Trump's ban on Harvard foreign students may come at a hefty price to the economy
Share this @internewscast.com

The Trump administration’s efforts to block international students from Harvard could come at a hefty price — and not just for the university.  

Harvard students are top innovators in the country, with foreign-born alumni leading dozens of successful startups.  

In addition to their business contributions, international students also significantly contribute to local economies, injecting nearly $44 billion into the U.S. economy.

“Turning away global talent harms us financially and educationally. The absence of international students will detrimentally affect domestic students’ global awareness and pose major risks to the nation’s economic strength, security, and international competitiveness,” stated Fanta Aw, executive director and CEO of the Association of International Educators, or NAFSA.

“These outcomes run counter to the administration’s stated goal of making America safer, stronger, and more prosperous,” Aw added. 

Recently, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) not only announced that new international talent would be prevented from attending Harvard but also required that current foreign students transfer to other institutions.

A judge on Friday temporarily blocked the move and scheduled a hearing for Thursday to consider a longer pause. District Judge Allison Burroughs noted Harvard’s concern “it will sustain immediate and irreparable injury before there is an opportunity to hear from all parties.” 

If a later ruling allows the ban to move forward, Harvard would feel the pinch immediately: 27 percent of its student body, or some 6,800 attendees, in the 2024-2025 academic year was made up of international students, who typically pay more in tuition and other costs than domestic ones.  

According to NAFSA data, international students at Harvard contribute approximately $383.6 million annually to the area economy, supporting around 3,910 jobs. 

In the 2023-2024 academic year, Harvard’s international students made up 54.5 percent of the total spending by foreign students studying in Massachusetts’s 5th Congressional District. 

The state sees almost $4 billion a year in foreign students’ spending, with Harvard making up around 10 percent of that.

International scholars spend money on tuition and books, but also on accommodations, dining, retail, health insurance, telecommunication and transportation, NAFSA notes.

Around two-dozen billion-dollar U.S. startups were founded by foreign students who studied at Harvard, according to an analysis from Axios.  

And the effects could soon ripple out. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem made clear in her announcement of the Harvard ban that other colleges that displease the Trump administration could follow suit, calling it “a warning to every other university to get your act together.”

For every three international students, one job was created in the U.S., according to NAFSA. In total, foreign students supported or created almost 380,000 jobs.  

The situation for international students in the U.S. was already perilous, with hundreds seeing their visas pulled, sometimes with little explanation. In many high profile cases, the government has gone after students who were involved in the pro-Palestinian movement on their campuses. 

Harvard’s lawsuit against DHS’s move is the second it has filed against the Trump administration; the first last month came after the government froze billions of dollars in federal funding when the university refused to bow to its demands to change its hiring and admissions policies, as well as eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion on campus.  

President Trump has also called for the IRS to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status.

The administration accuses Harvard and other schools of failing to protect their students from antisemitism, often specifically regarding last year’s protests amid the war in Gaza.

Even if Harvard does have to replace all its international scholars, it would struggle to do so before the fall semester.

“Harvard can replace all those international students with Americans, pretty easily, but it’s hard to do that on short notice,” said Robert Kelchen, a professor and head of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Tennessee. 

“I think that other colleges would normally be happy to take students to help them out during a time of need. I think the question is, will the administration issue a threat that if any of these students end up transferring to put that institution’s funding at risk?” Kelchen added, warning Trump could also to go after the school’s ability to receive federal student aid.

“At this point, the only lever that the federal government has not used against Harvard is financial aid for students. And I think that’s quite possible at this point, because basically every other funding source has been cut off,” he said.  

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Photo of Erin Patterson.

Prison Kitchen Incident: Erin Patterson Accused of Tampering with Food, Sickening Fellow Inmate

Erin Patterson, known as the “mushroom murderer,” has been accused of meddling…
Mystery deepens as body discovered during search for missing American in island paradise

Discovery of a Body Intensifies Search for Missing American on Island Paradise

Authorities in the Turks and Caicos Islands have found a man’s body…
Yankees trade catcher Alex Jackson to Orioles as Austin Wells breaks out of slump

Yankees send catcher Alex Jackson to Orioles; Austin Wells finds his groove

The Yankees traded away another organizational catcher Sunday, shipping Alex Jackson from…
Shadowy CIA operative interacted with Lee Harvey Oswald months before JFK assassination: documents

CIA Agent Met with Lee Harvey Oswald Months Before JFK Assassination: New Documents Reveal

An enigmatic CIA operative with expertise in psychological warfare had interactions with…
Rapper 4xtra loses '2 fingers' in gruesome fireworks mishap after joking about 'blowing' somebody up

Rapper 4xtra loses ‘2 fingers’ in a horrific fireworks accident after previously joking about an explosion

Infamous last words. A rapper and podcast host suffered a severe hand…
Crime scene investigators collecting evidence at a shooting scene.

Three Killed and Ten Injured in July 4th Weekend Shooting as Police Condemn ‘Reckless Individuals Firing at Homes and Cars’

THREE people are dead and ten more have been injured in a…
Jill Zarin returns with her 12th annual Hamptons Luxury Luncheon cancer benefit

Jill Zarin Hosts 12th Annual Hamptons Luxury Luncheon to Support Cancer Research

She’s back! Jill Zarin’s annual luxury luncheon in the Hamptons will be…
Manhunt for alleged killer dad reignited after campers report possible sighting over holiday weekend

Search for Suspected Killer Father Resumes Following Campers’ Report of Possible Sighting During Holiday Weekend

The search has intensified for the Washington father suspected of murdering his…
Epstein Memo Denies Client List, Sparks American Fury

Epstein Memo Disclaims Client List, Inciting Public Outrage in America

The Trump administration’s Justice Department and FBI have declared Jeffrey Epstein’s 2019…
Several silicone sex dolls in lingerie sitting on a bed in a showroom.

A Look Inside China’s Eerie Factory Producing Advanced AI-Powered $3,000 ‘Companion Dolls’ for Solitary Individuals

CHINA is pumping out hoards of futuristic AI-powered “love dolls” at $3,000…
Israel launches airstrikes at Yemen's Houthi rebels, Houthis launch missile back

Israel Strikes Yemen’s Houthi Rebels; Houthis Respond with Missile Launch

The assaults followed a suspected Houthi offensive on a ship in the…
‘The Gilded Age’ Season 3 Delves Into a Hidden Part of History: “There Was a Black Elite Living in Newport”

“‘The Gilded Age’ Season 3 Explores the Overlooked History of Newport’s Black Elite”

HBO’s show The Gilded Age consistently acknowledges the presence of Black individuals…