Will Restrictions on International Students Result in US Students Being Denied Study Abroad?
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Anonymous
Mom of rising Sophomore here who has been double majoring in Econ and Japanese. She is very much looking forward to doing study abroad next year. Although I don’t see Japan as a country that is highly likely to retaliate against America, it does make me worry and be upset. I know this forum is not for politics and I’m not looking to get into a political discussion about it, but do you think this will affect study abroad programs for American students? I wouldn’t be surprised if it did affect at least some countries. 
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Anonymous
| OP is TOTALLY looking to get political. |
Anonymous
| Obviously I have an opinion about it. But I am genuinely worried it’s going to affect my kid’s plans, which she has worked hard for and went into our planning for college. I am wondering if other parents of kids currently in college are concerned about this. |
Anonymous
| No |
Anonymous
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Not Japan nor any Western European country.
China already controls who they accept into their selective universities, so there will be little to no changes. Even if they increase the restrictions, who cares. |
Anonymous
| How many American college kids does China have? Zero? |
Anonymous
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The issue would be reciprocity with established exchange programs. Currently, a lot of study abroad programs are intended to be reciprocal: a handful of kids at College USA go to University UK/France/Hong Kong, and vice versa. So what happens when foreign universities can't get their students here, but still have to welcome Americans there? I don't think the exchanges would work for long.
Thankfully, as TACO has shown us time and again, this scenario is not likely to be implemented. It's ILLEGAL. This administration's focus is mostly on Chinese students, who have been wrongly accused of being spies in training, and pro-Palestinian speech from any students, but obviously Arabs and Muslims are most scrutinized. Even for these groups, the Supreme Court will likely decide that the government is not allowed to discriminate against certain populations. Remember Trump's Muslim ban in his first term? It was struck down eventually. |
Anonymous
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Sure. If US blocks kids from country X from getting student visas, then country X will block our kids. Why in the world would they let American students breeze in, while American has stopped issuing ALL international student visas while they start social media checks. These things are reciprocal.
It’s a shame. I had a kid do a geology field camp for a semester in a place where he couldn’t do similar work in the US. And a foreign language major who has had student visas for a summer and a semester to do immersion. They’re done with study abroad. But the experiences were be invaluable. It will be sad if it stops being a regular occurrence for US students (who, BTW, don’t always have the reputation of being the best behaved). Although I get MAGA doesn’t understand the value. And if your kid is headed to McGill or Toronto and Trumps block Canadian kids from Harvard? Or a British U and British kids are blocked— yeah. Your kid will need to find a new college. It is adding a kink in the process for my IR rising senior. She had planned to apply to British and Canadian Masters programs next year, plus Science Po in France. Plus US schools. She applied for undergrad and knocked these off because of the uncertainty of travel across borders. It sucks for her that we are back where we were in 2021. FAFO. |
Anonymous
| She’s an adult tell her to figure it out. |
Anonymous
This is for 19:16. |
Anonymous
| You guys are just plain cruel. Millions of American students won't be able to study in China. Just wrong. |
Anonymous
Also a mom of a rising sophomore who wants to go abroad jr year, and I'm concerned too. |
Anonymous
yeah cuz that's so easy when the fed govt shuts things down. |
Anonymous
Lol. |
Anonymous
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I think countries like the UK and Ireland won’t stop American students from applying to their courses. Firstly, it’s not really a battle worth fighting given the pretty small numbers involved. Secondly, there are solid reasons for wanting American students – their money, soft power, etc. That hasn’t changed.
On the other hand, it might get a lot harder for American students applying to overseas universities because the competition will be tougher. The really bright international kids who would have applied to the likes of Harvard will probably set their sights on the best universities in other countries. Study abroad is a different matter. To the extent that it is reciprocal, then I guess it could be impacted. |