DePaul University is immediately reducing operating spending following a 30% drop in international enrollment, school officials told faculty Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Cost-cutting measures may include a hiring freeze, executive pay cuts and discretionary spending limits. The exact amount of the reduction is yet to be determined, according to a Tuesday email from DePaul President Robert Manuel obtained by the Tribune.<\/p>\n
Overall, there are 755 fewer international students enrolled compared to last fall, Manuel said. The drop was even steeper for first-year international graduate student enrollment, which declined by nearly 62%.<\/p>\n
The announcement comes amid a wave of heightened scrutiny of international students at higher education institutions under President Donald Trump. Increased visa vetting and travel bans have created a maze of obstacles for foreign students seeking to study in the U.S. \u2014 leading many universities bracing for enrollment declines.<\/p>\n
\u201cSignificant shifts in the higher education landscape continue to create a palpable sense of fear and anxiety in our community,\u201d Manuel wrote. \u201cThese concerns are so severe and debilitating that it\u2019s getting hard to recognize higher education anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other factors are squeezing DePaul\u2019s budget, Manuel said. Student financial aid has increased significantly, and now is expected to cost the university roughly $7 million above budgeted levels. Higher healthcare costs are also adding strain \u2014 overall benefit costs have grown by $23 million over the past five years. Additionally, non-international undergraduate enrollment has dropped by roughly 300 students.<\/p>\n
Those pressures are expected to extend into the 2027 fiscal year, according to Manuel.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must act with urgency to manage the questions and challenges presented by new federal policies and rising costs that are directly affecting us now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Manuel attributed the\u00a0international enrollment drop to students facing challenges obtaining visas and losing interest due to those federal changes. Last year, DePaul enrolled 21,210 students, about 11% of whom were international. In a statement to the Tribune, the university said it was making spending cuts \u201cto be good stewards of our resources.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we make these adjustments, we will prioritize the student experience, ensuring that we preserve the high-quality academic programming that defines a DePaul education,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n
About 1.2 million international students studied in the U.S. during the previous academic year, including 62,000 in Illinois, according to the National Association of International Educators.<\/p>\n
Most universities are expected to release enrollment data later this fall. But in July, NAFSA predicted a 30 to 40% decline in new international enrollment \u2014 costing the U.S. economy $7 billion. Last month, the University of Illinois Chicago said that its international graduate enrollment had declined 9.6%, or about 216 students.<\/p>\n
As Trump restricts foreign students, he has cited national security concerns and competition for admissions slots with Americans. In April, his administration abruptly revoked<\/a> and later restored the visas of more than 1,000 international students across the country.<\/p>\n Student visa interviews were also paused from late May to mid-June, peak issuance season. Later, the U.S. State Department announced a social media vetting process to identify \u201cthose who pose a threat to U.S. national security.\u201d Overseas, there are reports of limited or no appointments available at international consulates, according to NAFSA, including India and China.<\/p>\n At DePaul, the vast majority of international students hail from India, roughly 1,500 students, followed by Pakistan and China.<\/p>\n