BOSTON — Colleges and universities across Massachusetts are bracing for a potential decline in international student enrollment for the upcoming fall semester.
A new study from NAFSA: Association of International Educators and JB International projects a 40 percent drop in new international student college enrollment nationwide.
The study blames disruptions in student visa interviews and processing.
It projects that visa backlogs could prevent 150,000 new students from getting the necessary documentation to travel to the United States in time for the fall semester.
According to the study, the drop in international students could result in a $7 billion revenue loss for the United States.
That revenue loss could be up to $619 million in Massachusetts.
“The drop in international students is going to have that larger economic impact on the United States, not just institutions of higher education, and a place like Boston is likely going to feel that,” said Sarah Spreitzer, Vice President and Chief of Staff for Government Relations at the American Council on Education.
Northeastern University, which has an international student population of about 35 percent, is working to help international students as much as possible.
The school said it’s providing opportunities for remote learning, deferrals, and options to attend the school’s campuses in London or Canada.
“Northeastern is one of the biggest international campuses in the world, and the majority of classes I take, half the class is international,” said Northeastern senior Ashna Varma.
Boston real estate offices are seeing noticeable vacancies in some neighborhoods near campuses.
That includes Mission Hill, where the September 1st availability rate is more than 70 percent higher than this time last year.
“Boston is an international city. We have people that come from all over the world to study. With fewer international students showing up this year, it has opened up excellent rental opportunities in: Mission Hill, Fort Hill, Fenway and other areas that are in close proximity with universities that heavily accept an international student body,” said Demetrios Salpoglou, CEO of Boston Pads.
International students have been feeling the pressure since President Trump took office in January.
The Trump administration added a new screening of social media accounts to the visa approval process in June.
Boston 25 News reached out to the State Department for comment and has not yet heard back.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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