Us Universities: Lenient Or Exploitative To International Students?

US universities are a popular choice for international students, with over 1 million international students enrolled in the 2023-24 academic year. However, the election of Donald Trump as President has caused uncertainty and fear among these students, with Trump pledging to implement hardline immigration policies, including an expansion of his previous travel ban. This has led to many US universities urging international students to return to campus before Trump's inauguration, with some even advising them to cut short their travel plans. While some universities have offered reassurance, the situation remains unclear, and it is uncertain what the full impact of Trump's policies will be on international students in the US.

Leniency with grades

There is some evidence to suggest that US universities are more lenient with grades when it comes to admitting international students. This is because international students pay much higher fees, so universities are more likely to accept them even if they miss the conditional offer by a few points. This is especially true for universities that are not usually oversubscribed for international students, as they are competing for a small pool of applicants who meet their minimum grade requirements.

For example, an international student was accepted to Durham Law with predicted grades of AAA at A-level, but ended up achieving ABB. Similarly, another international student was accepted to a course at Durham after missing their offer by 3 IB points. In another case, a Canadian student was able to transfer into their second year of pharmacy at King's College, while a non-international student was told that transfers were not allowed under any circumstances.

However, it is important to note that highly selective universities such as Oxbridge, LSE, and St Andrews are less likely to be lenient with grades for international students, as they are always oversubscribed. Additionally, universities with a good international reputation, such as Imperial and UCL, are also less likely to be flexible with grades.

The grades that universities ask for are related to supply and demand. Universities make higher offers to home/EU students because they know they can recruit more students who meet those offers than there are places available. However, for international students, the minimum grade requirements are set based on the university's belief that the student will still be capable of completing the course successfully.

Financial aid

International students in the US have to pay for tuition, housing, meal plans, books, supplies, and travel costs, including airline tickets and visa applications. This can quickly add up to a high bill. While minimal scholarship aid is available to international students, and most of it is reserved for graduate study, many colleges offer substantial financial aid packages to attract more international students.

The average financial aid package for international students at US colleges was nearly $77,000. At the 533 undergraduate schools ranked among Best Value Schools, the average amount given to international students was roughly $26,800. However, at the 20 schools that gave the most financial aid to international students, the average aid was more than triple that amount, at nearly $77,000.

• Amherst College
• Barnard College
• Brandeis University
• Brown University
• Bryn Mawr College
• Bucknell University
• California Institute of Technology
• Carleton College
• Claremont McKenna College
• Clark University
• Colgate University
• College of Wooster
• Columbia University
• Cornell University
• Dartmouth College
• Davidson College
• Emory University
• Franklin & Marshall College
• Gettysburg College
• Grinnell College
• Harvard University
• Lafayette College
• Macalester College
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Mt. Holyoke College
• Northwestern University
• Occidental College
• Oberlin College
• Pitzer College
• Pomona College
• Princeton University
• Rice University
• Stanford University
• St John’s College
• Swarthmore College
• Trinity College
• Tufts University
• University of Chicago
• University of Notre Dame
• University of Rochester
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Wisconsin - Madison
• Vanderbilt University
• Vassar College
• Washington and Lee
• Washington University in St. Louis
• Wellesley College
• Wesleyan University
• Williams College
• Yale University

Some of these universities offer specific scholarships or funding options, such as:

• The #YouAreWelcomeHere Scholarship: Participating colleges and universities offer two annual, renewable scholarships that cover a minimum of 50% of tuition to selected international undergraduates dedicated to advancing intercultural learning and understanding on their campuses.
• Centre College: Lincoln Scholars Program - Offers 10 students a full-ride scholarship, renewable for four years, along with individual mentoring and career-building and leadership-enhancing experiences.
• Davidson College: Belk Scholarship - High schools abroad nominate outstanding students with extraordinary potential to compete for this scholarship, which provides full funding plus special study stipends.
• Indiana University - Bloomington: Wells Scholars Program - A full-time merit-based scholarship offered to between 18 and 22 students each year, based on outstanding records of accomplishment.
• Lynn University: Watson Institute - Offers three-year bachelor's degrees or four-year degree + project incubator programs for social entrepreneurs.
• St. Lawrence University: Kenya Scholarship Program - Offers two full scholarships to qualifying Kenyan students annually, covering tuition, fees, room, and board.
• University of Wisconsin - Madison: King-Morgridge Scholars Program - Provides full-time, four-year/eight-semester scholarships, including tuition, fees, on-campus room and board, health insurance, airfare, and a stipend for miscellaneous expenses, to students from Africa, Latin America, South and Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean who are dedicated to poverty alleviation.
• Washington University in St. Louis: Danforth Scholars Program - Honours students who embrace high ideals and demonstrate personal integrity, selflessness, a commitment to community, and a dedication to leadership and academic excellence. Danforth Scholars may receive full or partial tuition scholarships.
• American University in Washington DC: Emerging Global Leaders Scholarship - Awarded to international students who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership, and global engagement, and are dedicated to positive civic and social change in their home country. The scholarship covers tuition, room and board and is renewable for up to four years.
• New York University: NYU Wagner Dean’s Scholarship - A full-tuition scholarship awarded to applicants based on merit.
• Tulane University: Sub-Saharan Africa Leadership Award - A full-tuition scholarship, renewable for four years, awarded to multiple full-time undergraduate students from and studying in Sub-Saharan Africa, based on academic and extracurricular credentials.

Additionally, while it is uncommon for US institutions to offer aid to undergraduate international students, some public and private universities do offer financial incentives for students to attend their institution. Most of this institutional aid is reserved for graduate study in the form of assistantships and fellowships.

Merit-based scholarships are granted based on special skills, talents, or abilities. Some universities may offer scholarships based on TOEFL scores, academic records, artistic ability, musical ability, or athletic ability. These scholarships tend to be highly competitive, requiring students to demonstrate exceptional ability.

Need-based scholarships, on the other hand, are awarded based on financial need. Students who can demonstrate need at a predetermined level are eligible for this type of aid. Academic departments within the university may have funds allocated to assist international students with exceptional need and/or talent.

There are also various scholarship databases and resources that international students can explore, such as College Board, Scholarship Finder, EducationUSA, EduPASS, FastWeb, International Education Financial Aid, International Scholarships, and Mobility International USA. While some scholarship databases charge fees, others offer their services for free, and it is generally not necessary to pay any fees to access scholarship information.

Private loans are also an option for international students who meet certain criteria, although many of these loans require a cosigner. It is important to thoroughly research and compare the rates and terms offered by various loan providers before making any decisions.

Finally, international students can also consider other funding sources, such as personal resources, family contributions, and employment opportunities. However, nonimmigrant students are not eligible for federal work-study positions, and there are strict limits on the type and amount of work they can do in the United States.

Travel advisories

US colleges and universities have issued advisories to international students regarding potential travel disruptions due to the incoming presidential administration's immigration policies. More than a dozen schools have warned their international students of possible visa-related issues and recommended that they return to campus before the president-elect's inauguration on January 20, 2025.

Recommendations for International Students

• Cornell University advised students, faculty, and staff from potentially affected countries to return to campus before the semester starts on January 21, 2025. They also recommended having relevant documents, funding evidence, and transcripts readily available.
• The University of Southern California (USC) suggested that international students be physically present in the US before the spring semester to avoid potential challenges with travel and visa processing.
• Wesleyan University recommended that students travelling internationally return to campus by January 19, 2025, due to uncertainties around the incoming administration's immigration policies.
• The University of Massachusetts Amherst urged international students, scholars, faculty, and staff to return to campus as a precaution.
• Northeastern University recommended that international students return to campus by January 6, 2025, to minimise potential disruptions to their studies, work, or research.
• Harvard University's International Office advised students and scholars to budget time ahead of the semester start and the January Martin Luther King holiday to avoid disruptions or delays.

Potential Travel Ban and Visa Impact

The president-elect, Donald Trump, has threatened to invoke a travel ban, as he did during his first term, which primarily affected individuals from predominantly Muslim countries: Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen. This ban also impacted students and faculty members of higher education institutions, resulting in over 40,000 visa refusals.

Trump has also pledged to expand the travel ban to additional countries, including China and India, and revoke the student visas of "radical anti-American and antisemitic foreigners." These policies have caused fear and uncertainty among international students, with some expressing worry about potential disruptions to their studies.

Visa threats

International students in the US are facing significant uncertainty and potential visa threats as a result of the incoming Trump administration. More than a dozen US colleges and universities have issued advisories, urging international students to return to campus before Donald Trump assumes office, due to fears of a repeat of the travel bans implemented during his first term. This includes Ivy League universities such as Harvard and Brown, as well as other top institutions across the country. Trump has previously stated his intention to revive and expand his previous travel ban, which primarily affected those from predominantly Muslim countries, and has also threatened to revoke the student visas of "radical anti-American and antisemitic foreigners". This has caused fear and uncertainty among international students, who are concerned about their ability to continue their studies in the US.

In response to these threats, universities have taken various approaches to advising their international students. Some, like Cornell University, have warned that a travel ban is likely to be implemented soon after the inauguration and urged students from potentially affected countries to return to campus before the start of the spring semester. Others, like the University of Southern California, have recommended that international students be back in the US at least one week before Trump's inauguration, citing the potential for executive orders impacting travel and visa processing. Northeastern University, which enrolls a high number of international students, has recommended they return by a certain date to "minimize potential disruption to your studies, work, or research."

The University of Massachusetts Amherst has urged all international students, scholars, faculty, and staff to return to campus before the start of the new administration out of an "abundance of caution". Meanwhile, Harvard University's International Office advised its students and scholars to "budget time ahead of the semester start" to avoid any potential disruptions or delays. Other universities, like Wesleyan University, have also recommended that students travelling internationally return to the US before the inauguration to avoid any difficulties re-entering the country.

The situation has caused worry among international students, who are unsure if they will be able to complete their studies in the US. The future remains uncertain, and it is unclear how the new administration will approach these issues.

Immigration policies

US colleges and universities have issued advisories to international students, urging them to return to campus before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to implement stricter immigration policies. More than a dozen schools have warned international students of potential visa threats, with some advising them to return to the US before the spring semester begins to avoid any travel disruptions.

Trump has vowed to crack down on both illegal and legal immigration, and universities fear he may issue an executive order limiting entry to the US, similar to the Muslim Ban in 2017. This could disrupt the plans of the over 1.1 million international students enrolled in US colleges and universities, who contribute $43.8 billion to the US economy and pay higher tuition fees.

Some universities, including Cornell University, have advised international students and scholars to return before the start of the spring semester, warning of a potential travel ban. They have also recommended carrying relevant documents and ensuring they are up to date. Other universities, such as the University of Southern California, have urged international students on special visas to be back in the country before Trump's inauguration, citing potential impacts on travel and visa processing.

Trump has promised to implement ""strong ideological screening of all immigrants" and block the entry of "dangerous lunatics, haters, bigots, and maniacs". He has also threatened to revoke the student visas of "radical anti-American and antisemitic foreigners" at US colleges and universities, particularly in response to campus protests in support of Palestinians in Gaza. These statements have caused fear and uncertainty among international students, who are unsure if they will be able to complete their studies in the US.

While most universities are not issuing specific guidance, some institutions, such as the University of Massachusetts Amherst, have urged international students, scholars, faculty, and staff to return before the new administration takes office out of an abundance of caution. Harvard University's International Office has advised budgeting time ahead of the semester start to avoid potential disruptions or delays.

Frequently asked questions