As the 2025-2026 academic year approaches, thousands of international students face an unclear and increasingly inhospitable landscape in the United States. In a sweeping series of federal actions, the Trump administration has suspended visa processing, revoked student visas, and issued travel bans affecting nearly 20 countries. For international students and the institutions that rely on them, the repercussions are immediate and far-reaching—legal, financial, cultural, and academic.
“This time in our country is a deeply uncertain one,” Boston University President Melissa Gilliam said in a recent Q&A interview. “Rapid changes to federal policies are calling into question many of the very foundational values and missions of colleges and universities nationwide.”
Boston University (BU), which hosts students from nearly 150 countries, has responded by expanding legal and immigration support. The university now offers free consultations with immigration attorneys, regular updates via webinars, and walk-in support through its International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO).
BU is not alone. Institutions across the country are scrambling to assist non-U.S. students amid evolving restrictions. At the University of Connecticut (UConn), new federal policies have prompted the launch of a centralized webpage to aid international students, scholars, and employees.
“These include a reported pause in expanding visa appointment availability, executive vetting procedures for biometric data, and a presidential proclamation limiting travel and entry from 19 countries,” UConn officials wrote in a June 12 statement. The university will also host webinars and coordinate with departments like human resources and the Center for International Students and Scholars to offer timely guidance.
Harvard University has taken its fight to court. A June 5 letter from Harvard President Alan Garber decried a White House proclamation suspending entry to any international student at the university on an F or J visa.
“Singling out our institution… is yet another illegal step taken by the administration to retaliate against Harvard,” he wrote. The university urged the courts to immediately block the measure. Harvard leadership is simultaneously developing contingency plans to support impacted students and scholars.
The situation is even more precarious for smaller institutions. Gannon University, a private Catholic school in Erie, Pennsylvania, is preparing for a potential drop in international student enrollment this fall.
“Like every other school that has international students, this is a new reality that we’re all wrestling with,” Doug Oathout, chief of staff for Gannon’s president, told The Erie Times-News. “If it’s significant, it could result in us having to adjust our staffing.”
The timing couldn’t be worse. The state department’s suspension of visa interviews—alongside heightened screening protocols and new bans targeting 19 nations—could derail fall enrollment plans for thousands. “This comes right at the time of year when students, after filing all their paperwork… have to sit down and have interviews,” said Oathout. “If this pause is short-lived, it will be just an ill-timed bump in the road. But if it stretches out, it could really be disruptive for enrollment.”
Some students at Gannon have already been impacted. Earlier this spring, five had their visas revoked, though many have since been reinstated or won legal appeals. The university currently has seven students from the countries listed in the most recent travel bans—including Afghanistan, Venezuela, and Yemen—and is advising them to avoid international travel during breaks.
Beyond legal jeopardy, the potential economic consequences are enormous.
Why International Students are Critical to U.S. Higher Education’s Future
As domestic enrollment declines and workforce gaps widen, international students are increasingly seen as vital to the future of U.S. higher education and the national economy. According to the Institute of International Education’s (IIE) May 2025 Outlook 2030 Brief, over 1.1 million international students studied in the U.S. in the 2023–2024 academic year—a record high—and their numbers are expected to keep growing.
While these students currently make up only 6% of total enrollment across America’s 4,000 colleges and universities, they offer disproportionate financial value. International students contribute more than $50 billion annually to the U.S. economy and support nearly 400,000 jobs. In 11 states, including California, New York, and Texas, their economic impact exceeds $1 billion.
Their academic role is just as significant. Over half of all international students pursue STEM fields, helping to drive research, innovation, and competitiveness in sectors like health care, tech, and manufacturing. A growing number also participate in Optional Practical Training (OPT), gaining up to three years of work experience and contributing directly to U.S. industries.
Global mobility is expected to exceed 9 million students by 2030, with much of the growth concentrated in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa—regions where demand for higher education outpaces local capacity. The U.S. has a unique opportunity to meet that demand, particularly as its domestic college-going population shrinks.
But seizing this opportunity will require adaptation. IIE recommends that U.S. institutions expand outreach efforts and increase support for international students across all types of institutions—including community colleges—and build more pathways for academic and career development.
Ultimately, international students do more than fill classrooms—they enrich campuses, foster diplomacy, and serve as long-term ambassadors for the U.S. Their continued presence will be essential in shaping a globally competitive, economically sustainable future for American higher education.
“[International students] play an incredibly important role for moving research forward,” Dick Startz, professor of economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, told NPR. “These are also the people who are probably most likely to end up staying in the United States, raising their families here, contributing to high tech, often becoming entrepreneurs.”
Despite the Trump administration’s focus on elite institutions like Harvard, public universities host the bulk of international students—and often depend on their tuition revenue to support other critical areas.
“The tuition that’s brought in by international students is incredibly important,” Startz noted. At schools like the University of California or the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, international students can comprise up to a quarter of the student body. Their out-of-state tuition helps subsidize in-state enrollment and fund essential programs.
Meanwhile, the chilling effect of these federal policies is already visible. According to NAFSA Executive Director Fanta Aw, “Universities understand the value of those students and their contributions culturally, socially, [and to] research.” But early indicators show a sharp decline in international interest in U.S. schools.
At Boston University, vice president and associate provost Willis Wang emphasized the role institutions must now play. After discovering that SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) records were being terminated without warning, BU’s ISSO began daily monitoring and initiated direct outreach to affected students.
“As soon as the ISSO team identified a termination, they would contact every impacted individual personally,” Wang said. “ISSO continues to regularly monitor SEVIS and communicate with students on many related matters.”
Wang also warned students against leaving the country until the visa situation stabilizes. “The recent presidential proclamation about entry to the U.S. and state department plans to revoke visas support a concern that traveling internationally may be risky,” he said. Instead, he urges students to consult with ISSO advisors and use resources like the BU Support Pathways and travel flow charts.
Despite the fear and confusion, higher education leaders remain resolute in their support. “You matter deeply to us,” President Gilliam affirmed. “Boston University would not be what it is without you.”
It’s a sentiment echoed across institutions now scrambling to uphold their international commitments. But unless federal policy changes course, U.S. universities—and the students who dream of attending them—may face a much narrower future.
