quality of Fulbright programming.' 'While I understand and respect the bipartisan Fulbright Board for resigning en masse rather than grant credibility to a politicized and unlawful process, I'm painfully aware that yesterday's move will change the quality of Fulbright programming and the independent research that has made our country a leader in so many fields,' Shaheen said in a statement. The scholarship board said they have raised legal issues and objections with senior officials in the Trump administration on multiple occasions but claim the officials have failed to respond or attempt 'good faith efforts to course correct.' The Trump administration has recently made moves that could deter international students from studying in the US. Trump signed a proclamation earlier this month to suspend international visas for new students at Harvard University, and the State Department instructed US embassies and consulates around the world to pause new student visa appointments as it moves to expand 'social media screening and vetting.' A Fulbright scholar and Columbia University student left the country after she was told she faced immigration action as part of Trump's crackdown on international students who participated in protests against the Israel-Hamas war. The Trump administration's statements and actions aimed at curtailing the number of international students in the US have already sent a chill of uncertainty through higher education institutions, and a drop-off in international students could reverberate through the US labor market and broader economy in years to come.
The Independent
12-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Mass resignations at prestigious scholarship board over Trump admin ‘interference'
Nearly all members of the board overseeing the prestigious Fulbright scholarships resigned on Wednesday, citing interference from the Trump administration in the selection of award recipients for the international exchange program. In a statement published online, the board members accused the administration of overstepping its authority by denying awards to "a substantial number of people" who had already been selected to study and teach in the U.S. and abroad. They also noted that an additional 1,200 foreign award recipients, already approved to come to the U.S., are now subject to an unauthorized review process that could lead to their rejection. "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," the statement read. The Fulbright program, established by Congress nearly 80 years ago, aims to promote international exchange and American diplomacy. It awards approximately 9,000 scholarships annually in the U.S. and over 160 other countries to students, scholars, and professionals across various fields. All but one of the 12 board members resigned, according to Carmen Estrada-Schaye, who is the only remaining board member. "I was appointed by the president of the United States and I intend to fill out my term," Estrada-Schaye said. Fulbright scholars include recent U.S. college graduates who pursue further study or teach English overseas, American professors who spend a year at a university in another country and international scholars who come to the U.S. to study or work at universities here. Alumni of the program have gone on to serve as heads of state or government and have received Nobel and Pulitzer prizes. Notable alumni include Leslie Voltaire, president of Haiti's transitional presidential council; Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser of Bangladesh; Luc Frieden, prime minister of Luxembourg; and King Felipe VI of Spain. Award recipients are selected in a yearlong process by nonpartisan staff at the State Department and other countries' embassies. The board has had final approval. The recipients who had their awards canceled are in fields including biology, engineering, agriculture, music, medical sciences, and history, the board members said. All the board members who resigned were selected under former President Joe Biden. The State Department, which runs the scholarship program, said they were partisan political appointees. "It's ridiculous to believe that these members would continue to have final say over the application process, especially when it comes to determining academic suitability and alignment with President Trump's Executive Orders,' the department said. 'The claim that the Fulbright Hayes Act affords exclusive and final say over Fulbright Applications to the Fulbright board is false. This is nothing but a political stunt attempting to undermine President Trump.' The resignations were first reported by The New York Times. The intervention from the Trump administration undermines the program's merit-based selection process and its insulation from political influence, the board members wrote. "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," the statement said. "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." The announcement comes as the Trump administration ratchets up scrutiny of international students on several fronts. The administration has expanded the grounds for revoking foreign students' legal status, and recently paused scheduling of new interviews for student visas as it increases vetting of their social media activity.
