The Fate Of International Students In Donald Trump’s Republican Administration

Donald Trump's presidency has raised several strong concerns among the masses and one of the major issues is regarding the educational policies and their reform. With a conservative government in the presidential office, the prospects for students aiming to seek an education abroad were very doubtful.

Some people believed the prospects will become brighter now with a Republican government while others held the belief the new policies will not be very much in the favor of the students enrolled in international educational institutes. Insider Higher Ed recently revealed the number of students abroad has been increasing each year. For example in 2015 alone, it increased from 260,327 to 313,415.

Obama's presidency, however, saw a decline in these numbers but there was a rise in the number of Fulbright scholarship applications received. Additionally, the number of international students witnessed a high rise of 390 percent, which was approximately 372,223 students, Asia Institute reported.

The primary concern today, however, is how the fate of international students will change under President Donald Trump's government. Looking at the data, statistics, and trends over the last 8 years — including the presidencies of both Barack Obama and George W. Bush — it can be predicted that these values would only increase.

As the data suggests, the enrollment of international students increases much more during Republican-led governments rather than Democrat-led administration. Hence, it is expected Donald Trump's period might see an increase in international education. Furthermore, many people believe he will take positive decisions regarding the education sector for the betterment of international students.

With the Open Doors data, it is safe to draw a positive correlation between a government led by the Republicans and improvement in the international education scenario. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, it is up to the colleges and universities to adapt to the changing circumstances and adjust themselves accordingly.

So, how will the Trump administration affect international students? Share your thoughts below.