President Donald Trump's broad spending freeze included the State Department's scholarship program for students studying abroad — and students say they were left holding the bag overseas.
Many students who couldn't otherwise afford it can apply for scholarships, such as the Fulbright scholarship, which funds such opportunities.
The New York Times reported on Friday that it left students "stranded" in other countries. It has been three weeks since the funding freeze and the funds still haven't been turned back on. Some students are starting to worry they won't be able to get home. Others fear their semester abroad will be canceled.
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“The scholarship is the only reason I was able to come abroad because I’m a Pell grant recipient,” said one student stuck in South Korea. “I was shocked, yes, but at the same time, I could feel it coming.”
She confessed she's been scared and desperately trying not to spend anything out of fear.
"I’m literally living off of ramen," she told the Times.
The report cited the president of the Forum on Education Abroad, Melissa Torres, who said that her phone is blowing up with concerned families.
"What’s going on? Are we able to go abroad? What are you doing to assist my student who’s abroad right now?" are some of the questions being asked.
The answer, she said, is "We don’t know."
When he came into office, Trump created the Department of Government Efficiency by executive order. That initiative has been behind the upheaval and dismantling of government agencies. Websites, grants, programs, and employees have been cut or frozen under the promise that Trump will save taxpayers trillions.