New international-student data show a 17% drop in new enrollments this academic year — the largest non-pandemic decline in over a decade — and an analysis pegged the hit to local U.S. economies at nearly $1 billion. Researchers estimate the shortfall in non-tuition spending from 21,587 fewer new international students will cut about 7,300 jobs and $500 million in labor income. The sectors most affected include restaurants, retail, housing and local services; campus-adjacent businesses in many college towns are already reporting softer traffic. Institutions that rely heavily on international tuition and associated fees will confront revenue gaps and potential program contractions. University leaders and town officials will need coordinated mitigation plans — from recruitment strategies to community support measures — to blunt the near-term economic damage and to diversify revenue streams that cushion enrollment volatility.