FT: US faces billion-dollar blow to education system

Dozens of US universities could lose around one billion dollars in total tuition fees from new international students who are either refusing or unable to come to the country due to actions by President Donald Trump’s administration.

Tightened applicant screenings, visa processing delays, as well as cases of migrant detentions both at the border and on university campuses, are causing concern among international students and university administrations, the Financial Times (FT) reports, citing an analysis of data from the US National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

The study results show that 162 institutions with fewer than 1,000 students, where over 15% of the student body are international, are especially vulnerable.

About 75% of American universities expect a decline in the number of international students in 2025, with most forecasting a drop of at least 10%.

As noted by Shorelight Analytics, a consulting firm specialising in education, this could lead to a reduction in direct revenues of approximately $900 million.

Moreover, a possible 10% decline in the overall number of international students already studying in the US could result in total financial losses of up to $3 billion, FT writes.

By Vugar Khalilov