MoF yet to receive correspondence from US Embassy on Fulbright Scholarship
As university students and scholars around the world, particularly in the United States (US), find themselves stranded, uncertain, and grappling with the devastating blow of scholarship funding cuts—including the revered Fulbright Scholarship—the fate of Bhutanese students studying in the U.S. under this prestigious program remains shrouded in ambiguity.
The sudden and indefinite freeze on funding has cast a long, ominous shadow over the futures of countless aspiring scholars, leaving them in limbo. While students in other nations scramble for clarity, in Bhutan, the silence is deafening. An official from the Ministry of Finance (MoF) confirmed that there has been no official communication from the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi regarding the status of Fulbright funding for Bhutanese scholars. Meanwhile, the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC)—one of the primary agencies responsible for announcing and selecting Bhutanese students for this life-changing opportunity— redirected inquiries back to the MoF. The paper also could not get the total number of Bhutanese studying abroad under the fellowship.
The Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange initiative, has long been a beacon of hope, fostering mutual understanding between the people of the United States and nations around the world. Since its inception over seven decades ago, the program has provided unparalleled academic opportunities, spanning more than 160 countries. Bhutan’s own engagement with Fulbright reached a significant milestone on March 7, 2017, when the U.S. government and the Royal Government of Bhutan jointly announced a major transformation—expanding Bhutanese participation from a biannual to an annual graduate-level award, effectively doubling the number of scholarships available.
A dive into the RCSC’s website revealed that announcements had been made regarding the availability of scholarships for the 2025 Fulbright Fellowship Program, specifically for Master’s degrees spanning one to two years. The call for applications stated, “The Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) is pleased to announce the availability of (contingent on funding) scholarships for Master’s Degree (1-2 years program).” Yet, as the Commission’s website is currently under maintenance, precise figures on how many Bhutanese scholars are currently in the U.S. under Fulbright could not be obtained.
Adding to the program’s significance, Bhutan has also benefited from the Fulbright Specialist Program, an initiative launched in 2001 under the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). Through this avenue, highly accomplished U.S. academics and professionals have traveled to Bhutan to share their expertise, forge institutional partnerships, and enhance capacity-building efforts within the country. The potential loss of such a program would deal a significant blow to Bhutan’s academic and professional landscape.
The freeze on the Fulbright Fellowship was initially imposed in mid-February 2025, with an expected 15-day duration set to expire on February 27. However, students were soon met with another grim reality—an email informing them that the funding pause would extend indefinitely, with no clear resolution in sight. Meanwhile, the paper could not contact the US Embassy in New Delhi despite repeated attempts.
Ugyen Tenzin from Thimphu
