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The Trump administration has introduced a new directive limiting international student enrollment at several of the nation’s leading universities. Under the revised Student Visa Exchange Program, international students can make up no more than 15% of the total undergraduate population, with students from any single country restricted to 5%.
The policy, part of a broader “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” targets nine elite institutions including MIT, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Southern California. While the White House claims the initiative aims to enhance transparency and merit-based admissions, critics argue it could significantly reduce diversity and global collaboration on U.S. campuses.
In addition to enrollment caps, universities must:
Base admissions and hiring solely on merit, excluding race or gender considerations.
Publicly release anonymized admissions data by race, nationality, and gender.
Require all applicants to take standardized tests such as the SAT.
Freeze tuition fees for five years and cut administrative spending.
Offer tuition waivers for “hard science” students at wealthy institutions.
Non-compliance could lead to penalties, including the repayment of federal funds and private donations. Independent auditors will oversee institutional adherence, reporting findings directly to the Justice Department.
The move deepens the ongoing friction between the Trump administration and U.S. universities over academic freedom and diversity policies. Some institutions, such as Columbia and Brown, have agreed to financial settlements, while Harvard remains in dispute. Early impacts are already visible — DePaul University reported a 30% decline in international enrollment this fall.
Observers warn that these restrictions may alter international student mobility patterns and reshape the future of American higher education.
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