The federal government is expected to phase out the last remaining Special Student Relief (SSR) designation affecting international students from countries in crisis. SSR designations suspend certain regulatory requirements for eligible F-1 students, including taking a full course load, when U.S. Homeland Security determines a country is experiencing an emergency. Advocates say the policy rollback is effectively tightening compliance expectations for international students just as multiple designations have already expired without renewal since January 2025. The final standing SSR designation is for students from Lebanon, and it is scheduled to expire on May 27. Higher education institutions that enroll international students will need to plan for how they advise and register students once full-course-load relief ends, particularly for students facing financial and continuity challenges tied to conflict and displacement.