Can my school fire me on the grounds that I have applied to another school? I'm in the middle of a 4-year Ph.D. program on a full scholarship, in a foreign country. Due to expertise issues, lack of community, and other reasons I have decided that this program is not suitable for me, and have applied and been admitted to another program in another country. I haven't informed my current school/supervisor, as I was supposed to leave here for the new institution by the July of this year (so I thought &quot;why would I even endanger my position by informing them?&quot;), but due to the pandemic and some complications related to my visa application I couldn't, so I deferred my studies for a whole year (to late 2022). Now I'm sitting here and wondering what would happen if my current school finds out that all the money they've been spending on me has been on nothing; worse for them, they'll still be paying me due to the scholarship commitments. (Very likely they will find out, soon or late.)
Are there any grounds that they can fire me? Like, is what I have done one such ground? What do you suggest, in general, I should do if they find out about my new school application? I was thinking to suggest to them that I can donate a portion of the scholarships that I've awarded back to them upon leaving here, but not sure if that's a good idea. (I have no legal commitment whatsoever in returning my scholarships under any circumstances; I just thought of my idea as a deal or something.)

Update (April 6): The Office of Graduate Studies confirmed that unless due to unsatisfactory progress (such as falling candidacy exams, etc.), my funding as well as registration status as a student in the current school is bound by my initial contract and cannot be cancelled on any other grounds.
Not a direct answer since I can’t presume to know what someone else would do, but you have several misconceptions about how university departments think and act, and maybe understanding them would help guide your thinking. Departments are quite used to spending money on “nothing” — your derogatory but totally inaccurate term for students who leave without completing their degree. From the department’s point of view that’s a completely normal and predictable part of the cost of running their operations, and nothing to get worked up about.
Second, a student who leaves without a degree is in no sense a waste of time or money. Such a student came, gained some useful knowledge, learned some things about themselves that made them a wiser person who is better able to fulfill their potential in the future, and left to go somewhere else. Degree or no degree, the resources spent on such a student are entirely consistent with the mission of a university.
Third, donations are to be given because you have a genuine desire to give money rather than out of a sense of duty, coercion, or a fear of retaliation. If those are your motives, then it’s not donation, it’s extortion.