Dozens of US universities could lose about $1 billion in total tuition fees from new international students who refuse or cannot come to the country due to the actions of the Donald Trump administration, the Financial Times(FT) newspaper reports, citing an analysis of data from the US National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
Tighter background checks, delays in visa processing, and cases of detention of migrants both at the border and on university campuses are causing concern among international students and the administration of educational institutions. According to the results of the study, 162 educational institutions with fewer than 1,000 students, where more than 15% of students are foreign, are particularly vulnerable. About 75% of American universities expect a decline in the number of foreign students in 2025, with most predicting a decline of at least 10%.
According to the education consultancy Shorelight Analytics this could lead to a decrease in direct income by about 900 million USD. At the same time, a possible 10% reduction in the number of all foreign students already studying in the United States could lead to total financial losses of up to 3 billion USD, writes the FT.
At the end of May, the US administration suspended new interviews for student visas. Then the Politico newspaper specified, citing sources, that this step was related to considering the possibility of introducing mandatory verification of applicants' social networks.
At the end of January, US President Donald Trump announced that the US would expel foreign students and other non-US citizens who participated in protests in support of Palestine. In 2024, a wave of pro-Palestinian protests swept American university campuses, accompanied by arrests, clashes with police and pro-Israeli demonstrators. It was caused by the armed conflict in the Gaza Strip. The main demand of the protesters for the US authorities is to stop financial support for Israel.