oneThe new school year is about to begin at most universities in the U.S., and many international students are causing anxiety and uncertainty to mix together Trump administrationThe crackdown on higher education and immigration continues.
guardian Ask international students Study in the United States and share their feelings as they prepare to return to campus. Some describe how policy shifts derail their academic programs, while others say they are now Reconsider whether America is where they want to pursue their academic future.
“As I left the United States after I received my degree,” said Andre Fa’aoso, a 20-year-old student from Auckland, New Zealand.
“I’ve been thinking about the future too far because I know policy settings will change overnight and I might wake up and find Yale at the hate center with the government, I have the right to study and stay in the United States as a pawn to take advantage of the university’s offer.”
Although Fa’aoso is looking forward to returning to learning, he said his return to the U.S. is “shocked by what it might feel after more than two weeks of the U.S. border.”
“I’m still optimistic that I’m not going to hitchhike for obstacles, but a part of me has been preparing if I’m involved in a secondary screening or detention for some arbitrary reason, I’m not alone, and I’m not alone.”
A student from Singapore attended college in Columbus, Ohio, said they spent the summer at home and felt “feared and nervous” back to the United States this fall despite “visa and no legal issues.”
“I am a law-abiding person and make sure I avoid protests,” said the student who asked to remain anonymous for safety concerns. “I would be more cautious and carry the documents with me, but because of what I see in the news, I’m still afraid to be taken.”
Another student said they are from Eastern Europe and will begin graduate studies at Harvard Public Health this fall, and he agreed with similar concerns.
Students who asked to remain anonymous wrote that despite living in the United States for ten years and holding a valid visa, they were “worrying” about the customs they passed by when they traveled to the United States after returning home in the summer.
Since taking up his post, Donald Trump and his administration have worked to reshape higher education, targeting some of the country’s top universities and implementing a series of policy changes that have greatly impacted international students.
The government has stop and Delay Student visa processing, Revoked Later recover Hundreds of international students’ legal status has expanded Social media screening For visa applicants, Implement new travel ban,,,,, Cut colleges Research funds,,,,, Arrested and detained Several international students participate in activism on the pro-Palestine campus and announce plans Begin “positive” Revoke visas for some Chinese students.
The government also tried Blockage Harvard University Register for international studentstriggering a legal battle in which the university accused the White House of Unconstitutional revenge Violating its political requirements.
As of the last academic year, American universities and universities have recruited more than 1.1 million international students 6% of the student population. but possible A 2025 survey found that international students’ interest in studying in the United States has dropped to its lowest level since the pandemic at the age of 19.
Recent Analysis Nafsa, A nonprofit international educators association expects new international enrollment at U.S. universities to drop by 30% to 40% in the upcoming school year, which will result in a 15% drop in total enrollment this fall.
NAFSA attributes to travel bans, disruptions in visa interviews and processing, limited availability of visa appointments, and new review procedures.
It is worth noting that a decline in international student enrollment could pose a financial threat to many universities. International students pay frequently Two to three times Tuition fees for domestic students Nafsadonating about $43 billion to the U.S. economy every year.
Many of the respondents marked by the Guardian are Iranian scholars who detailed how their academic dreams were subverted Travel ban Launched in June. That ban Restrict nationals From 12 countries, including Iran.
Iranian scholar Romina Ayoubi, 23, said she was accepted by Columbia University for a doctorate program, which will begin this fall and has “a lot of difficulties” in obtaining a U.S. visa. She said she was forced to go to nearby countries for interviews because Iran did not have a U.S. embassy. Now, she can’t even participate.
“I’m very determined to do my research at NYU and I hope this will be better off starting their academic journey in New York and Colombia and I’m the only one who can’t be with them just because I’m an Iranian,” Ajobi said. “I’m very determined to do my research at NYU and I hope this will be better soon.”
Mahya, a 27-year-old veterinarian from Iran, said she received a fully funded graduate position at Ohio State University. Her visa was issued in April, so she booked a flight and rented a house in Columbus. Then, in early summer, she received an email from the embassy, “notifying me of information about other processing that my visa is no longer valid.”
“I had to cancel my lease, fly, and wait for the embassy to respond,” she said. “Soon after, “the travel ban came up, just like all my dreams were not worth it.”
Mahya said she is “trying to stay calm and optimistic” and hopes she will “start to achieve my academic goals at Ohio State next semester.”
Several other Iranian students said they “delayed enrollment and hoped for future policy changes.
Donya Movahedi Noghani, 36, a citizen of Iran, said she was admitted to a doctorate program at Purdue University. Obtain a visa due to restrictions.
“It feels like my dream is broken,” she said.
Now, Movahedi Noghani says she has received an offer from a Canadian university and intends to receive an education there.
Other Iranian students described feeling “despair”.
An Iranian student who asked to remain anonymous. “All we want is to have the opportunity to pursue our goals, not our potential, not our nationality to judge.” Another person added: “Every day, it feels like my dream of studying in the United States is in trouble.”
“What’s going on right now is not just border control or national security,” they added.
“It’s about life, potential and global collaboration, and we chose the United States because of its academic excellence and hope for opportunity, but as other countries become more enthusiastic, the United States has the potential to lose talent and lose goodwill.”
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