Updated April 23, 2025 at 07:42 AM ET
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."
Now word has come that the program is in fact on through June — but that the future is uncertain. Asked by NPR to comment on whether the student scholarships will be in place for the fall semester, the State Department replied: "Women's Scholarship Endowment (WSE) programs at Texas A&M and American University are currently active through June 2025. USAID will continue to monitor the situation and assess the students' safety. We have nothing further to offer at this time."
How the USAID endowment works
The scholarship itself has an unusual history. In 2018, USAID gave a $50 million bequest to the Texas A&M University Foundation to create and administer the Women's Scholarship Endowment program (WSE).
"We are an endowment — the first endowment that USAID awarded in nearly 40 years," an official with the scholarship program tells NPR. The official asked for anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to the media.
"So it's in an investment pool, and the program itself runs only on the interest generated from that $50 million, which remains intact. We haven't even touched it," the official says.
The interest pays for 208 scholarships, including R.K.'s. Along with dozens of students, R.K. participates in online learning from their homes in Afghanistan. (Additional USAID funding pays the teachers and other expenses.)
AUAF is a Kabul-based university founded in 2006 that partially shifted its campus to Qatar for displaced Afghans after the Taliban takeover. It also runs online classes for students unable to leave Afghanistan.
The funds allowed 120 women to relocate to Oman and Qatar to attend college in person, with living expenses covered.
The program currently focuses on STEM fields of study: science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Left in limbo
R.K. has already completed 49 out of the required 120 credits and hoped to graduate in 2026.
"This scholarship meant everything to me," she says. "It was like a light in the darkest days of my life. After the fall of Kabul, this program was my biggest hope for the future."
In the immediate aftermath of the USAID shakeup, R.K. says she feels as if she is in limbo.
"I put in a lot of effort into my studies at AUAF," R.K. tells NPR, adding that students worry about finding similar educational opportunities to allow them to complete their coursework and aren't sure if other universities will honor their credits.
The program organizers did finally get confirmation that the scholarship funding can continue until the end of the current semester.
"It does not cost the U.S. taxpayer one penny," the official with the scholarship program adds. "All we need is a time extension through 2030."
Supporters of the scholarships
Human rights groups and educators, internationally and in Afghanistan, have spoken out in favor of the program.
Girls in Afghanistan have already endured extreme restrictions and bans on their education over the last four years, said Sahar Fetrat, a researcher at the Women's Rights Division at Human Rights Watch in London.
"A smaller group, who managed to complete high school, had a rare opportunity to continue their education online or in person in other countries," she says. The suspension of these scholarships would take away a "final opportunity" from girls. "These programs were the last remaining loopholes for girls and women seeking higher education."
Ruchi Kumar is a journalist who reports on conflict, politics, development and culture in India and Afghanistan. She is on X at @RuchiKumar
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