The resignations coincide with increased scrutiny by the Trump administration on international students, including expanded grounds for revoking legal status and halting new student visa interviews.

The board accused the State Department of illegally canceling nearly 200 approved scholarships for American academics traveling overseas this summer.

The board called on Congress, the courts, and future Fulbright Boards to safeguard the program from political interference and degradation.

Federal funding has been frozen for major universities, including over $1 billion for Cornell University and almost $800 million for Northwestern University, while Harvard University has $8.7 billion in grants under review.

This mass resignation underscores escalating tensions between the Trump administration and higher education institutions, with 45 universities currently under investigation.

Approximately 1,200 foreign scholars' applications to study in the U.S. are currently under review, jeopardizing exchanges that were supposed to commence in April.

The board accused the administration of unlawfully denying numerous Fulbright awards for the 2025-2026 academic year and initiating unauthorized reviews of 1,200 approved candidates.

Reports indicate that rejection letters are being sent to scholars based on their research topics, particularly targeting areas like climate change and gender studies.

The board expressed alarm over proposed budget cuts that threaten to drastically reduce funding for educational and cultural affairs from $691 million to $50 million.

On June 11, 2025, all 12 members of the Fulbright scholarship board resigned in protest against alleged political interference by the Trump administration in the selection of award recipients.

Established nearly 80 years ago, the Fulbright program aims to foster international exchange and American diplomacy, awarding approximately 9,000 scholarships annually across over 160 countries.

Concerns have been raised regarding the impact of political intervention on academic freedom and the core values of the Fulbright mission.