The Trump administration has stripped Harvard University of its ability to enroll international students, a move that threatens to deliver a major financial blow to the Ivy League school.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the revocation of Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), escalating the administration’s broader campaign against elite academic institutions. The decision bars Harvard from accepting students on F-1 and J-1 visas for the 2025–2026 academic year.
Current international students at Harvard have been ordered to transfer to another institution or face losing their legal status in the U.S.
Noem accused Harvard of “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party, “claims the university vehemently denies. Harvard has responded by calling the decision unlawful and retaliatory, pledging full support for its international student community.
Hundreds of millions in lost revenue
Harvard isn’t just losing part of its student body—it’s losing a major source of revenue. International students accounted for roughly 27% of total enrollment in the 2024–2025 academic year, totaling 6,793 students.
Though tuition is the same for all students, international enrollees typically bring in more money. Harvard offers need-based financial aid to all admitted students, but far fewer international students qualify. While 55% of U.S. students receive aid, only about 20% of international students do (according to the university’s Common Data Set (CDS) for the 2022–2023 academic year), leaving the majority to pay the full cost of attendance.
Note that the figure doesn’t include:
- International students paying for graduate and professional programs (often higher tuition)
- Ancillary revenue (e.g., summer programs, donations, housing extensions, dining, etc.)
- Long-term alumni contributions
Disclaimer: This revenue estimate is based on public tuition data and enrollment figures. It does not account for program-specific costs, endowment offsets, or nuanced financial aid scenarios. The actual financial impact could be significantly higher.
Recent federal actions affecting the university
The ban on international students isn’t the only pressure point. Over the past several weeks, the Trump administration has:
- Frozen $2.2 billion in federal research grants to Harvard;
- Terminated an additional $450 million in funding over alleged antisemitic incidents;
- Ordered the university to dismantle DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programming;
- Demanded records on foreign students’ political activity and affiliations.
Harvard has sued to reverse the cuts and called the demands unconstitutional and punitive. In a statement, Harvard President Alan Garber emphasized the university’s stance:
“No government—regardless of which party is in power—should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.”
Featured image via Shutterstock.
