The Administration has submitted a budget that would result in a 71% cut to the Fulbright Program for Fiscal Year 2019.
Last spring, we stood together in support of Fulbright — and it worked. Thanks to your efforts, a proposed 47% cut for Fiscal Year 2018 was averted, and the Program retained funding at the $240 million level (consistent with 2017 spending). Now, we need your help once again to save the Program from an even more devastating threat.
A 71% cut could destroy the Fulbright Program. For more than 71 years, the Program has been a powerful force for peace, building relationships and understanding between the U.S. and 165 countries around the world.
Congress makes the final decisions on spending, and we are fortunate to enjoy bipartisan support on Capitol Hill. But we must nurture that support and educate the many members of Congress who do not know about the Program or see its importance to national security, local economies, and international education.
Please join us in this effort to save the Fulbright Program by taking a stand for diplomacy and international understanding. We invite you to share this call to action through your personal network nationwide. If Congress hears from thousands of constituents, both Fulbrighters and friends, we can save Fulbright for now — and for the future.
We are asking members of the House and Senate:
- Not to support the Administration’s proposal to cut the Fulbright Program by 71%
- To restore Fulbright Program funding to the $252 million level for FY19
Funding Fulbright at $252 million this year is the first step of a four-year effort (at a 5% increase per year) to restore funding to 2010 levels. In real dollars, the Program has declined 17% to $240 million since then. Boosting its funding will ensure its future for the next generation. Your actions — signing a petition, calling/writing, and visiting Congressional offices — will create powerful momentum to oppose the 71% cut and to restore funding
And there’s more you can do to support Fulbright:
- Meet with your representatives — on Capitol Hill or in your district. Arrange a visit to your Congressional representative’s local office during the upcoming recess. For more information and materials to support your visit, please email our office.
- Join our social media campaign using the hashtag #StandForFulbright. Share a highlight from your Fulbright experience and join the global Fulbright community in showing support for one another and the Program. The Fulbright Association will compile posts shared on Facebook and Twitter using #StandForFulbright to showcase the positive impact of the Fulbright Program worldwide.
- Share your “Fulbright Effect” story. Have you blogged or written about your Fulbright story and its ongoing effect on your life and work? Looking for a way to share your experience? Fill out our form if you would be interested in contributing to our blog, and tell us why Fulbright matters to you and why you advocate to save the Program.
- Connect with your Fulbright Association Chapter. Coordinate visits to district and state offices near you, now and during the August recess, to speak with your local representatives about the impact of Fulbright.
- Contact your college or university’s federal relations office. If you are affiliated with a higher education institution, reach out to your federal relations office to reinforce the impact of Fulbright and other federally-funded international exchange programs on your students, faculty, campus community, and local economy.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Visit our Advocacy page for more information on our strategy, message, and making your voice heard.
