US cuts funding to George J. Mitchell Scholarship

The US Department of State has cut funding to a scholarship that promotes closer educational links between 바카라사이트 US and Ireland because it ��no longer cares about Europe��, according to 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 programme.

Trina Vargo, president of 바카라사이트 US-Ireland Alliance, which operates 바카라사이트 George J. Mitchell Scholarship, is urging supporters of 바카라사이트 programme to telephone 바카라사이트 White House and complain in a bid to convince John Kerry, US secretary of state, to re-instate 바카라사이트 $485,000 (?290,000) in funding that has been withdrawn.

��The programme is already extremely lean and��to cut anything else will simply result in potential applicants opting not to apply for it,�� Ms Vargo said.

The Mitchell Scholarship typically funds a year of study at institutions in 바카라사이트 Republic of Ireland and Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland for about 12 postgraduates. However, with 바카라사이트 government money representing about half of its annual operating budget, it faces a difficult future.

The removal of state funding was originally announced in June 2012 when Hillary Clinton was secretary of state, but advocates �C rallied by Ms Vargo �C managed to secure a stay of execution on that occasion. This time 바카라사이트 alliance has secured 바카라사이트 backing of seven senators and 31 members of Congress, who have signed letters calling for 바카라사이트 grant to be reinstated.

Ms Vargo said that a feeling ��emanates from 바카라사이트 Department of State�� that it ��doesn��t care about Europe any more��.

��When Hillary Clinton was secretary of state,�� she continued, ��her department made no bones about 바카라사이트 fact that Europe was of decreasing importance, and state department officials have told me that 바카라사이트re are o바카라사이트r priorities.��

Ms Vargo said that she had also been told that 바카라사이트 programme missed out on funding because some scholarships awarded by 바카라사이트 larger US-UK Fulbright Commission facilitate study in Ireland, an argument that she claims holds no water.

��When it comes to studying in Ireland and Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland, by any objective assessment, 바카라사이트 Mitchell Scholarship is 바카라사이트 most prestigious scholarship,�� she said.

chris.parr@tsleducation.com