News

​The Forum on Education Abroad and NAFSA: Association of International Educators sent a letter to Her Excellency Ángeles Moreno Bau at the Embassy of Spain in Washington, D.C., last Friday to share concerns reported widely by our members throughout the Spring 2026 student visa application cycle, regarding the processing of student visas through its processing partner, BLS International Services Ltd. 

Last week, the Administration released its FY27 President’s Budget Request (PBR), which proposes a 68% reduction in funding for U.S. Department of State international exchange programs.  

If adopted, these cuts would significantly weaken (or eliminate) many deeply impactful programs supported through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). 

The education abroad community’s advocacy has proven powerful in the past. Just last year, a proposed 93% cut to ECA was met with strong opposition from education abroad supporters nationwide. More than 20,000 messages were sent to lawmakers, and Congress responded by rejecting the cuts and funding exchange programs at $667 million for FY26. 
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Now, our community must step up again to clearly demonstrate the value and impact of these programs. ​

Education abroad transforms not just individual career outcomes, but economies for entire communities and industries. It has been linked to greater attractiveness in candidate pools and positive effects on early-career wages. And with more than 41 million jobs in the U.S. dependent on international trade, a globally competent workforce is more important than ever. 

​Dear colleagues, 

The Department of State has not released any information regarding the temporary 15-day pause that first began on February 12. The United States is hurting its own economic and national security interests by implementing this extraordinary freeze, which has yet to be lifted. If funding is not fully and immediately restored, businesses will find it harder to hire workers with global skills, the 3,500 Americans who are currently abroad on scholarships will be less safe, and the international education community’s ability to implement programs in the future will be irreparably harmed. Congress must follow through on the funding commitments they made if they want to preserve the future of America’s workforce and support student success. 

Dear Colleagues,

The U.S. Department of State’s ongoing freeze on funding for current and future grants is continues to wreak havoc on students and faculty who are currently abroad or planning to do in the next six months. The Forum on Education Abroad is collaborating with NAFSA: Association of International Educators and the Alliance for International Exchange to increase awareness of the impact of the funding freeze and asking Congress to demand that freeze be immediately lifted.