Since plunging during the COVID-19 pandemic, international student enrollment in the U.S. has been rebounding 鈥� a relief to American universities that count on their tuition payments. Two months into the new Trump administration, educators fear that could soon change.
Unnerved by efforts to over political views, students from other countries already in the U.S. have felt new pressure to .
A Ph.D. student at the University of Rochester from South Asia said it feels too risky to speak about LGBTQ+ causes she once openly championed or even be seen near a political demonstration. With reports of travel bans circulating, she likely won't fly home for the summer out of fear she would not be allowed back into the U.S.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e here for an education so you鈥檝e got to keep moving forward on that end,鈥� said the student, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being targeted by authorities. 鈥淏ut also it鈥檚 very hard to, say, 鈥極K, I鈥檓 at work. I鈥檝e got to zone out. I can鈥檛 be thinking about the news.鈥欌��
Educators worry it鈥檚 a balancing act that will turn off . As the U.S. government takes a harder line on immigration, and begins , students are left to wonder if they鈥檒l be able to get visas, travel freely, pursue research or even express an opinion.
鈥淚t has a chilling effect,鈥� said Clay Harmon, executive director of AIRC, a membership organization focused on recruiting and enrolling international students. 鈥淓ven if there鈥檚 no direct consequence or direct limitation right now, all of this cumulatively produces an impression that the U.S. is not welcoming, it鈥檚 not open or that you may be in some kind of danger or jeopardy if you do come to the U.S.鈥�
During a recent trip to India, the , the consensus among recruiting agencies was that far fewer of that country鈥檚 students are interested in American colleges than in recent years, Harmon said.
Some students are waiting to see how policy changes will play out, while others already have deferred admission offers for fall 2025, he said. Student social networks are active, and news about immigration-related developments in America 鈥� like to prevent Chinese students from studying in the U.S. 鈥� spreads quickly.
Students in Canada, China, India and elsewhere have been seeking answers and advice on Reddit and other social media sites, wondering whether to move forward with U.S. plans, or choose a college in the United Kingdom, Germany or elsewhere in Europe.
International students are coveted as an antidote to declining domestic enrollment and source of full-price tuition payments. In the 2023-2024 academic year, 1.1 million international students at U.S. colleges and universities contributed an all-time high $43.8 billion to the nation鈥檚 economy and supported more than 378,000 jobs, according to released by NAFSA, an agency that promotes international education.
International graduate students also play a large role in advancing research, said Fanta Aw, who heads NAFSA.
Aw said universities must work to remind prospective students that detentions like those of a Columbia University and, more recently, a scholar at still are not the norm, despite the attention they receive.
鈥淲e have international students at lots of universities,鈥� she said, and news coverage has focused on consequences for international students at just a couple of colleges. 鈥淪o we have to also put into perspective the fact that the vast majority of students are in universities where we鈥檙e not hearing anything.鈥�
The messaging from colleges and universities on the changing political climate has varied. Some, including Northeastern University in Boston, have responded to Trump鈥檚 directives with webpages to keep current and prospective students informed.
鈥淥ur global community will continue to be a welcoming place for admitted students from all corners of the world,鈥� spokeswoman Renata Nyul said via email.
Others have gone further. Bunker Hill Community College in Boston has suspended its one- to two-week study abroad programs, citing concerns about potential travel restrictions. Administrators at Columbia鈥檚 Graduate School of Journalism have warned students who are not U.S. citizens about their vulnerability to arrest or deportation.
Brown University has advised international students and staff, including visa holders and permanent residents, to postpone travel after a Brown professor was deported to Lebanon despite having a U.S. visa. Homeland Security officials she 鈥渙penly admitted鈥� to supporting a and attending his funeral.
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Carolyn Thompson, The Associated Press
