More than 80 Afghan women who fled the Taliban regime to study in Oman are facing imminent deportation to Afghanistan after their U.S.-funded scholarship was canceled as part of the Trump administration’s cuts to foreign aid. The female students received an email informing them that the scholarship program had been terminated along with thousands of other foreign aid initiatives. The women fear persecution and life-threatening risks if they are forced to return to Afghanistan. They are appealing for urgent help to continue their studies abroad and avoid deportation. The Women’s Scholarship Endowment program, launched in 2019 with a $50 million endowment from USAID, covered the cost of the students’ education without requiring additional annual funding from the U.S. government. The elimination of the scholarship program has been criticized by lawmakers, with Rep. Seth Moulton calling it “shameful” and urging the Trump administration to reverse course. Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, they have imposed harsh restrictions on women, including banning them from education and employment. Nonprofit groups are working to resolve the situation and prevent the women from being sent back to Afghanistan, where they face a dangerous future. The fate of these students highlights the human cost of cuts to foreign aid programs.
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