What is fyi.news?
- What has happened?
- What led to the decision
- Harvard’s losses
- Where the students come from|
- What foreign students study
- Impact on universities
ForYourInformation:
The Trump administration announced last week that it is revoking the right of international students to enroll at Harvard.
The White House informed thousands of international students that they must transfer to other universities, or they will lose their residency permit in the country.
Although a Massachusetts court temporarily blocked the decision, the fate of nearly 6,800 international students at Harvard (mostly graduate students) remains uncertain.
The ban on international students is the latest chapter in the Trump administration’s ongoing conflict with 10 universities, including Harvard.
The administration accuses these universities of anti-Semitism and of maintaining inclusion, equality, and integration (DEI) programs, which it wants to eliminate.
Meanwhile, the government suddenly revoked the visas of many international students—and arrested them—wrongfully accusing them of anti-Semitism after they participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
The conflict began in March when Trump announced he would review contracts ($255+ million) and grants ($8.7 billion) between the government and Harvard, escalating in April when $2.2 billion in federal funding was frozen.
This was followed by the cancellation of the university’s tax exemption and the announcement (on May 5) that it would not receive new grants.
About a week later, Harvard lost $450 million in funding and $60 million in government grants, bringing the total losses to over $2.7 billion.
Foreign students in numbers
Each year, approximately 1.12 million foreign students attend universities across the U.S.
In the academic year 2023-2024, they contributed nearly $44 billion to the U.S. economy through tuition, rent, taxes, transportation, and other expenses (e.g., shopping).
They also play a role in the country’s entrepreneurship, as one-quarter of startups in the U.S., valued at approximately $1.1 trillion, have at least one foreign student as a founding member.
Harvard’s foreign students contributed around $384 million to the Boston economy in 2023-2024
The majority of foreign students come from India (331,000) and China (277,000), followed by South Korea (43,000), Canada (30,000), Taiwan (23,000), Vietnam (22,000), and Nigeria (20,000).
The 5 most popular universities are:
In the academic year 2023-2024, 2,561 Greek students were studying in the U.S.
The majority of Indian and Chinese students study Natural Sciences, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
Around 70% of all graduate students studying electrical engineering, computer science, and information technology are international.
If the Trump administration’s “ban” applied to all foreign students in the U.S., undergraduate enrollments would decrease by 2%, and graduate enrollments would drop by 11% over the next decade.
Without foreign student enrollments, university programs would become less diverse, and universities would face sustainability challenges with their current capacity, according to the “WP.”
Additionally, foreign students who return to their home countries are likely to assume senior roles, boosting trade and bilateral relations.
“Without foreign students, the U.S. would be a far less attractive place to study,” states the U.S. think tank “National Foundation for American Policy.”
