Taiwanese students studying at Harvard University on scholarships who are struggling with daily expenses due to a recent move by US President Donald Trump to freeze federal grants to the school can apply for student loans backed by Taiwan’s government, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said yesterday.
Last month, the Trump administration froze about US$3.2 billion in grants and contracts with Harvard University, while also seeking to revoke the university’s ability to enroll international students, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.
Yesterday, Lee Tien-chang (李典璋), a Taiwanese student currently studying at Harvard, said that some laboratories have been affected by the funding freeze.
Photo:Reuters
Although professors still have some remaining funds to cover expenses, it is unclear how long they would be able to continue paying salaries, which has made many researchers quite anxious, he said.
Lee also mentioned that some students admitted to Harvard have had their scholarships suspended, causing significant financial hardship.
He said that even if scholarships and teaching assistant stipends are eventually restored, students still face daily expenses for food, clothing, housing and transportation, making emergency financial assistance urgently needed.
In response to the impact of Trump’s actions on Taiwanese students, the MOE said that eligible students — from families with an annual income below NT$2 million (US$66,858) or with more than two children studying abroad — can apply for government-backed student loans through seven designated banks in Taiwan.
The loan cap is NT$1.2 million for master’s students and NT$2.4 million for doctoral students, according to information on the website of the MOE’s Department of International and Cross-Strait Education.
According to the ministry, there are 52 Taiwanese students currently studying at Harvard, including those about to begin their studies at the US’ oldest university.
Meanwhile, some Taiwanese students at Harvard expressed concern about leaving the US during the summer break, fearing they may not be able to return and continue their studies due to Trump’s aggressive actions targeting Harvard.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Boston said that Harvard has filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s decision, and that a federal judge has already temporarily suspended the ban on enrolling international students.
The office advised students to “stay calm” and wait for further updates and instructions from the university.
While the MOE said no Taiwanese students had been asked to leave Harvard as of yesterday, it said that if the ban is ultimately upheld and those affected decide to return to Taiwan, there are plans for them to complete their studies.
They include contingency measures that Harvard may provide — such as remote learning — or transferring credits via mechanisms like credit recognition agreements with domestic universities that have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Harvard.
In addition, US news outlet Politico on Tuesday reported that the Trump administration is considering requiring all foreign students applying to study in the US to undergo social media vetting, and that US overseas missions have been ordered to pause the scheduling of new interviews for student visa applicants.
Lee Yu-jiuan (李毓娟), head of the Department of International and Cross-Strait Education, told a legislative hearing yesterday that, as far as the ministry is aware, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) had not received any instructions from the US government to pause student visa interviews as of yesterday morning.
Scheduled visa interviews for Taiwanese students are still proceeding as planned at the AIT, Lee Yu-jiuan added.
In response to a request for comment, an AIT spokesperson said that the US Department of State’s scheduling of nonimmigrant visa interview appointments is dynamic.
“An embassy or consulate’s capacity reflects the time required for consular officers to adjudicate the cases before them in full compliance with US law,” the spokesperson said.
Since 2019, the Department of State has required visa applicants to provide social media identifiers on immigrant and nonimmigrant visa application forms, the spokesperson said.
“We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting. All visa applicants, no matter the visa type and where they are located, are continuously vetted.” the spokesperson added.
“Visa applicants may continue to submit applications,” the spokesperson said, adding that consular sections constantly adjust their schedules to allow for sufficient time to fully vet the cases before them.
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