Dear Erica,
The world of international education regulation and policy continues to be a very dynamic one. (Though I should note that we still don’t have any updates on the DHS final rule related to Duration of Status).
The 2026 federal regulatory agenda was posted last week, which represents the regulatory priorities for each federal agency within the next 12 months. As described in a new NAFSA webpage, a number of the agenda items in this edition have been included before. Among them is practical training. The stated goal remains the same, “to amend existing regulations to address fraud and national security concerns, protect U.S. workers from being displaced by foreign nationals, and enhance the Student and Exchange Visitor Program’s capacity to oversee the program.” NAFSA and its U.S. for Success Coalition partners continue to educate Congress on the value of Optional Practical Training to U.S. workers and our economy, and the imperative of passing the Keep Innovators in America Act in the House. See below to add your voice!
In other news, a new proposed rule posted on July 1 rescinds the regulations governing the Title VI and Fulbright-Hays international education programs of the Department of Education. According to the proposal, this will allow the Department of Education more flexibility in aligning these programs with current and evolving priorities and needs. We suspect this may be related to recent announcements by the department of two new grant programs under the auspices of Title VI and Fulbright-Hays. Public comments are due by July 31.
NAFSA joined a community comment letter organized by American Council on Education in response to a proposed rule that would drastically change the governance of all federal grants, cooperative agreements, and other forms of financial assistance. The letter argues that if implemented, the so-called “Uniform Guidance” would fundamentally reshape federal grant-making and awarding processes in ways that would undermine merit and promote ideological adherence. An Inside Higher Ed story provides more context. To date, 100,000 comments have been filed in advance of the July 13 comment deadline.
On July 1, the Institute of International Education released its Spring 2026 Snapshot survey of international education trends and unsurprisingly, there are troubling signs. The report, drawn from 585 U.S. higher education institutions, shows that 59 percent of respondents report declines in international student applications. As stated in the Snapshot report, a majority report declines in applications at both the undergraduate (60 percent) and graduate (65 percent) levels. Turning to anticipated international student enrollment declines, approximately 39 percent indicate a slight decline and 24 percent expect a substantial decline. Looking at institutional type, more than three-quarters of doctoral institutions (78 percent) and 64 percent of master’s colleges and universities anticipate decreases in enrollment.
At the non-degree level, which includes exchange students and intensive English enrollments, pronounced decrease is reported for India compared to last year, with only 39 percent of institutions indicating stable or increased application numbers. This is notable given that students from India made up nearly one-third (31%) of all international students in the United States in 2024/25.
On the bright side, the survey shows that study abroad growth continues, with 87 percent of respondents expecting increased or stable student participation in study abroad in the next academic year. A majority of institutions also report they are helping students link study abroad to career readiness.
Moving to Congressional action, due to the recess, there has been no movement on an amendment to the State Department funding bill offered by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO-04) that would eliminate funding entirely for the Fulbright program. The House of Representatives returns next week and the bill is currently on their agenda to address so please continue to educate Congress on the importance of the Fulbright program. See below for how to add your voice to the advocacy campaign led by the Alliance for International Exchange, of which NAFSA is a member.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Thank you for reading.
Best,
Erica
Erica Stewart
Senior Director, Advocacy & Strategic Communications
NAFSA: Association of International Educators
