Questions Flood University Bulletin Boards
Some Students Seek Transfer to Prestigious Overseas Universities
The Trump administration announced on the 22nd (local time) that it would revoke the enrollment eligibility of international students at Harvard University, leaving current international students at Harvard reportedly in a state of confusion. Numerous questions regarding the issue are being posted on the Harvard University website's bulletin board.
On this day, the New York Times (NYT) reported that international students at Harvard were expressing their fears through the undergraduate bulletin board. Sarah Davis, an international student from Australia who is about to graduate, told the outlet, "If my student visa is invalidated, I will not be able to receive my master's degree in public administration."
She added, "Even if I receive my bachelor's degree, I will not be able to stay in the United States to enter graduate school," and continued, "Everything I worked so hard for could be taken away in an instant."
Carl Malden, an international student from Italy, also said he felt devastated after hearing the news of the revocation of enrollment eligibility. In an interview with NYT, he confessed, "Being admitted to Harvard was the happiest moment of my life, and I can hardly believe this is happening."
Some current students are considering transferring to other universities. Alfred Williamson, a student from the United Kingdom, said, "My friends and I are looking into whether we can transfer to prestigious overseas universities such as Oxford or Cambridge," and added, "All international students are taking this issue very seriously and are truly bewildered. No one knows what to do."
The Trump administration canceled Harvard's certification for enrolling foreign students on this day. Previously, the Trump administration and Harvard had clashed over the treatment of international students. On April 16, the US Department of Homeland Security sent a letter to Harvard requesting information about the criminal and violent behavior history of international students on campus. At that time, the Department of Homeland Security warned that if Harvard did not comply by April 30, it would revoke the university's certification for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), which covers international students and exchange visitors.
SEVP is a Department of Homeland Security program that manages student visas. US universities must have SEVP certification in order to issue the I-20, the certificate of eligibility for international student status, to foreign students.
Meanwhile, if international student enrollment is halted, the financial impact on Harvard is also expected to be significant. Citing US college enrollment data, the NYT reported, "Harvard currently has 6,800 international students, accounting for 27% of the total student body," and added, "The proportion of tuition paid by international students is higher than that of domestic students."
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