Scholarship for poor students in jeopardy after fund freeze

After his first attempt to secure a College Relief Fund (CRF) scholarship for the 2025 academic session failed, Samuel Gabriel, a second-year student at the University of Ibadan in south-west Nigeria, was hopeful to be successful in the next edition of the scholarship programme.

Gabriel’s hope now hangs in the balance following United States President Donald Trump’s recent executive order that froze operations of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), cutting funds to a number of humanitarian, health and educational programmes, including the CRF, which is sponsored by the agency.

“We have an important update that could affect your future with the College Relief Fund Scholarship. Recent funding cuts to USAID are changing our financial landscape – and that means changes for our scholarship programme. Discover how these developments impact you …” Dinah Jacobs, the CRF media and publicity lead, stated in an e-mail sent to Gabriel.

“I felt sad when I got the e-mail. Some of my friends also received it. We applied late last year, but we were not shortlisted and we planned to reapply this year. It is very painful that a scholarship like this, which benefits poor students, may be discontinued or [limited] due to this development,” Gabriel told University World News.

“I have friends who were on the verge of dropping out of school due to funds. They got this scholarship, which was enough to pay their school fees and take care of their upkeep for an academic session,” he added.

Uncertainty

Starting the scholarship in 2019 with seed funding of US$245,000, the CRF has assisted thousands of students at Nigerian higher institutions, with each beneficiary receiving NGN500,000 (about US$330).

Six years on, the CRF is concerned that the continuity of the scholarship is under threat, thanks to the suspension of USAID.

“USAID has long been a major partner and funder for initiatives like the CRF scholarship programme, enabling us to support thousands of Nigerian students in higher education. However, the recent decision by the second Trump administration to cut all the funding for USAID means that the resources once available to CRF have now been significantly reduced. This shift presents a challenge to our ability to carry out our programmes at the same scale and pace as before. The uncertainty in funding affects every aspect of our operations, from document verification to the disbursement of funds and supplementary initiatives like data rebates,” the CRF said on its website.

To bridge the gap left by USAID, the organisation is seeking new partnerships to secure alternative funding sources to sustain the scholarship.

“Despite these setbacks, the CRF remains resolute in our commitment to empowering students. We are proud to announce that we will proceed with one more batch [of students] … even amid these funding challenges.

“This next batch will serve as a testament to our resilience and dedication to ensuring that financial barriers do not hinder access to quality education,” the CRF added.

Mobility restrictions

Professor Mahfouz Adedimeji, the vice-chancellor of the African School of Economics, Abuja, believes that the Trump administration will upend the immigration ecosystem, which may adversely affect Africans studying in the US.

“The America First policy implies that others, especially Africans, come last. Schooling and scholarship opportunities will become more stringent and competitive as his disdain for foreigners is an open secret. As a matter of fact, during his first presidency, there was a marked decline in student mobility … This pattern will continue,” he said.

“During his first tenure, international enrolments in the US dropped by 12%, and denials of H-1B visa extensions (temporary work visas) rose from 3% to 12%. This will only get worse, given the treatment even Mexico and Canada are being given.”

A Fulbright scholar, Adedimeji, however, expressed optimism that US government-funded scholarships would not be significantly impacted.

“There is no specific information on that yet. It is when calls for applications come that we can know the specifics. In Trump 1.0, it wasn’t affected drastically. People still went [to the US]. The number might be reduced globally,” he said.

Professor Francis Nwosu, the president of the Fulbright Alumni Association of Nigeria (FAAN) foresees a reduction in the US-funded foreign scholarships as the world awaits the full implications of Trump’s sweeping executive orders for higher education.

“Looking at it from a general point of view, if the fund is cut here and there, it may not stop scholarships completely, but it will reduce the number of scholars that will be picked from the benefiting countries, including Nigeria,” he stated.

Time to restrategise?

Nwosu told University World News that FAAN had proactively set up a committee to lobby the Nigerian government to sponsor more Fulbright scholars – in addition to the slots provided by the US.

“It could be regional agencies or commissions or education trust funds in the country that would channel funds to train our scholars in the US under Fulbright. This will increase the number of scholars we send from Nigeria to acquire knowledge and come back to develop our country,” he said.

Despite the impact of the freeze, Adedimeji observed that the foreign aid freeze presents inherent opportunities of spurring Africans to look inwards and develop their institutions.

Pedro Obi, the president of the National Association of Nigerian Students, agreed with Adedimeji, saying it was time Africa stopped relying on foreign aid to fund critical sectors such as education.

“We should use this opportunity to develop our own continent. If you feel, as a man, you have an uncle who is taking care of your needs, you may not think of exploring your potential,” he added.