Thousands of Indian students who previously felt studying in the United States was the highest academic achievement were now slowing down their plans due to increasing visa restrictions, political instability, and rising anti-immigrant sentiment amid Trump's administration. In a major setback for America's universities, a federal decree barring foreign student visas to Harvard University, put on hold temporarily by a judge, has created panic in Indian homes, many of which have spent life savings to ensure a US education for their wards.

US Visa Uncertainty Creates Panic Among India's Student Community

Subash Devatwal, owner of a top-ranked education consultancy in Ahmedabad, exposed a sharp decline in US-bound applications. "We used to send more than 100 students annually. This year, fewer than 10 are traveling," Devatwal said to The Guardian. "Parents are in a state of panic. Everybody is asking the same question, 'Is the US still safe for our children?'" India surpassed China in 2024 as the leading source of international students in the US, with more than 330,000 students enrolled, official government data show. But that momentum got derailed as families reconsidered their alternatives.

In Surat, businessman Brijesh Patel had invested his entire hope on his son getting into one of the best US colleges. He sold his wife's jewellery and took loans from relatives, spending 7 lakh rupees (around 6,000 pounds) just on consultancies. "We just can't risk now," Patel said to The Guardian. "If our son goes there and something goes wrong, we will never be able to get that money back. "It's not only about education. It's about a better life for the whole family," he continued. Piyush Bhartiya, co-founder of AdmitKard, an ed-tech company dealing in overseas education, said that Indian students were now considering destinations beyond the US. "We had one student who secured admission at NYU but is now choosing the London School of Economics because of the visa hold-ups," he said to The Guardian. Bhartiya observed a steep increase in demand for places in the UK, Germany, Ireland, France, and the Netherlands, especially for STEM courses. "Germany is presently the favorite among STEM applicants," he added. Parents are also looking towards the Middle East at the undergraduate level because of its proximity, affordability, and perceived political stability.

International Students Under Fire At Elite US Campuses

Like many top US universities, Harvard has long relied on its global reputation to attract top international students. Over the past three decades, international student enrollment at Harvard has grown from 11 per cent to 26 per cent, according to PTI. Columbia University has a still higher percentage, with 40 per cent of its students from overseas. A recent PTI report quoted mounting fears that institutions like Columbia are most at risk of the "stroke of pen" perils of federal immigration policy shifts. "Columbia's vulnerability to this 'stroke of pen' risk is exceptionally high," warned the Stand Columbia Society in a recent newsletter. Numerous institutions have grown reliant on foreign students not just for diversity, but also for tuition dollars. An analysis by PTI found that foreign students comprised 27 per cent of Ivy League students in 2023.

William Brustein, who directed international engagement at Ohio State and West Virginia University, called the foreign student explosion a "gold rush" for higher education.“Whether public or private, institutions raced to present themselves as global leaders,” Brustein told PTI. "If you don't attract the best international students, particularly in the sciences and engineering, your university will be left behind," Harvard historian William Kirby added, as quoted in the PTI report.

Elite US Campuses Under Pressure Amid Enrollment Dip

Harvard, Columbia, and other Ivy League schools have been in the middle of the political turmoil. President Trump recently suggested limiting international students at Harvard to 15 per cent. "We have students in America who can't get into Harvard because foreign students are taking those spots," he said. Harvard administrators took umbrage, describing it as an "illegal retaliatory step" and threatening that such actions would brutally harm the university's international reputation. "A university that can't take students from all over the world is at a definite competitive disadvantage," the university argued in court documents.

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On Thursday US federal judge suspended the proclamation from President Donald Trump aimed at preventing new foreign students from entering the country to study at Harvard University. US District Judge Allison Burroughs granted a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of the proclamation, citing academic freedom concerns and possible constitutional violations. “The court finds sufficient grounds to believe that the proclamation may infringe on First Amendment protections and cause irreparable harm to Harvard’s academic and institutional integrity,” the judge wrote.

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With fees between Rs 33 lakh and Rs 66 lakh (40,000 USD to 80,000 USD) a year, Indian families are increasingly unwilling to take a chance on the US amid tightening rules and unstable policies. "Until recently, the US was a dream," Devatwal said to The Guardian. "Now it's beginning to look like a gamble too expensive to take."