Universities are confronting financial turbulence as international students increasingly stay away following visa restrictions and related enforcement actions. The reporting focuses on the University of North Texas, where President Harrison Keller said enrollment declined after 2,800 expected international students did not enroll. Keller said full-tuition-paying international students, particularly graduate students, can contribute $20,000 to $25,000 each to institutional bottom lines. He linked the shortfall to budget pressure that led to eliminating 71 academic programs, and he projected additional lost revenue as the international enrollment decline continues. New federal figures cited in the coverage show international arrivals down by 5% in March, nearly 8% in April, and 1% in May compared with the prior year, with a much larger summer drop earlier. The near-term consequence is budget rebalancing—either through tuition increases or service and program cuts.
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