[A photo shows Harvard University, Photo Credit to Pixabay]

Donald Trump issued an order Thursday, May 22, 2025 Harvard University to prevent foreign students from enrolling or graduating; this order arises from Trump’s determination to fight against Harvard, which has been resistant to Trump. 

Many international students are shocked and horrified at Trump’s unpredictable stance, which leads to widespread uncertainties and confusion to be made. 

Harvard asserts that Trump’s action in barring international students from entering constitutes a “violation” of the law and infringes upon rights to free speech. 

In past years, there has been a  steady increase in the  proportion of foreign students at Harvard; in 2006, the percentage of international students was 20%, but in 2024, the percentage rose to 27%. 

Harvard currently hosts 6,800 international students at, including significant populations  from Canada, India, South Korea, the UK, and China. 

This underscores  how the removal of foreign students will severely affect Harvard’s financial structure, as 27% of students will no longer be contributing to tuition revenue. 

At the same time, there is a growing concern regarding the  subsidization of  American students since international students used to pay full tuition to subsidise aid for domestic students. 

Currently, international students are known to pay $59,320 just for undergraduate tuition, which does not include fees such as housing, books, food, health insurance, and other fees; the total cost of a year at Harvard is known to be more than $100,000. 

All the money flowing into Harvard from international students will be halted, and this will not only affect Harvard, but also have broader implications for America as well. 

Losing this source of revenue will destabilize Harvard’s financial model, prompting its  finance team to reassess their scholarship distribution to their American citizen students. 

Interestingly, there was also Princess Elisabeth, the future queen of Belgium, who was planning to graduate from Harvard very soon. 

Now, many students are uncertain about whether they should remain in America or they should go back to their own country. 

They fear possible deportation even if they hold a job in the US, and they are also anxious that they would no longer be able to re-enter the US once they went back to their own country. 

One student shared with BBC, “I was worried if I went home, I wouldn’t get to come back”. 

The group of international students was relieved when they heard updated news from the Boston court. 

A judge has issued a “temporary” restraining order to block Trump’s aggressive action in trying to strip Harvard University’s ability to accept foreign students. 

This judicial decision was made when Harvard filed a lawsuit against the White House, and this was known to be the latest escalation of a dispute between the White House and one of America’s most prestigious institutions. 

This issue has garnered widespread attention, and is discouraging many prospective international students from going to America, as they may face sudden deportation. 

With growing uncertainties in international students, parents, and schools, experts warn that the US universities will soon confront disadvantages in attracting talented foreign students to study and contribute to the US workforce.