A group of over 80 Afghan women studying in Oman on a U.S.-funded scholarship are facing deportation to Afghanistan after the program was abruptly canceled due to cuts in foreign aid by the Trump administration. The women received an email notifying them of the termination of the scholarship program, leaving them at risk of persecution and life-threatening dangers if they are sent back to Afghanistan. These women were pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees under the Women’s Scholarship Endowment, one of many programs cut by the administration.
In a letter to aid groups, the Afghan women pleaded for help to continue their studies abroad and avoid returning to a country controlled by the Taliban, where restrictions on women’s rights have been reintroduced. The program, launched in 2019 with a $50 million endowment from USAID, had supported these women without requiring additional funding from the U.S. government.
Representative Seth Moulton called the cancellation of the scholarship program “shameful” and urged the administration to reverse its decision, highlighting the dire situation faced by these women. Since the Taliban regained power in 2021, restrictions on women’s education and rights have been reimposed, making the return to Afghanistan particularly dangerous for these students. Efforts are being made by nonprofit groups to find a solution with the government of Oman to prevent the deportation of these women and protect their futures.
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