US President Donald Trump defended the role of foreign students in sustaining the nation’s higher education system, warning that drastic cuts in international enrolment could devastate American universities and trigger widespread financial collapse across the education sector.
In a televised interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Trump said that foreign students bring immense economic value to the United States and that reducing their numbers would be a grave mistake. “You don’t want to cut half of the people, half of the students from all over the world that are coming into our country — destroy our entire university and college system — I don’t want to do that,” Trump said. “I actually think it’s good to have outside countries. Look, I want to be able to get along with the world.”
He stressed that many American universities, especially smaller private colleges, depend on international tuition to survive. Trump argued that if the United States were to sharply limit students from countries like China, India, and South Korea, as some of his advisers have proposed, “half of the colleges in the country would go out of business.”
Trump also highlighted the economic benefits of international education, claiming that foreign students “contribute trillions of dollars to the US economy” through tuition, housing, and local spending. “They pay two, sometimes three times more than our own students,” he said. “I want our school system to thrive. It’s not that I want them; I view it as a business. And it’s a business that works.”
His comments represent a surprising contrast to several of his administration’s immigration policies, which have imposed tougher restrictions on foreign students. Over the past year, thousands of student visas have been revoked, and several foreign nationals involved in pro-Palestinian protests have faced deportation proceedings.
When Ingraham suggested that limiting international enrolment could open more seats for American citizens, Trump dismissed the idea as “short-sighted and destructive.” He warned that such a move would devastate historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and smaller private institutions that rely heavily on international tuition revenue. “If you cut that in half, you’re going to see hundreds of colleges close. It’s that simple,” he said.
The remarks come as the State Department, under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, enforces new limits on academic visas. Earlier this year, Rubio ordered a temporary suspension of student visa interviews at US embassies, later reinstating them under stricter screening protocols. The administration also proposed a “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” which would cap foreign undergraduate enrolment at 15 per cent of total students, with no more than 5 per cent from any single country.
Universities across the United States — including members of the Ivy League, large public systems, and private colleges — have strongly opposed the policy, warning that it could cause severe financial strain and erode the country’s global competitiveness.
Education analysts say Trump’s latest remarks suggest a pragmatic acknowledgment of that risk. “It’s one of the few times he’s spoken so directly about the economic necessity of international students,” said a higher education economist. “He sees it less as cultural exchange and more as a matter of financial survival.”
For now, Trump’s comments signal a potential softening of tone toward the international student community — one that frames education not as a matter of immigration control, but as a critical business model for America’s universities and the broader economy.
