Eva Boyes graduated NYU’s College of Arts and Science last year with a degree in environmental studies and minors in Hellenic and business studies. This year, she works in a counseling office at Athens College with her cost of living covered by a federal scholarship.
Boyes is one of 28 student and alumni recipients of the Fulbright scholarship. This year, the university maintained its No. 8 spot in the number of students chosen for the program, naming it a “top producing institution” for Fulbright students for the ninth consecutive year.
With the goal of immersing herself in Greek culture in honor of her ancestry, Boyes spent most of her time brainstorming essay ideas, reading personal statements and coming up with answers to colleges’ supplemental questions. She said that while she initially started her job as a counselor thinking she would quickly pick up on the country’s norms and workplace expectations, her nine months in Greece have taught her more than she had ever expected.
“Working in an office with Greek people, you learn things about their culture and the way of life that maybe you wouldn’t in a shorter time span,” Boyes said in an interview with WSN. “I’ve also definitely gained an appreciation for teachers, especially second language teachers.”
The Fulbright Program is an international scholarship that awards 9,000 merit-based grants to students, teachers and professionals to use toward research projects abroad. NYU’s recipients — 18 undergraduates and 10 graduates — were chosen for their work in areas, including English teaching, international affairs and climate and culture.
Students can apply to the Fulbright Program in more than 160 countries for independent research, graduate study or performance art. The opportunities provided by the scholarship typically last 8-12 months and focus on integrating academic interests with a specific country’s culture and practices.
Shirin Nadira, assistant director of the Office of Global Awards at NYU, said there were around 140 applicants from NYU this year, noting that it was relatively more than other institutions in the “top producing institution” list. The list, which includes over 100 schools, comprises universities with a minimum of 10 grantees selected for the Fulbright scholarship.
“One of our goals in the office is to encourage students to prioritize the process over the prize, and that’s what we do as well,” Nadira told WSN. “It’s always only a minority of students who win, but everybody who goes through it can get something out of it.”
In order to apply to the U.S. student program, students must be citizens or nationals affiliated with a U.S. college and have received a bachelor’s degree by the start of the program. The application includes a short summary of their research project proposal, as well as brief explanations of how they will adapt to their host country, how they will engage with their community and what their end objective is.
The scholarship’s future has faced increased uncertainty in the wake of the Trump administration’s cuts to federal spending on higher education institutions, with some non-NYU students claiming that their grants have been frozen. While Fulbright was initially excluded from the Department of Government Efficiency’s widespread freeze on research spending, effects on the program came to light in the following weeks.
In Boyes’ case, much of her scholarship funding is provided by Athens College. She said that this is also the case for several of her peers, and that host countries often bear the cost of the grant. However, several U.S.-based programs have reportedly been put on pause, with some scholars receiving notice of their grant’s termination while already in another country.
Other schools are experiencing similar uncertainty with the program. At Harvard University, visiting scholars’ programs have continued, but without enrichment programs traditionally meant to bolster their work. Fulbright scholars at Yale University have had their research trips deferred or been told their funding is on “temporary” pause.
“Applying is an act of optimism and it’s an act of advocacy,” Nadira said. “We’ve heard from the Institute of International Education – the unit that runs Fulbright — to encourage students to start their Fulbright applications right now, because the more numbers of applicants they have in the system, the stronger a case they can make to Congress, that this is what your constituents want.”
Contact Grace Tan at gtan@nyunews.com.
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