More than 80 Afghan women who fled the Taliban to pursue higher education in Oman now face the prospect of imminent deportation after the abrupt cancellation of their U.S.-funded scholarships. The decision, part of the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts to foreign aid, has left the students in limbo, fearing for their lives if forced to return to Afghanistan.
The students, who were enrolled at Middle East College in Oman under the Women’s Scholarship Endowment, were informed via email on Feb. 28 that their funding had been terminated. The program was among thousands of foreign aid initiatives scrapped after a six-week review ordered by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
In a desperate plea to international aid organizations, the Afghan women wrote a letter warning that deportation to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan would not only cost them their education but also expose them to severe persecution.
“The situation is catastrophic. Being sent back to Afghanistan would mean the permanent loss of our education and exposure to severe risks, including oppression, insecurity, and a future without opportunities. This is a life-or-death situation for many of us,” the letter states.
Since reclaiming power in 2021 following the U.S. withdrawal, the Taliban have reinstated harsh restrictions on women. They have banned female education beyond the sixth grade, prohibited women from most forms of employment, and severely restricted their movement and public presence.
For these Afghan students, many of whom were already at risk before fleeing their home country, returning now could mean arrest, forced marriage, or worse.
“Please don’t let our dreams be shattered and the Taliban decide our fate,” the students’ letter continues. “We have fought very hard to get out of their hands. We won’t be living anymore if we have to go back.”
The Women’s Scholarship Endowment was established in 2019 with a $50 million fund from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The program was designed to provide higher education opportunities for Afghan women without requiring additional annual funding from the U.S. government. Interest from the endowment covered the cost of tuition, housing, and living expenses.
Despite its self-sustaining nature, the program was cut as part of an 83% reduction in USAID initiatives, a move that Rubio defended as necessary to streamline operations and reduce reliance on foreign aid. The remaining USAID programs are being merged into the State Department.
The decision has sparked backlash from lawmakers and human rights advocates, who say the cuts not only endanger the lives of these women but also undermine America’s commitments to Afghan allies.
“The Trump administration thinks it’s politically advantageous to villainize USAID, but Americans need to realize that behind the canceled contracts and mass layoffs are innocent lives now put at risk,” said Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass.
“In this case, these bright young women with the world ahead of them could receive what could amount to a death sentence in a matter of days—simply because they were relying on a U.S.-funded scholarship to get their education abroad.”
Brian Le, deputy legislative director at With Honor, a nonprofit that works with veterans in Congress on bipartisan initiatives, has been working with advocacy groups to find a solution. He said that while the students initially believed 83 women were affected, the real number appears to be over 120.
“What we’re trying to avoid is their return to Afghanistan, which would functionally amount to a death sentence for these women who have been aided by the United States in pursuing higher education opportunities,” Le said.
Nonprofit groups are now in talks with Omani authorities, hoping to secure extensions on the students’ visas or find alternative funding. However, time is running out. Without sponsorship, the students will be forced to leave Oman, and most have no other country willing to take them in.
Some international organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have called for urgent intervention, urging Western nations to grant asylum to the students.
“These women represent the very ideals of progress and education that the U.S. once championed in Afghanistan. Abandoning them now is not only a betrayal of those values but also a human rights failure,” said Heather Barr, associate women’s rights director at Human Rights Watch.
The crisis facing these Afghan scholars is not an isolated incident. Since the fall of Kabul in August 2021, thousands of Afghan women, journalists, activists, and former government employees have been stranded in third countries after being promised protection by Western governments. Many have been left in bureaucratic limbo, unable to secure asylum or permanent residency.
A similar situation unfolded in Pakistan, where hundreds of Afghan refugees—including female students and journalists—were detained or deported as Islamabad cracked down on undocumented migrants. In other cases, Afghan women who had been promised scholarships in Western universities found themselves unable to travel due to visa restrictions and policy changes.
“We keep being told that the West supports Afghan women, but when it comes to actual action, we are left to fend for ourselves,” said one student, speaking anonymously for fear of retribution.
The scholarship cuts have reignited debates over the U.S. role in Afghanistan and its obligations to those it once supported. Critics argue that abandoning these students sends a dangerous message about America’s reliability as a partner.
