Harvard finances at risk from threatened foreign student ban

The Trump administration’s threat to end foreign enrollment at Harvard University places in danger a key funding source for US schools — and could prompt international students to seek degrees elsewhere.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued the threat Wednesday, saying “anti-American, pro-Hamas ideology” was “poisoning” the university. She demanded Harvard submit records of any violent or illegal activity by foreign students by April 30 or immediately lose certification under the federal government’s student visa program.

“Harvard bending the knee to antisemitism — driven by its spineless leadership — fuels a cesspool of extremist riots and threatens our national security,” she said in a statement.

The warning came after weeks of escalating conflict between President Donald Trump and the nation’s elite universities, including threats to cut funding and revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status. Federal officials have also detained and moved to deport some foreign students who have expressed support for Palestinians.

The administration says it wants to combat antisemitism on campus, but Harvard says the government’s demands cross a red line into violating academic freedom.

In response to Noem’s statement, Harvard said it would still not agree to those demands. “We will continue to comply with the law and expect the Administration to do the same,” a school spokesperson said. “If federal action is taken against a member of our community, we expect it will be based on clear evidence, follow established legal procedures, and respect the constitutional rights afforded to all individuals.”

In addition, a House of Representatives panel chaired by Trump ally James Comer informed Harvard Thursday it was launching a civil rights investigation of the school.

More than 1 million foreign students attended US universities last year, often paying full tuition. At Harvard nearly 6,800 students - 27% of the entire student body — come from other countries, up from 19.6% in 2006, according to the university’s data. Elite schools see attracting the world’s brightest and most ambitious students as a core part of their mission, and the numbers have risen in recent years.


“The fear and uncertainty is definitely going to drive international families to ‘safer’ choices in other countries,” said Annalee Nissenholtz with Education Advisory Group, a college counseling firm. She recently advised a student from China to accept an offer for enrollment at University of Oxford instead of Georgia Institute of Technology.

“It broke my heart,” Nissenholtz said. “This threat is going to have a horrible trickle-down effect. Everyone knows this is not going to stop with Harvard.”

For the students themselves, the timing of the threat could not be worse. In general, admitted students need to tell colleges by May 1 if they are coming for the next school year.

International students accounted for 5.9% of the total US higher-education population of almost 19 million students in the 2023-2024 school year, according to a report funded by the State Department and produced by the Institute of International Education. The largest share came from India — about 332,000 — with 23% growth from the previous year. China had led the list previously, but its student population declined by 4.2% to more than 277,000.

Harvard’s first-year undergraduate class has fewer international students than the overall university at 18%, according to school data. Harvard College, the university’s undergraduate program, offers aid to both foreign and US students based on a family’s financial profile and last month said it would eliminate tuition and fees for students from families with incomes of $200,000 or less.