DePaul University announced layoffs of 114 staff — roughly 8% of its workforce — to address a projected $12.6 million shortfall for fiscal 2026 driven largely by a sudden collapse in new international graduate enrollment. University leaders cited a 62% year‑over‑year drop in that cohort and visa‑system challenges tied to national immigration policy as primary factors. The administration combined hiring freezes, executive pay trims and benefit reductions with targeted staff reductions to meet a required savings target; the cuts underscore how fragile tuition‑dependent budgets are becoming as international student flows shift. Trustees and finance officers at similarly exposed institutions are re‑evaluating contingency plans, international recruitment investments and enrollment risk models in response.