![[Karishma Vaswani] America cold to foreign students](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimg.heraldcorp.com%2Fnews%2Fcms%2F2025%2F06%2F01%2Fnews-p.v1.20250601.89eaa1aeba704a87844db41db557a020_T1.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
[Karishma Vaswani] America cold to foreign students
An Ivy League degree has long been central to the Asian Dream -- a ticket to success and status. But President Donald Trump's message to international students is clear: Far fewer of you are welcome. The blunt statement and growing chaos across the university sector has left families wondering if sending their children to America is still worth it.
The White House's immediate target is Chinese students allegedly connected to the Communist Party. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US plans to start 'aggressively' revoking their visas. Students affected would include 'those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.' The US will also enhance scrutiny 'of all future visa applications from the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong,' he added.
It's unclear how these rules will be executed; the move follows a short period of improved ties between the superpowers after they agreed to a truce in the trade war. China's Foreign Ministry on Thursday expressed its dissatisfaction, saying it had lodged a protest with the US.
The impact is wider than Washington and Beijing's geopolitical rivalry. The decision to ban Harvard from enrolling international students is focusing minds in Asia, even though a federal judge has temporarily blocked the policy. Many families are wondering if other universities will be next.
The rhetoric coming out of the White House is hardly reassuring. 'We have people who want to go to Harvard and other schools; they can't get in because we have foreign students there,' Trump said on Wednesday. This attitude, combined with a directive ordering US embassies worldwide to stop scheduling interviews for student visas, sends a chilling message to Asian students: The Ivy aspiration is no longer as accessible as it once was.
The worries are pouring in on my parent chat groups. Many have already spent thousands of dollars preparing children for a future at a prestigious American university -- hiring expensive college counselors, visiting campuses, and investing countless hours navigating complex application processes. That's not to mention time spent on preparing for standardized tests and extracurricular activities, all in an effort to perfect the profile for a prospective candidate. There are also legitimate concerns about what happens to deposits and scholarships, all of which are up in the air as students and their families figure out what the new rules mean for them.
It's no small cost. An average American degree can set an international student's family back approximately $100,000 over four years, excluding living costs. An Ivy League degree? It's more than triple that. Parents spend decades making sacrifices and putting aside the massive investment required to help their kids go to their dream university. The money is worth it, the thinking goes, because eventually their child will reap the rewards.
The schools get something out of this, too. Foreign applicants are more likely to pay full tuition, essentially subsidizing American students who receive aid. Over a million international students studied in American universities in the 2023-2024 school year, according to data from Open Doors, an information resource for foreign students studying or teaching in the US. Asians made up a significant proportion, with Indians and Chinese citizens accounting for over half.
America is not going to lose its appeal overnight. It's still a coveted place to study, both because of its world-class tertiary education and the potential to find lucrative employment after graduation. But other countries are becoming more attractive because of the Trump administration's crackdown. Some parents I've spoken to will simply go elsewhere.
Canada and the UK, already popular alternatives, are poised to scoop up disillusioned applicants. Closer to home, Australia and New Zealand are also promoting their schools.
Asian universities that offer top-tier programs will appeal to anxious Asian families. Schools such as the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo and Malaysia's Sunway University are offering credit transfers and other incentives to attract ambitious students and families looking for quality education without the uncertainties tied to American foreign policy.
For many Asian students who have dreamt of studying and working in cities like New York or Los Angeles, the political gyrations affecting their futures are no doubt disappointing. But this is about more than visas and policies. It's about the hopes of a generation searching for a place to study, grow, and build their future. Trump has just made the US seem like a far less inviting option.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
5 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Trump says deal with Xi 'extremely hard' as steel tariffs double
Donald Trump said on Wednesday that it was "extremely hard" to reach a deal with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, but the EU touted progress in its own trade talks with Washington even though the US president doubled global metal tariffs. Trump's latest trade moves came as ministers from Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries gathered in Paris to discuss the outlook for the world economy in light of a US hardball approach that has rattled world markets. Trump's sweeping tariffs on allies and adversaries have strained ties with trading partners and sparked a flurry of negotiations to avoid the duties. The White House has suggested the president will speak to Xi this week, raising hopes they can soothe tensions and speed up a trade deal between the world's two biggest economies. However, early on Wednesday, Trump appeared to dampen hopes for a quick deal. "I like President XI of China, always have, and always will, but he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!" he posted on his Truth Social platform. Asked about the remarks during a regular press briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said: "The Chinese side's principles and stance on developing Sino-US relations are consistent." China was the main target of Trump's April tariff blitz, hit with levies of 145 percent on its goods and triggering tit-for-tat tariffs of 125 percent on US imports. Both sides agreed to temporarily de-escalate in May, after Trump delayed most sweeping measures on other countries until July 9. His latest remarks came hours after he increased his tariffs on aluminum and steel from 25 percent to 50 percent, raising temperatures with various partners while exempting Britain from the higher levy. EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic said after talks with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the sidelines of the OECD meeting in Paris that raising the metal tariffs "doesn't help the negotiations". The two sides were nonetheless "making progress" in their negotiations, Sefcovic said at a news conference. Goods from the 27-nation bloc will be hit with 50-percent tariffs on July 9 unless it reaches a deal with Washington. The EU has vowed to retaliate. "We did very much focus on these negotiations, and I still believe in them," Sefcovic said, adding that he was optimistic that a "positive result" could be reached. The US-EU meeting took place a day after the OECD cut its forecast for global economic growth, blaming Trump's tariff blitz for the downgrade. "We need to come up with negotiated solutions as quickly as possible, because time is running out," German economy minister Katherina Reiche warned. French trade minister Laurent Saint-Martin said: "We have to keep our cool and always show that the introduction of these tariffs is in no one's interest." After talks between UK Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Greer on Tuesday, London said that imports from the UK would remain at 25 percent for now. Both sides needed to work out duties and quotas in line with the terms of a recently signed trade pact. "We're pleased that as a result of our agreement with the US, UK steel will not be subject to these additional tariffs," a British government spokesperson said. The Group of Seven advanced economies -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States -- was due to hold separate trade talks on Wednesday. Mexico will request an exemption from the higher tariff, Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said, arguing that it was unfair because the United States exports more steel to its southern neighbour than it imports. "It makes no sense to put a tariff on a product in which you have a surplus," Ebrard said. Mexico is highly vulnerable to Trump's trade wars because 80 percent of its exports go to the United States, its main partner. While some of Trump's most sweeping levies face legal challenges, they have been allowed to remain in place for now as an appeals process takes place. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Tuesday that the Trump administration sent letters to governments pushing for offers by Wednesday as the July 9 deadline approached. (AFP)
Korea Herald
16 hours ago
- Korea Herald
US to scale down its military bases in Syria
ANKARA, Turkey (Reuters) -- The US will scale down its military presence in Syria to one base from eight and US policies will shift in the country "because none of them worked" over the last century, the new US special envoy has said. Thomas Barrack, who President Donald Trump named special envoy last month shortly after he unexpectedly lifted US sanctions on Syria, made the comments in an interview with Turkish broadcaster NTV late on Monday. The US military has about 2,000 US troops in Syria, mostly in the northeast. They are working with local forces to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State, which in 2014 seized large swaths of Iraq and Syria but was later pushed back. Since rebels ousted Syria's former President Bashar Assad in December, the US and other countries are re-engaging with Damascus under new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. Barrack, also US ambassador to Turkey, raised the American flag over the ambassador's residence in Damascus last week for the first time since 2012. When asked how the Trump administration will shape its Syria policy and whether the US is considering troop withdrawal from Syria, Barrack said, "What I can assure you is that our current Syria policy will not be close to the Syria policy of the last 100 years, because none of these have worked." Reducing the number of bases to one from eight was an important part of that shift, he said, according to an interview transcript. Two security sources in bases where US troops are deployed told Reuters in April that military equipment and vehicles had already moved out of eastern Deir el-Zor and were being consolidated in the province of Hasakah. One of the sources said the consolidation plan involved pulling all US troops out of Deir el-Zor province. A US State Department official said separately that the military presence would be reduced "if and when appropriate" based on conditions, adding troops are routinely calibrated based on operational needs and contingencies. Barrack said that the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces were a US ally and a "very important factor" for the US Congress, and that directing them to integrate into a new Syrian government was also very important. "Everyone needs to be reasonable in their expectations," he said. The SDF is the main ally in a US coalition against Islamic State militants in Syria. It is spearheaded by the YPG militia, which Ankara sees as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party. The PKK decided to disband last month after a 40-year conflict with the Turkish state. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said last week that the SDF was using "stalling tactics," despite a deal with the Syrian government to integrate into Syria's armed forces.
Korea Herald
16 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Musk calls Trump's tax-cut and spending bill ' disgusting abomination'
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Billionaire Elon Musk plunged on Tuesday into the congressional debate over President Donald Trump's sweeping tax and spending bill, calling it a "disgusting abomination" that will increase the federal deficit. Several fiscally conservative Republicans in the US Senate supported the views Musk expressed in social media posts, which could complicate the bill's path to passage in that chamber. "I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore," Tesla and SpaceX CEO Musk wrote in a post on his social media platform X. "This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination." He added, "Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it." Musk's comments hit a nerve. Republican deficit hawks have expressed concerns about the cost of the bill, which would extend the 2017 tax cuts that were Trump's main legislative accomplishment, while boosting spending on the military and border security. The House of Representatives passed it by one vote last month, after the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the measure would add $3.8 trillion to the federal government's $36.2 trillion in debt. The Senate, also controlled by Trump's Republicans, aims to pass the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" in the next month, though senators are expected to revise the House version. Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees tax policy, are due to meet with Trump at the White House on Wednesday afternoon to discuss making the bill's business-related tax breaks permanent, according to Senator Steve Daines, a panel member. Analysts have warned that such a move would greatly increase the measure's cost. Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he disagreed with Musk's assessment about the cost of the bill and stood by the goal of passage by July 4. "We have a job to do -- the American people elected us to do. We have an agenda that everybody campaigned on, most notably the president of the United States, and we're going to deliver on that agenda," the South Dakota lawmaker told reporters. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson also dismissed Musk's complaints, telling reporters, "my friend Elon is terribly wrong." Musk's loud opposition to a bill that Trump has urged Republicans to pass presents a test of his political influence a week after leaving his formal role in the administration as a special government employee with the Department of Government Efficiency came to an end. As DOGE chief, he upended several federal agencies but ultimately failed to deliver the massive savings he had sought. The richest person in the world, Musk had spent nearly $300 million to back Trump's presidential campaign and other Republicans in last year's elections. But he has said he would cut his political spending substantially while returning to his role as Tesla CEO. The White House dismissed Tuesday's attack, just as Trump dismissed earlier Musk complaints about the legislation. "Look, the president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill," spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said at a White House briefing. "It doesn't change the president's opinion. This is one big, beautiful bill, and he's sticking to it." Senate Republicans were divided about the bill even before Musk's missives. Deficit hawks are pushing for deeper spending cuts than the $1.6 trillion over a decade in the House version, while another coalition of rural-state Republicans are pushing to protect the Medicaid healthcare program for low-income Americans. One of the hawks, Senator Mike Lee, called on party members to use the Trump bill and future spending measures to reduce the deficit. "We must commit now to doing so, as this is what voters justifiably expect -- and indeed deserve -- from the (Republican) Congress," the Utah Republican said on X while reposting Musk's message. Republicans have a 53-47 seat majority in the Senate and can afford to lose support from no more than three members, if they expect to pass the legislation with a tie-breaking vote from Vice President JD Vance by a July 4 deadline. Another hardliner, Senator Ron Johnson, predicted that lawmakers would not be able to meet the deadline and secure an adequate number of cuts. Lee and Johnson are among at least four Senate hardliners demanding that the bill be changed to restrict the growth of the debt and deficit. The faction of party lawmakers determined to limit spending cuts to project Medicaid beneficiaries and business investments in green energy initiatives is of similar size. "I certainly have an interest in making sure people with disabilities are not harmed. But also, there's the broad issue of how does it affect hospital reimbursements," Sen. Jerry Moran told reporters. "There's a set of my colleagues who are pushing to do more. And so it turns on how do you get the votes to pass a bill," the Kansas Republican said. Other Senate Republicans said lawmakers may have to look elsewhere to boost savings, including the possibility of leaving Trump's much touted tax break proposals for tips, overtime pay and Social Security benefits for later legislation. "Those are all Democrat priorities. I'm not sure why we shouldn't be doing that in a potential bipartisan bill to create headspace for this bill," said Republican Sen. Thom Tillis.
