Par- Radio ML
The efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad have led to the suspension of the decision for 12 Tunisian students benefiting from the "Thomas Jefferson" scholarship program to leave the United States of America.
In a clarifying statement to (TAP) today, Wednesday, the ministry stated that its efforts "at the central level and at the level of the Tunisian embassy in Washington have led to the suspension of the decision for 12 Tunisian students to leave the United States of America until their files are reviewed and alternative solutions or funding sources are found for their studies."
The ministry mentioned that the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) decided to stop the "Thomas Jefferson" scholarship program and informed 12 Tunisian students benefiting from this program that they must leave the United States of America no later than February 23, 2025.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that it is important to clarify that the notice received by the Tunisian students was in the context of informing them about the suspension of the mentioned program and that it is not an "expulsion" operation as circulated on social media.
The International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), responsible for implementing the "Thomas Jefferson" program in partnership with the US Department of State, issued this notice following the decision to suspend US foreign aid for 90 days, which affects the funding of the "Thomas Jefferson" scholarship program.
It is worth noting that the "Thomas Jefferson" scholarship program provides Tunisian university and higher institute students the opportunity to spend one academic year at an American university or college without obtaining degrees. It helps acquire various skills and experiences. Since its inception in 2013, this program has enabled more than 630 Tunisian university students to study in about 100 colleges and universities in the United States of America.