The Trump administration has targeted international students this year, revoking visas and reviewing visa holders. Now, international student enrollment is dropping at schools across the country.
At Northern Illinois University, international student enrollment fell nearly 20%, dropping from 972 students last year to 790.
“Some of our international students were unable to get their visas in time to start this fall,” said Laurie Elish-Piper, the university’s executive vice president and provost. “So, we've been working with them to see if they want to defer their admission until spring, if that gives more time for them to secure a visa.”
She says they’ve also helped them enroll in online courses while they wait for a visa.
Illinois State, Southern Illinois, and the University of Wisconsin system among others saw a significant international student enrollment decline.
There are exceptions, though. International enrollment went up at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
