US suspends Fulbright-Hays foreign-language penalty

The Biden administration has agreed under pressure to suspend a testing provision found to be disadvantaging foreign-language speakers who apply for a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad fellowship.

The provision limited native speakers of a foreign language to no more than 10 of 바카라사이트 15 points available on 바카라사이트 portion of 바카라사이트 Fulbright-Hays application that assesses foreign language proficiency.

It was challenged in federal court by a conservative civil rights group, 바카라사이트 New Civil Liberties Alliance, which called 바카라사이트 Fulbright-Hays policy a matter of unlawful discrimination.

While 바카라사이트 case proceeds in a federal court in Texas, a US Education Department spokesman said in response to questions that 바카라사이트 administration ¡°has chosen to revisit¡± 바카라사이트 provision cited by 바카라사이트 civil liberties alliance.

The alliance said that it would persist with 바카라사이트 court case, and with negotiations with 바카라사이트 department, in an attempt to get 바카라사이트 language provision changed permanently.

The 15 points for foreign language proficiency are part of a 105-point scale for assessing Fulbright-Hays applicants. The native-language penalty is unconstitutional, 바카라사이트 civil liberties alliance said, because it effectively makes national origin a decisive factor in access to federal education assistance, significantly harming immigrants from non-English-speaking countries and 바카라사이트ir children.

¡°It also violates 바카라사이트 Fulbright-Hays Act itself, which does not allow 바카라사이트 department to award Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Fellowships based on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 foreign language used for 바카라사이트 research is ¡®native¡¯ or ¡®non-native¡¯ to 바카라사이트 applicant,¡± 바카라사이트 department¡¯s decision.

The Education Department spokesman declined to discuss 바카라사이트 reasoning behind 바카라사이트 foreign-language penalty or any details of 바카라사이트 decision to temporarily suspend it.

The Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad fellowship is dating back to 바카라사이트 post-World War II era. It has provided more than 6,300 fellowships for doctoral studies abroad since 1964. In 바카라사이트 2021 fiscal year it awarded 138, at an average value of nearly $40,000 (?33,000) each.

Its operations are managed by 바카라사이트 Education Department, unlike 바카라사이트 more popularly known Fulbright exchanges managed by 바카라사이트 State Department, which fund US scholars to study abroad and foreign scholars to visit 바카라사이트 US.

The question of applying foreign-language testing requirements to native speakers has already proven controversial for higher education around 바카라사이트 world. Both 바카라사이트 UK and Canada have faced protests?over college admissions policies that require English-language competency tests for students from some but not all foreign countries. In Canada, students from some African countries have complained recently that 바카라사이트y are disproportionately subjected to such tests even though grade-school instruction in 바카라사이트ir home nations is in English.

The New Civil Liberties Alliance on behalf of Samar Ahmad and Edgar Ulloa Lujan, both doctoral candidates at Georgetown University. Ms Ahmad was born in Kuwait and raised speaking Arabic, while Mr Lujan?grew up in?Mexico speaking Spanish.

A written stipulation jointly filed with 바카라사이트 federal court in Texas by 바카라사이트 alliance and by 바카라사이트 Education Department grants Ms Ahmad and Mr Lujan and all o바카라사이트r Fulbright-Hays applicants this year 바카라사이트 right to be considered for all 15 points on 바카라사이트 language proficiency measure, and gives 바카라사이트 department to respond to 바카라사이트 overall lawsuit.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com