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Axios
11 hours ago
- Business
- Axios
Trump policies bring uncertainty for Arizona's international college students
Arizona had more international students than all but a dozen states last school year, per data from NAFSA, an international education nonprofit. Why it matters: The Trump administration is halting student visa interviews and revoking visas for Chinese students amid a political pressure campaign against colleges and universities and a broader immigration crackdown. A big drop in international students could hurt college town economies, some of which are already struggling due to lower enrollment. By the numbers: There were nearly 28,000 international college students enrolled in Arizona schools in the 2023-24 academic year. That represented a $917 million contribution to Arizona's economy. The bulk were enrolled at ASU, and the university tells Axios it currently has more than 17,000 international students. More than 3,600 international students attend UofA, while NAU has about 1,400. Zoom out: California, New York and Texas have the greatest shares of the approximately 1.1 million international college students nationwide. Of all international students studying in the U.S. during the 2023-24 school year, about 12.5% were doing so at schools in California, 12.1% in New York and 8% in Texas. Massachusetts (7.3%) and Illinois (5.5%) round out the top five, per NAFSA's latest report. What they're saying: ASU has one of the largest international student bodies in the U.S., spokesperson Jerry Gonzalez tells Axios, and the university "is monitoring the situation closely and remains committed to fully supporting all international students in completing their degree programs." In a video recorded on the last day of classes for the spring semester, university president Michael Crow said no ASU students had been removed from the U.S., and things are "back on track" for any students who had recent visa issues. UofA spokesperson Mitch Zak said it's too early to tell how Trump administration policies could affect the 2025-26 school year.
Axios
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Scoop: Arizona universities rename graduation events honoring diverse student groups
Arizona State University and University of Arizona are renaming their annual graduation ceremonies that honor diverse student groups, Axios has learned. The big picture: Many higher education institutions nationwide are trying to thread the needle of complying with President Trump's orders on eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs — accompanied by threats of ending federal funding — without burdening students or offending faculty, alumni and donors. ASU and UofA declined to say why they made the name changes — and the event programs themselves don't appear to have modified. On Feb. 14, the U.S. Department of Education sent a letter to higher education institutions demanding they remove race-based programming or face federal funding cuts. The letter specifically called out "segregation by race at graduation ceremonies." The ASU website makes a point of explaining that "celebrations" are "open to all students." Driving the news: The ceremonies were recently renamed from "convocations" to "celebrations" on the universities' websites. ASU's Hispanic, international student, rainbow, Asian/Asian Pacific American, Black African and American Indian graduation events were all called convocations on December's fall 2024 graduation schedule. Now, they are listed as celebrations. UofA's 2025 Adalberto and Ana Guerrero Student Center graduation celebration was called a convocation on the university's website as recently as Feb. 21, per the Wayback Machine web archive. It's now dubbed a " celebration and awards ceremony." How it works: Special interest graduation ceremonies are longstanding traditions for many universities. They often feature performers or speakers from the racial, ethnic or gender groups being honored. Reality check: Though celebrations may sound less official, it appears they will function similarly to convocations, per online event descriptions. "There are, and will continue to be, celebrations held by and for various student groups." ASU spokesperson Jerry Gonzalez told Axios in a statement. UofA spokesperson Mitch Zak did not answer specific questions but said: "The university is taking a measured approach toward ensuring compliance with new policies and procedures." The other side: Maricopa Community Colleges canceled all convocation ceremonies that celebrate "diverse communities and special interest groups," chancellor Steven Gonzales said in an email to employees this week. Zoom in: The community college district has taken more significant steps to comply with the Department of Education's guidance than the state's universities so far. Gonzalez said employees must remove pronouns from their email signatures, can no longer use district money to attend conferences that "focus on DEI activities," and must cease employee support groups "focused on race, identity or national origin." Maricopa Community Colleges' Disability Advisory Council will be disbanded, employees in DEI-related positions will be reassigned and website language related to DEI initiatives will be modified, Gonzalez said. What they're saying:"The changes made were entirely driven by the compliance requirements set forth by the federal government. Failure to comply could jeopardize federal funding, including our ability to accept financial aid," the district said in a statement to Axios. Meanwhile, ASU, UofA and NAU have not revealed major policy changes in response to the DEI guidance. UofA deleted its webpage for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and tweaked its online Indigenous land acknowledgement, the Arizona Republic reported. ASU's Gonzalez told us the university is "reviewing executive orders as they are issued to assess their possible impacts." NAU spokesperson Kimberly Ann Ott said the university "continues to evaluate federal actions and where they might affect university operations in order to determine next steps." What we're watching: University budgets rely on significant federal funding. If Trump follows through on his threats to withhold that money from noncompliant schools, Arizona's colleges may be forced to make tough decisions.
