By Jakir Hossain
With the new presidency commencing on January 20, the USA has also seen a new number of records of international students. The numbers have reached an all-time high as the US hosted over 1.1 million international students in 2023/24, with India surpassing China.
In a constantly changing global environment, experts in the US shared their expectations, hopes, and concerns about international higher education for 2025.
Political Uncertainty
Travis Ulrich, MD of Terra Dotta, has said that he has predicted some policy changes in the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency and that they might see some visa restrictions and travel bans that can influence international students.
On the contrary, he also pointed out that international US college graduates might see the light of green cards coming towards them, but there is also a chance that many of Biden’s orders helping international students could be eliminated in the first few days of Trump’s presidency.
Many of the reports have suggested that prospective international students planning to study in the USA will not be discouraged by Donald’s presidency. Sector leaders have stated that this is a time to prepare, not panic, over the next four years.
The value of Intled
Intled is an organisation that focuses on the recruitment and admissions of international students. Along with Intled, the NAFSA has said that they would focus on promoting study abroad among US college students as a great asset to their careers.
Jill Allen Murray, Deputy Executive Director of NAFSA, has stated, ‘NAFSA will be poised and ready for whatever challenges and opportunities await in the year ahead.’
Most employers aren’t typically aware of this, but international students play a significant role in the economy of the USA, with contributions of $50 billion last year.
Technology readiness and access to data
Stakeholders in various educational sectors have paid attention to the importance of technology readiness and access to data to help institutions navigate change; both of these have increased since Donald’s first term and the pandemic.
Price awareness
Ben Waxman has anticipated that the number of international students will continue to grow, but they might have to pay higher than in the past, and that’s why institutes need to figure out whether they want those students and, if so, what they can offer them.
Career Outcomes
Institutions must design programmes that directly address workforce needs, ensuring students are equipped with the relevant skills to thrive in a competitive global marketsaid Chris Connor, University at Buffalo vice provost for enrolment.
The United States is at a pivotal moment. It can either move in the direction of its English-speaking peer countries, which are putting restrictions on international students, or it can set a new standard
said Allen Murray