The federal government’s suspension of funds may supend summer plans of students at TU.
The Friday before spring break, I received an email I had been waiting for since November when I submitted my application for a language immersion program — I had been selected for the 2025 Critical Language Scholarship Program to study Mandarin in Taiwan over the summer. This should have been a moment of elation: after months of crafting and refining application essays, my hard work had finally paid off. Yet, I could not bring myself to relish in my achievement. I knew there was a strong possibility that the program would not happen at all. As part of the Trump administration’s overhaul of the federal bureaucracy, the funding for the Critical Language Scholarship Program and other US State Department-sponsored exchange programs such as the Fulbright and Gilman scholarships remain frozen.
According to the National Association of Foreign Student Advisers, a non-profit organization focused on international education, in mid-February, programs receiving US Department of State grants were notified of a temporary funding freeze, which was set to expire on Feb. 27. However, this freeze has not been lifted. This has not just affected students hoping to participate in these programs; it has also impacted current program participants. The Associated Press and the New York Times have reported on scholars and professionals mid-way through programs in foreign countries who now find themselves without funding and have no way to pay for living expenses — much less flights home — and effectively remain stranded abroad. On our campus, this means that I and the other two University of Tulsa students selected for CLS, along with students who have been selected for other programs such as the Gilman, may be forced to look for other opportunities to engage in international education.
Opportunities to study abroad are often inaccessible due to high travel costs. Cutting this funding means that lower-income students will be deprived of opportunities to grow personally and professionally. I for one know that without funding, I have no way of paying to study in Taiwan. These programs are not charity or just a cool free trip, as some may think. In the long run, they help the entire US by equipping students and professionals with the skills to represent Americans abroad in settings from private enterprises to nonprofits focused on public service.
As someone who completed the virtual version of CLS for Mandarin last summer, I can attest to the effectiveness of the program. I went from barely being able to count to ten to scoring at an intermediate level on my proficiency exam. Not only did I learn Mandarin, but through engaging with my language partner and participating in cultural activities, I also gained intercultural communication skills, all of which will help me in my future career in policy and service. I have contacted my legislators and representatives to let them know how vital these programs are, and I encourage all of you to do the same, whether it be about the necessity of international education programs or other ways you have been impacted by federal budget cuts and funding freezes.
Beyond just unfreezing funds for existing programs like CLS and Fulbright, the US government should expand language learning throughout the entire education system. As cool as it is for me to say I was chosen for a competitive program, the entire country will benefit when opportunities like these are made more accessible. Outside of the English-speaking world, multilingualism is common, and our students are falling behind in competitiveness and missing out. Knowing foreign languages and understanding other cultures are essential skills to successfully navigating our globalized world, whether through diplomacy, business, science, or even the arts. Investing in multilingual and international education will give our students the best possible outcomes. I want to live in an America where learning languages like Mandarin, Hindi, Swahili and Arabic is common, not just a rare opportunity for a privileged few.
