Latest news with #StudentExchangeandVisitorProgram
Hindustan Times
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
How Donald Trump crackdown on Harvard University affects foreign students
United States President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw Harvard University's ability to enrol international students has jeopardised the future of those currently studying at the university and crushed the dreams of several students from around the world who want to study there. Harvard is one of the most prestigious universities across the globe, enrolling thousands of international students every year. According to an Associated Press report, Harvard enrols about 7,000 international students, most of them in graduate programmes. A federal judge has put the decision on hold for now. Also read: 'Barron did not apply to Harvard': Melania Trump breaks silence on 'completely false' assertions The decision was announced by the US' Department of Homeland Security which cited the university's failure to adhere to the requests demanding records about its foreign students, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The department has also accused Harvard of making the campus 'unsafe' for jews and promoting pro-Hamas sympathies amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza war. After announcing the decision, the international students currently enrolled with Harvard were asked to seek admissions or transfers to other universities or they may be asked to go back to their countries. The United States government has full authority to decide who enters its country, and its Department of Homeland Security is responsible for overseeing what universities or colleges can enrol foreign students under the Student Exchange and Visitor Program. The colleges which are a part of the program can issue documents to their international students to seek a visa to come study in the US. On Thursday last week, May 22, the DHS said it would take away Harvard's ability to do so. Also read: Do Indian-Americans play major leadership roles at Harvard University? Here's what we know According to the letter issued by Noem, the decision would come into effect from the 2025-2026 school year. This means that foreign students who have already completed their degrees this semester will be able to graduate, however, the same can't be said for others for now. For those who have not completed their degrees yet, they might need to seek transfer to other colleges or universities if the court decides to uphold DHS' decision or they will not be allowed to be in the US legally. Across Harvard University, the foreign students make up for around 26% of the total students, according to an AP report. The university hosts over 7,000 people from outside the US, including foreign students and those visiting on exchange programs. Some programs at the university have a significantly higher percentage of foreign students than others, such as the Harvard Kennedy School where 49% are from outside the country and in the law school, as many as 94% students pursuing master's program in comparative law are foreigners, the report added. The students who have secured admission to the prestigious university but have not yet enrolled may not be able to do so in upcoming fall if the court doesn't rule in Harvard's favour. Harvard had filed a lawsuit challenging DHS' decision on May 23 following which it got some relief from a federal judge in Boston who put a stay on the order. Till the matter is under hearing, the currency enrolled students can stay at the university without revocation of their legal status and the university can also keep enrolling new students. With inputs from AP.
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
How the Trump administration's move will affect Harvard's international students
The efforts by President Donald Trump 's administration to prevent Harvard University from enrolling international students have struck at the core of the Ivy League school's identity and unsettled current and prospect students around the world. The government last week told Harvard's thousands of current foreign students that they must transfer to other schools or they will lose their legal permission to be in the U.S. That decision is currently on hold, a federal judge ruled Friday, pending a lawsuit. Harvard enrolls about 7,000 international students, most of them in graduate programs. Those students may now have to scramble to figure out their next steps. The Department of Homeland Security took this latest step because Harvard failed to comply fully with requests to produce records about its foreign students, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a letter. Noem accused Harvard of "perpetuating an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies and employs racist 'diversity, equity and inclusion' policies.'" (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) Harvard said the action is unlawful and undermines the school's research mission. Live Events Here's what to know about how this decision affects international students and what legal authority Noem has to take the step. Does the government have authority over Harvard's enrollment? The U.S. government has authority over who comes into the country. The Department of Homeland Security oversees which colleges are part of the Student Exchange and Visitor Program . On Thursday, DHS said it would remove Harvard. The program allows colleges to issue documentation to foreign students admitted to their schools. The students need those documents to apply to obtain visas to study in the United States. Where does the legal challenge stand? Harvard filed a lawsuit early Friday morning, seeking to stop the Trump administration from revoking its ability to host international students. A federal judge in Boston granted a temporary restraining order that would prevent the government's decision from taking effect. While the order stands, Harvard's international students can maintain their legal status, and Harvard can continue to enroll foreign students while the case proceeds. A hearing is scheduled for this week on the case. Will Harvard's current international students be allowed to graduate? Students who completed their degrees this semester will be allowed to graduate. Noem's letter said the changes would take effect for the 2025-2026 school year. Harvard's Class of 2025 is expected to graduate this week. However, if courts uphold the government's decision, students who have yet to complete their degree will need to transfer to another university, Noem said, or they'll lose their legal permission to remain in the U.S. What percentage of Harvard's student body is affected? Harvard sponsors more than 7,000 people on a combination of F-1 and J-1 visas, which are issued to students and to foreigners visiting the U.S. on exchange programs such as fellowships. Across all the schools that make up the university, about 26% of the student body is from outside the U.S. But some schools and programs, by nature of their subject matter, have significantly more international students. At the Harvard Kennedy School, which covers public policy and public administration, 49% of students are on F-1 visas. In the business school, one-third of students come from abroad. And within the law school, 94% of the students in the master's program in comparative law are international students. Will admitted students be able to enroll at Harvard in the fall? No, not unless Harvard prevails in its lawsuit or the government changes course. Before Harvard filed its lawsuit, Noem said the school could restore its status as a host institution for foreign students if it complied with a list of demands within 72 hours. Those demands include requests for a range of records, such as disciplinary records for international students, plus any audio and video recordings of protest activity. Harvard previously had failed to provide sufficient records, Noem said. The university said it did send the government information, including "thousands of data points concerning its entire F-1 visa student population." Has the government ever done this before? The government can and does remove colleges from the Student Exchange and Visitor Program, making them ineligible to host foreign students on their campus. However, it's usually for administrative reasons outlined in law, such as failing to maintain accreditation, lacking proper facilities for classes, failing to employ qualified professional personnel - even failing to "operate as a bona fide institution of learning." Other colleges are removed when they close. "I've never seen it revoked for any reason besides the administrative issues listed in the statute," said Sarah Spreitzer, vice president of government relations at the American Council on Education, an association of universities. "This is unprecedented." How else has the Trump administration targeted Harvard? Harvard's battle with the Trump administration dates to early April. The storied institution became the first elite college to refuse to comply with the government's demands to limit pro-Palestinian protests and eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion policies. That kicked off a series of escalating actions against Harvard. Various federal agencies, including DHS and the National Institutes of Health, have cut their grant funding to Harvard, significantly impacting research projects conducted by faculty. Harvard has sued the administration, seeking to end the grant freeze. The administration first threatened to revoke Harvard's ability to host international students back in April. Trump also has said Harvard should lose its tax-exempt status. Doing so would strike at the school's ability to fundraise, as wealthy donors often give to tax-exempt institutions to lower their own tax burdens. Does Harvard give scholarships to international students? Harvard awards need-based financial aid to students across its multiple schools. Unlike merit-based scholarships, which are awarded based on achievements or academic records, need-based aid is given to students depending on their ability to pay for tuition. Admissions to the undergraduate college is need-blind, including for international students, which means that a student's ability to pay full tuition is not considered during the application process. Unlike the majority of U.S. colleges and universities, international students do not disproportionately pay full tuition to attend. In a post Sunday on Truth Social , Trump criticized Harvard for enrolling a significant percentage of international students. "Why isn't Harvard saying that almost 31% of their students are from FOREIGN LANDS, and yet those countries, some not at all friendly to the United States, pay NOTHING toward their student's education, nor do they ever intend to," he wrote. "Nobody told us that!" Most governments do not pay for their students to study abroad. With the exception of some government-funded scholarship programs, most international students pay their own tuition, receive need-based aid or earn merit scholarships from external organizations.
The Mainichi
24-05-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
How the Trump administration's move will affect Harvard's international students
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump's administration escalated its standoff with Harvard University on Thursday, revoking the school's ability to enroll international students. The government told Harvard's thousands of current foreign students that they must transfer to other schools or they will lose their legal permission to be in the U.S. That decision is currently on hold, a federal judge ruled Friday, pending a lawsuit. The move could significantly affect the university, which enrolls about 7,000 international students, most of them in graduate programs. Those students may now have to scramble to figure out their next steps. The Department of Homeland Security took this latest step because Harvard failed to comply fully with requests to produce records about its foreign students, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a letter. Noem accused Harvard of "perpetuating an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies and employs racist 'diversity, equity and inclusion' policies.'" Harvard said the action is unlawful and undermines the school's research mission. Here's what to know about how this decision affects international students and what legal authority Noem has to take the step. Does the government have authority over Harvard's enrollment? The U.S. government has authority over who comes into the country. The Department of Homeland Security oversees which colleges are part of the Student Exchange and Visitor Program. On Thursday, DHS said it would remove Harvard. The program allows colleges to issue documentation to foreign students admitted to their schools. The students need those documents to apply to obtain visas to study in the United States. Where does the legal challenge stand? Harvard filed a lawsuit early Friday morning, seeking to stop the Trump administration from revoking its ability to host international students. A federal judge in Boston granted a temporary restraining order that would prevent the government's decision from taking effect. While the order stands, Harvard's international students can maintain their legal status, and Harvard can continue to enroll foreign students while the case proceeds. A hearing is scheduled for next week on the case. Will Harvard's current international students be allowed to graduate? Students who completed their degrees this semester will be allowed to graduate. Noem's letter said the changes would take effect for the 2025-2026 school year. Harvard's Class of 2025 is expected to graduate next week. However, if courts uphold the government's decision, students who have yet to complete their degree will need to transfer to another university, Noem said, or they'll lose their legal permission to remain in the U.S. What percentage of Harvard's student body is affected? Harvard sponsors more than 7,000 people on a combination of F-1 and J-1 visas, which are issued to students and to foreigners visiting the U.S. on exchange programs such as fellowships. Across all the schools that make up the university, about 26% of the student body is from outside the U.S. But some schools and programs, by nature of their subject matter, have significantly more international students. At the Harvard Kennedy School, which covers public policy and public administration, 49% of students are on F-1 visas. In the business school, one-third of students come from abroad. And within the law school, 94% of the students in the master's program in comparative law are international students. Will admitted students be able to enroll at Harvard in the fall? No, not unless the government changes its decision or a court steps in. For now, Noem said Harvard could restore its status as a host institution for foreign students if it complied with a list of demands within 72 hours. Those demands include requests for a range of records, such as disciplinary records for international students, plus any audio and video recordings of protest activity. Harvard previously had failed to provide sufficient records, Noem said. The university said it did send the government information, including "thousands of data points concerning its entire F-1 visa student population." Has the government ever done this before? The government can and does remove colleges from the Student Exchange and Visitor Program, making them ineligible to host foreign students on their campus. However, it's usually for administrative reasons outlined in law, such as failing to maintain accreditation, lacking proper facilities for classes, failing to employ qualified professional personnel -- even failing to "operate as a bona fide institution of learning." Other colleges are removed when they close. "I've never seen it revoked for any reason besides the administrative issues listed in the statute," said Sarah Spreitzer, vice president of government relations at the American Council on Education, an association of universities. "This is unprecedented." How else has the Trump administration targeted Harvard? Harvard's battle with the Trump administration dates to early April. The storied institution became the first elite college to refuse to comply with the government's demands to limit pro-Palestinian protests and eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion policies. That kicked off a series of escalating actions against Harvard. Various federal agencies, including DHS and the National Institutes of Health, have cut their grant funding to Harvard, significantly impacting research projects conducted by faculty. Harvard has sued the administration, seeking to end the grant freeze. The administration first threatened to revoke Harvard's ability to host international students back in April. Trump also has said Harvard should lose its tax-exempt status. Doing so would strike at the school's ability to fundraise, as wealthy donors often give to tax-exempt institutions to lower their own tax burdens.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Morons and buffoons': Rep. Stephen Lynch blasts Trump administration following Harvard sanctions
As the feud between Harvard University and President Donald Trump's administration escalates, Massachusetts Congressman Stephen Lynch scolded the president for his decision to revoke Harvard's ability to enroll foreign students. The administration escalated its standoff with Harvard University on Thursday by revoking the school's ability to enroll international students before a federal judge temporarily blocked the ruling on Friday. "It's just disgraceful that we're treating foreign students this way," Lynch said. 'The attacks against our area especially, you know, when you think about the reputation of Harvard University, when you think about research money that has been cut from health and human services that so many of the researchers in this area rely upon, and the world relies upon, this is so wrong-headed, everything that the White House is doing, I just stand in opposition to all that crap.' The government told Harvard's thousands of current foreign students that they must transfer to other schools or they will lose their legal permission to be in the U.S. A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from cutting off Harvard's enrollment of foreign students, an action the Ivy League school decried as unconstitutional retaliation for defying the White House's political demands. 'This president and this administration is dragging this country down, down, every single day in the eyes of the world, in the eyes of its own citizens, you now, the people he has assembled in his administration are a goddamn disgrace, disgrace. It will take years, maybe decades, to repair the damage that Donald Trump and that group of morons and buffoons is doing to this country each and every day," Lynch continued. Lynch also criticized the President for his handling of the press and 'attacks' on the judicial system. "Due process, the Constitution, the very ideals that this country was based upon, are under attack because of that moron. That's this malevolent fool who is attacking this country from the inside. You know, I worry for my country. I really worry for my country, you know, the direction he is taking us in. It's not a good one. And I think America has to wake up." The government can and does remove colleges from the Student Exchange and Visitor Program, making them ineligible to host foreign students on their campus. However, it's usually for administrative reasons outlined in law, such as failing to maintain accreditation, lacking proper facilities for classes, failing to employ qualified professional personnel — even failing to 'operate as a bona fide institution of learning.' Other colleges are removed when they close. Harvard's battle with the Trump administration dates to early April. The storied institution became the first elite college to refuse to comply with the government's demands to limit pro-Palestinian protests and eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion policies. That kicked off a series of escalating actions against Harvard. Various federal agencies, including DHS and the National Institutes of Health, have cut their grant funding to Harvard, significantly impacting research projects conducted by faculty. Harvard has sued the administration, seeking to end the grant freeze. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Boston Globe
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
How the Trump administration's move will affect Harvard's international students
The Department of Homeland Security took this latest step because Harvard failed to comply fully with requests to produce records about its foreign students, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a letter. Noem accused Harvard of 'perpetuating an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies and employs racist 'diversity, equity and inclusion' policies.'' Harvard said the action is unlawful and undermines the school's research mission. Advertisement Here's what to know about how this decision affects international students and what legal authority Noem has to take the step. Does the government have authority over Harvard's enrollment? The US government has authority over who comes into the country. The Department of Homeland Security oversees which colleges are part of the Student Exchange and Visitor Program. On Thursday, DHS said it would remove Harvard. The program allows colleges to issue documentation to foreign students admitted to their schools. The students need those documents to apply to obtain visas to study in the United States. Advertisement Where does the legal challenge stand? Harvard filed a lawsuit early Friday morning, seeking to stop the Trump administration from revoking its ability to host international students. A federal judge in Boston granted a temporary restraining order that would prevent the government's decision from taking effect. While the order stands, Harvard's international students can maintain their legal status, and Harvard can continue to enroll foreign students while the case proceeds. A hearing is scheduled for next week on the case. Will Harvard's current international students be allowed to graduate? Students who completed their degrees this semester will be allowed to graduate. Noem's letter said the changes would take effect for the 2025-2026 school year. Harvard's Class of 2025 is expected to graduate next week. However, if courts uphold the government's decision, students who have yet to complete their degree will need to transfer to another university, Noem said, or they'll lose their legal permission to remain in the U.S. What percentage of Harvard's student body is affected? Harvard sponsors more than 7,000 people on a combination of F-1 and J-1 visas, which are issued to students and to foreigners visiting the U.S. on exchange programs such as fellowships. Across all the schools that make up the university, about 26% of the student body is from outside the U.S. But some schools and programs, by nature of their subject matter, have significantly more international students. At the Harvard Kennedy School, which covers public policy and public administration, 49% of students are on F-1 visas. In the business school, one-third of students come from abroad. And within the law school, 94% of the students in the master's program in comparative law are international students. Will admitted students be able to enroll at Harvard in the fall? No, not unless the government changes its decision or a court steps in. For now, Noem said Harvard could restore its status as a host institution for foreign students if it complied with a list of demands within 72 hours. Those demands include requests for a range of records, such as disciplinary records for international students, plus any audio and video recordings of protest activity. Advertisement Harvard previously had failed to provide sufficient records, Noem said. The university said it did send the government information, including 'thousands of data points concerning its entire F-1 visa student population.' Has the government ever done this before? The government can and does remove colleges from the Student Exchange and Visitor Program, making them ineligible to host foreign students on their campus. However, it's usually for administrative reasons 'I've never seen it revoked for any reason besides the administrative issues listed in the statute,' said Sarah Spreitzer, vice president of government relations at the American Council on Education, an association of universities. 'This is unprecedented.' How else has the Trump administration targeted Harvard? Harvard's battle with the Trump administration dates to early April. The storied institution became the first elite college to refuse to comply with the government's demands to limit pro-Palestinian protests and eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion policies. That kicked off a series of escalating actions against Harvard. Various federal agencies, including DHS and the National Institutes of Health, have cut their grant funding to Harvard, significantly impacting research projects conducted by faculty. Harvard has sued the administration, seeking to end the grant freeze. The administration first threatened to revoke Harvard's ability to host international students back in April. Trump also has said Harvard should lose its tax-exempt status. Doing so would strike at the school's ability to fundraise, as wealthy donors often give to tax-exempt institutions to lower their own tax burdens. Advertisement AP Education writers Collin Binkley and Cheyanne Mumphrey contributed.
