Harvard University is home to approximately 6,800 international students. After winning an unexpected and hard-won legal victory against the Trump administration’s plan to restrict enrollment by foreign students, the university is charting a choppy and uncharted course. In fact, international students account for more than 27 percent of Harvard’s student body. Their presence enhances the university’s diversity and financial stability, as most of them pay full freight, subsidizing American students’ education.
The situation escalated when Harvard filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, which accused the university of inadequately addressing antisemitism and failing to amend hiring and admissions practices. Judge Allison Burroughs thus issued a temporary restraining order. This gums up the spokes on the administration’s effort to snatch away Harvard’s license to enroll foreign students. This ruling provides temporary relief to the hard working community at Harvard. All is still within an uncertainty’s reach as the next hearing is scheduled for May 29 in Boston.
With the new academic year, undergraduate tuition at Harvard will reach $59,320. This figure does not account for additional costs such as fees, housing, books, meals and health insurance. The combined direct and indirect annual cost regularly tops $100,000 even before financial aid is taken into account. With billions of dollars at stake, possible policy shifts would have unprecedented fiscal impacts. This affects current students, of course, but it affects international students who are thinking about enrolling.
In April, the White House froze $2.2 billion in federal funding to Harvard as part of its strategy against the university. President Donald Trump has indicated that he may pursue measures to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status, asserting that “Harvard is going to have to change its ways” in response to the administration’s ongoing criticisms.
“We condemn this unlawful and unwarranted action,” – Harvard President Alan Garber
Garber has repeatedly and strongly denied the accusation from the Trump administration. He sees the move as a revenge attempt in retaliation for his university’s defense of its academic freedom. In doing so, he insisted these moves endanger not just Harvard, but the larger ideals of academic freedom.
In a statement, White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson shot back. She further contended that if Harvard were serious about putting an end to anti-American, anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist agitators on their campus, they wouldn’t be in this position in the first place. She was angered by the overreach of the judiciary. In her estimation, it was this vigorous exercise of government power over immigration policy and national security that rightly needed to be restored.
In particular, Harvard boasts a fantastically diverse international student body. The majority of these students hail from China, Canada, India, South Korea and the United Kingdom. This eclectic group includes Princess Elisabeth, the not-yet-crowned queen of Belgium. An incredibly talented and diverse international group has convened here. This underscores the enormous value in ensuring that enrollment remains open for international students.
Listening in on debates between students, the responses go from panic to protesting. Cormac Savage articulated the vagueness surrounding their status: “You know that you’re fine if you’re still legally in the United States for the next 90 days, but you don’t know that you can come back and finish your degree.” At the same time, Leo Ackerman felt optimistic about his future at Harvard even amid the chaos.
“With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body, international students who contribute significantly to the University and its mission,” – Harvard (lawsuit)
Yet the political dynamics that have unfolded around this issue have unfortunately left many students feeling like political pawns in the national power play. One student remarked, “There’s a lot of anger, people feeling like we’re being used as pawns in a game.” Others expressed alarm that this is an attack on freedom of speech on campus — suggesting that the issues at hand are more systemic than just enrollment policies.
Isaac Bangura shared his family’s fears regarding deportation: “Since yesterday, my kids have been asking, ‘Daddy, I understand they are coming to return us home again.’” International students experience this impact with particular intensity as they consider their futures. This uncertainty is caused by the ever-changing policy landscape surrounding them.
Rohan Battula reflected on the surreal nature of their situation: “It’s surreal to think that even for some period of time you’re unlawfully staying in a country just because you’ve been to university there.” Such sentiments show the personal, emotional toll that federal political maneuvers have taken on students. These students have invested deeply in their education at Harvard, and they are feeling the effects most profoundly right now.