Trump visa order could cause problems for foreign students in Ohio

President Donald Trump is expected to issue and executive order temporarily blocking visas from being issued to anyone from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

While the details of Trump’s anticipated order remain unclear, they could impact people studying in the U.S. under student visas.

Officials at Wright State and the University of Dayton said they have already reached out to students from the countries that could be affected. Wright State has 51 students from the countries Trump’s order may target while UD has around 45, officials at both colleges said.

RELATED: Universities try to calm fears of foreign students unsure of what awaits under Trump

“We will support them as best we can in completing their studies and determining how the order might affect any travel plans,” according to a statement from UD.

Despite his tough stance on immigration, Trump has not commented much on international students.

Wright State provost Tom Sudkamp has already said that Trump’s election to the presidency is expected to cause a dip in international student applications at Wright State.

Here are three things a decrease in international students could cause:

1. Area universities could lose millions of dollars

The “Trump effect” as Sudkamp called it, is already affecting Wright State’s international student enrollment. Steep declines in international enrollment can have big financial impacts at universities, officials said.

Wright State saw a decline of around 400 students, mostly from Saudi Arabia, during fall semester. The decrease amounted to around a $10 million loss in revenue to the university, said president David Hopkins.

International students are not eligible for much financial aid so they often pay full price to attend colleges in the U.S.

The University of Dayton, Wright State, the University of Cincinnati and Ohio State combined to bring in more than $400 million in tuition from international students last year.

2. Fewer foreign students means domestic students pay more

At Wright State, international students pay almost 27 percent of the total tuition at the university, according to a report from SelfScore, a company that offers credit cards to international students. Without the influx of students from overseas, SelfScore estimates that Wright State’s domestic students would pay $2,600 more a year in tuition, a 30.7 percent jump.

Ohio State’s domestic students would see their tuition increase by $3,651 annually, a jump of more than 36 percent.

3. The economy could suffer in Ohio and nationally

International students have a $1.1 billion impact on Ohio’s economy, meaning a loss of students would be felt beyond college campuses. Ohio ranks eighth nationally with more than 37,700 international students enrolled in college, according to the Institute of International Education.

Across the United States, international students contribute more than $30 billion annually to economy and create or support more than 400,000 jobs, according to Institute of International Education and the Association of International Educators.

5 HIGHER ED MUST READS

WSU lost $1.7 million on presidential debate it never ended up hosting

IT disaster center for WSU, Ohio U. lands state funding

5 things Dan Rather might speak about at free Wright State event

Millennials are getting married later in life to focus on careers after college

OSU researcher: Fecal transplants could help children with Autism

About the Author