The Sequester Threatens the Fulbright Exchange Program

The sequester budget cuts threaten the Fulbright program, which is funded by the State Department. Although it is not yet clear how the State Department will manage the $2.6 billion in cuts, the Fulbright program is vulnerable. Here is a letter we, current Fulbright students in Russia, drafted to express our opposition to potential cuts.

President Obama and Members of Congress,

On behalf of the American Fulbright students teaching and researching in Russia, we urge you to rethink the dramatic cuts to State Department programs that could come into effect on March 1. Secretary of State Kerry warned that he would be forced to “reduce our participation in international education and cultural programs.” The Fulbright program is an international exchange program that provided us with the opportunity to teach English to willing students and to conduct research projects all across Russia. Since the program’s inception in 1946, tens of thousands of American and foreign students, scholars, and scientists have exchanged ideas and contributed to finding solutions to shared international concerns in a bidirectional exchange. Please preserve the program for future students to meet Senator Fulbright’s challenge “to expand the boundaries of human wisdom, empathy, and perception” through international education.

Sincerely,

Kevin Fomalont

Kristen Moreland

Elisabeth Black

Alexander Anand

Juliana Jordan

Judith Mazra

Kate Hardin

Sara Prober

Sarah Bunker

Kathleen Keefe

Arielle Neu

Joseph Ricci

Matthew Casedonte

Jacqueline Bailey-Ross

Jake Groves

Kate Lynn Lindsey

Laura Molloy

Danielle Jones

Ella Antell

Kathleen Cohen

Cathy Chamberlain

Rachel Van Horn

Elaine Wilson

Alex Urban

James Lasher

Evan Alterman

Kellie Benn

Amani Edwards

Kate Sedlacek

Jonathan Baker