Welcome to Dale's Digest, a curated newsletter from Foreign Credentials Service of America (FCSA). Below are a collection of articles from reliable sources regarding news and trends in international enrollment.
Widespread Decline in Enrollment by Int'l Students
The University of North Texas’ fall enrollment is down by about 1,500 students from this time last year, or about 3 percent, the Denton Record-Chroniclereports. That drop was driven almost entirely by a loss of 1,300 international students compared to last fall.
The University of Nebraska system saw its enrollment decline by 1.4 percent, or about 700 students, from this time last year, the Nebraska Examiner reported. Almost half of the falloff was from international students.
The campuses in the system reported varying degrees of loss. The flagship in Lincoln, for example, which accounts for nearly half of the system’s enrollment, was down 1.6 percent. The campuses at Omaha and Kearney declined by 1 percent and 3.9 percent, respectively.
Enrollment dropped by more than 900 students at University of Colorado system campuses this fall, driven by declines in international-student enrollment, Colorado Public Radio reports.
Enrollment at the flagship, in Boulder, was nearly 800 students, or 2 percent, short of the target set in its budget in June, according to a report to the system’s regents. Slightly more than half of the drop came from international students. On the plus side, first-year undergraduates increased by 41 students, or 0.6 percent.
Fall enrollment has declined at the University of Wisconsin system by about 1 percent since last year, the Wisconsin State Journal reports. Enrollment declined across all the campuses by 1,732 students, according to preliminary estimates, 1,100 of whom were international students.
United States: District Court Postpones Implementation of DHS Final Rule Eliminating Duration of Status for F, J, and I Nonimmigrants
A federal district court in Massachusetts has temporarily postponed the effective date of a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rule that would replace duration of status admissions for F, J, and I nonimmigrants with fixed periods of admission; the rule was set to take effect on September 15, 2026.
The court order means that, for the time being, DHS is barred from implementing the final rule and F, J, and I nonimmigrants will retain duration of status admissions.
The government is likely to quickly appeal the court decision.
