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:
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:
In all outreach, messaging, and social media posts, we ask that you focus on your positive and transformational Fulbright experiences, recognizing that the Fulbright Program has thrived thanks to bipartisan support on Capitol Hill for 71 years.
As always, your membership gives the Fulbright Association credibility as the voice for the Fulbright Program. Thank you for joining us to, once again, Stand for Fulbright.