She’s a young woman who has zero chance of pursuing a college degree in Afghanistan.
That’s because in December 2022 the Taliban decreed that women would no longer be allowed to pursue university education. High schools for girls were banned the year before.
But she found a way to follow her dream. Starting in 2024, R.K. began taking online courses at the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF), thanks to a scholarship funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). (R.K. asked to be identified by her initials because of fear that the Taliban would threaten her for defying their ban.)
But in the past month, R.K. and 207 other young women with scholarships have seen their future education up for debate in the wake of decisions by the Trump administration to dismantle foreign aid programs as part of its cost-cutting measures.
First came a communication from USAID stating that the program would operate through June but with no further details beyond that date. Then an April 5 email stated that the program would be terminated immediately “pursuant to a review and determination that the award is inconsistent with the Administration’s priorities.” This directive was one of many termination notes sent on that date from Jeremy Lewin, deputy administrator at the significantly shrunk USAID.
At that time, NPR asked the State Department to clarify the status of the scholarship program currently and for the next semester. The email response: “Ensuring we have the right mix of programs to support U.S. national security and other core national interests of the United States requires an agile approach. We will continue to make changes as needed.”
Read full report on NPR
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