Ohio State Fulbright students faced temporary stipend freeze amid federal review in March; university still doesn’t know why

Sandra Fu
Tue, 15 Apr 2025 04:34:16 +0000
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Fourteen international students studying at Ohio State through the Fulbright Foreign Student Program had their monthly stipend payments temporarily frozen in March. Credit: Sophia Tobias | Lantern File Photo

Ohio State was made aware March 3 that a group of its international students had their scholarship funding temporarily paused due to an ongoing U.S. Department of State review.??

Fourteen international students studying through the Fulbright Foreign Student Program had their monthly stipend payments — which are used to cover food, housing and living expenses — temporarily frozen, Joanna Kulkiekla-Blaser, university director of the Fulbright Scholar and Fulbright-Hays Programs, said in an email.

Though university spokesperson Chris Booker said in an email all 14 students had their April stipends fully reimbursed, the U.S. Department of State temporarily paused all spending to review its programs and activities Feb. 13, according to an association of international educators called NAFSA. Among those programs were the Fulbright, Gilman and Critical Language international scholarships.

At the time of publication, Booker said it is still unclear why these 14 students’ funding was delayed.

The Fulbright Foreign Student Program “enables graduate students, young professionals, and artists from abroad to research and study in the United States for one year or longer at U.S. universities or other appropriate institutions,” according to the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs website. Across the entire Fulbright Foreign Students and Scholars program, 36 international students and six international scholars are currently studying at Ohio State, Booker said.

In early March, 14 students reported a disruption in their monthly stipends to the university; however, Booker said funding was reinstated around March 24, and all students received their April payments in full. April stipends were distributed to all but two students, who were notified of a funding delay, Booker said. At the time of publication, it is unclear why these specific students’ funding was further delayed.

This spending pause comes in light of the Trump administration’s initiative to cut government spending across federal departments, a “shakeup that has affected scores of federal agencies,” according to the Associated Press.

Booker said Ohio State is not directly involved with funding discussions for the Fulbright programs, as the money primarily came from the Department of State, binational Fulbright Commissions and other organizations.

“We cannot speculate on future funding decisions,” Booker said.

According to the Office of International Affairs website, Ohio State hosts three Fulbright programs: the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, Fulbright U.S. Scholar and Specialist Program and Fulbright Foreign Students and Scholars — the last of which the 14 affected students were a part of.

At the time of publication, Booker said the university has not heard about a funding pause for the two other Fulbright programs.

With 14 Ohio State scholars selected for the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program in 2024-25, the university became the top producer of doctoral Fulbright U.S. Scholars for the academic year, surpassing all other U.S. colleges and universities, according to the program’s website.

With 24 combined undergraduate and graduate Fulbright U.S. Student Program awardees, Ohio State is currently tied for seventh among doctoral institutions, according to Ohio State News.