Students seek aid after scholarships halted by USAID cuts

The withdrawal of US$45 million in scholarships awarded by the United States development agency USAID has left 400 Myanmar students, many of them studying abroad, in limbo, unable to return to their country, unable to continue to pay for their education and desperate for support.

The students were beneficiaries of the five-year Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship Program (DISP), which targeted marginalised and underprivileged students. It was recently suspended as part of cuts by the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

“We are at a loss about what to do. We do not have a clear answer as to whether or not we should return home. The [Myanmar] military conscription law prevents some of my friends from returning home, and if they stay, many of them can’t afford their education.

“We’re still trying to find a solution,” Anna, a DISP recipient, told University World News, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

A young Karenni woman from Kayah (Karenni) State in eastern Myanmar, Anna has been pursuing a two-year masters degree in public administration at a higher education institution in Thailand since August 2024 after she was awarded a DISP scholarship. She requested that her university not be named.

The scholarship will be effective until the completion of the second semester of her first year at the institution. She has requested the university waive her tuition fees and is eagerly waiting for its response.

DISP, initiated in 2024, offered Myanmar students full scholarships and educational opportunities. It included scholarships for four-year undergraduate degrees, masters’ degrees and PhDs for study at universities in Asia, including the Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand. The programme also provided funding for online education through the University of Arizona.

A large number of the students granted scholarships had already fled to areas bordering on Myanmar and to other Southeast Asian countries. Other students joined the programme from Myanmar itself.

University hopes to cover tuition fees

Nine students who completed their degrees from Myanmar’s Mon National College in May 2024 received three-year DISP scholarships to study at Payap University, a private non-profit university in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

In response to the scrapping of the scholarship, Payap University is thinking of waiving tuition fees. “The scholarship continues until the end of this semester (May 2025).

“After that, Payap University has been considering waiving tuition fees for students. But students will need to pay for food and accommodation,” Dr Pon Nya Mon, a chancellor at Mon National College, told University World News.

“Since Payap University will waive only tuition fees, we still need to find support for food and accommodation for the students. At the moment, we have not found any donors,” Pon Nya Mon said.

Founded in 2022 in Nyi Sar camp, an area under the control of the New Mon State Party (NMSP), an opposition party in Myanmar’s Mon State, Mon National College offers higher education to Mon ethnic youth.

Scholarship lifeline

The DISP scholarship programme served as a lifeline for students to achieve their educational goals since ongoing conflict, prolonged power outages, and inadequate internet connectivity in Myanmar have severely disrupted education.

Anna’s academic journey in Karenni State, Myanmar, was not easy.

The only place with internet connectivity was close to a tower on top of a mountain. Even in the rain, she went to an internet-connected area after work to pursue her bachelor degree online.

“Young people in Karenni State try to take GED [General Educational Development] tests [for those without a school-leaving certificate] with the aim to study abroad, but applying for a passport presents a security risk, and the military targets them,” Anna said.

“Financial stress is another issue. They are internally displaced and can’t pay for these tests. They are also unable to return home to farm because of the risk of mines on their land. Youth in my hometown have lost any hope of attaining higher education qualifications for the future,” Anna noted.

Ma Myat Pwint, a freelance English teacher with a bachelor degree in education, wants to pursue a masters degree. She was one of the applicants who was still in the selection process when USAID suspended the DISP programme.

“The DISP programme enabled young people to feel hopeful again. After hearing about the termination of the scholarship, I thought everything I had tried had been in vain,” she said. She is currently applying for other scholarships.

Despite the difficulties, Anna and her friends are determined to continue their studies.

“Not one of my friends has told me to return home [to Myanmar]. On the other hand, since we are studying full-time, it won't be that easy to work to pay for our education, which will disturb our focus on schoolwork,” she said.

Contributing to the country

Anna said DISP scholarships were awarded only to students who commit to their country after completing their education in different countries abroad.

“It is important that donors, whether they are institutions or universities, consider assisting DISP recipients until they can complete their studies, because all recipients are eager to contribute to the country when they are finished. It's sad to give up halfway through our studies,” Anna said.

The US-based Institute of International Education (IIE) last month released an urgent action alert to raise US$7 million to assist students and scholars whose scholarships were cancelled. It said in a statement the Odyssey Scholarship for Refugees and Displaced Students offered by IIE can and will step in.

IIE noted the consequences for Myanmar students “are dire – not only will their academic futures be cut short, but due to the original programme’s requirements, many are likely to face arrest or be forced to enlist as soldiers if they return to Myanmar”.

For Anna, pursuing further study is what drives her. She quotes prominent Cuban revolutionary leader Che Guevara’s words: “The first duty of a revolutionary is to be educated.”

She emphasised: “I want to contribute my expertise to the country’s development.”