Public radio’s longest-running daily global news program.AboutContactDonateMeet the TeamPrivacyTerms of use©2026 The World from PRXPRX is a 501(c)(3) organization recognized by the IRS: #263347402.US schools are creating contingency plans for international studentsInternational students on campuses across the United States have found themselves caught up in political turmoil, as the Trump administration continues to create obstacles for those already studying in the US and for many hoping to come. The World's Global ClassroomJune 30, 2025Updated: June 30, 20255:03A group of Florida International University students protest against cuts in federal funding and an agreement by campus police to partner with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, on the FIU campus on a day of protests around the country in support of higher education, April 17, 2025, in Miami.Over the last several months, international students at campuses across the United States have found themselves caught up in political havoc. The Trump administration has announced enhanced scrutiny of student visa applications. And at Harvard University, specifically, the administration has moved to block admission for all international students. Now, some colleges abroad are stepping in to help. The World’s Host Carolyn Beeler spoke to Kirk Carrapezza, who covers higher education for GBH Boston, to learn more about this.No, other schools have also opened their doors, offering spots to US-bound students this fall. American University of Nigeria and Al Akhawayn University in Morocco. At Franklin University in Switzerland, there are 40 seats this fall for students from colleges in the US, and the school is even offering scholarships. Marjorie Haas is president of the Council of Independent Colleges here in the US, and she says more schools are looking abroad for help, to survive what she calls Trump’s “chaos tax,” and Haas tells me, just knowing that some schools have international partners ready to jump in, even on a student-by-student basis at the last minute, it’s a huge relief.Sure. So, just to review, the Department of Homeland Security says Harvard, specifically, shouldn’t be allowed to enroll any international students because some of them participated in Gaza-related protests that some on the right have characterized as either anti-American or antisemitic. The government has said that enrolling international students is a privilege, not a right. Harvard has sued the government and, for now, a federal judge in Boston has blocked the move. But the fallout is already here. I mean, if you look at Harvard Kennedy School, they’re already laying off staff. Last year, more than half of the students there came from abroad. And in a message to faculty [last] week, the dean blamed, “unprecedented headwinds,” including threats to international students and deep federal research cuts. Colleges are drawing up many different budget plans, ranging from “it’s going to be ‘business as usual'” to “what if zero students come back in the fall?”Parts of this interview have been edited for length and clarity.