This week in college admissions, Cornell signs a deal with the White House, Trump says international students are valuable for universities, international student enrollment holds steady, and UNC-Chapel Hill says it will not sign the White House compact.
Cornell has agreed to pay $60 million to the Trump administration in exchange for having $250 million of research funding reinstated. As part of the agreement, Cornell will submit expanded undergraduate admissions data to the government, and will use the government’s anti-DEI guidance to train faculty and staff.
In a recent Fox News interview, President Trump emphasized the economic importance of international students for U.S. universities. The Trump administration has scrutinized international students and revoked visas, but reversed course this summer by proposing that the U.S. should allow 600,000 Chinese students into the country to study at American universities.
In other international student news, data from the Department of Homeland Security shows that international student enrollment has declined by less than one percent from last year. Some experts had warned that international student enrollment could plummet following travel restrictions and visa cancellations, but are now cautiously optimistic that the decline will be modest.
The chancellor of UNC-Chapel Hill, Lee Roberts, has stated that UNC will not sign the Trump administration’s Compact for Excellence in Higher Education, citing concerns about academic freedom. Faculty members and student groups at UNC-Chapel Hill have organized protests and petitions against the compact. So far, the compact has not been signed by any universities.
Leave a Reply