Dear Erica,
Lots to share today! Though I fear I say that every week these days…here we go:
NAFSA has a new portal page devoted to the rule proposed by the Department of Homeland Security on October 8 that introduces new fees for Optional Practical Training (OPT). It includes a detailed analysis of the proposed rule and resources to assist with preparing a comment before the November 9 deadline. More than 2,500 comments have been submitted thus far. NAFSA’s will soon be added to the mix and we will share once it is! Resources provided on our portal page include the Institute for Progress’ OPT Fee Explainer which cites sobering statistics about how the fees—which are more aptly described as a tax—will ultimately depress international enrollment and deal a devastating blow to U.S. leadership in science and innovation.
Be sure to attend NAFSA’s webinar (free and open to all) on October 21 at 11 am ET for an analysis of the rule and up-to-the-minute guidance on comment preparation.
In other regulatory news, recall that on October 5, NAFSA announced a lawsuit in response to the administration’s drastic changes to Curricular Practical Training (CPT) for international students. A hearing date has been set for November 6. At that time, the judge will hear arguments related to our request for a preliminary injunction and stay of agency action. Review the complaint and bookmark NAFSA’s litigation page on the CPT case for updates. I’ll keep you posted!
NAFSA also joined a October 15 comment letter led by American Council on Education (ACE) opposing proposed changes to the Decennial Census. The letter argues that a true accounting of how many individuals are in this country must include international students and scholars, and that a prohibition on questions on race and ethnicity would be a huge loss for planners, researchers, and policymakers.
In the “food for thought—and fuel for action”—category visit this Linkedin post by Chris Glass where he dives deep into international education related data to uncover some hidden truths. For example, on the subject of U.S. students’ studying abroad, he concludes that “growth stalled long before the pandemic. Recovery is geographically uneven.” His slides from a recent presentation, Future Forward, are available for download.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
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NAFSA Advocacy Day 2027 is coming! Circle March 10 in red on your calendar! Thanks for your patience as we finalize some details before opening registration later in the month.
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Get your community ready to vote! Visit votesmart.org to learn more about the candidates in your local election. If you have students abroad during this election cycle, be sure to share with them this U.S. Vote Foundation resource on how they can vote.
Let’s leave it there for now. Thank you for your support!
Best,
Erica
Erica Stewart
Senior Director, Advocacy & Strategic Communications
NAFSA: Association of International Educators
