Texas university hit with $45M deficit as international student numbers plunge amid visa crackdown [View all]

https://www.financialexpress.com/world-news/us-news/texas-university-hit-with-45m-deficit-as-international-student-numbers-plunge-amid-visa-crackdown/4146912/



The University of North Texas is projecting a $45 million structural deficit, largely driven by a sharp fall in international master’s students.

The University of North Texas is dealing with a serious money problem. According to FOX 4, school now expects a $45 million budget deficit, about $14 million more than it had earlier predicted. University leaders say this is not a short-term issue. They are calling it a “structural” deficit, meaning the gap in money will not fix itself anytime soon. A big reason behind this shortfall is believed to be the sharp drop in international master’s student enrollment.

Why international students matter so much
By comparison, International students usually pay much higher tuition and fees than students from Texas. For years, that helped the university grow. Citing UNT President Harrison Keller’s letter to staff, FOX 4 reported that the decline in these students has hit the university’s finances hard. These students usually pay much higher tuition and fees than Texas residents. For years, that extra revenue helped the university grow.

In a letter to staff, Keller did not hide his concern. “Nobody could have envisioned what was going to be happening in international student enrollments,” he said. He explained that programs such as data science and computer science depended heavily on international master’s students. “A significant number of those master’s students, particularly in some fields, data science, computer science, were international master’s students,” Keller said. When those students stopped enrolling in the same numbers, the financial hit was immediate

Federal visa changes and fewer students
University officials say changes in federal immigration policy have made it harder for many international students to enroll and remain in the United States. In January, the State Department said it had revoked 8,000 student visas as part of its mission to “Keep America safe.” Around the same time, data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center showed nearly 10,000 fewer foreign students enrolled in graduate programs in Fall 2025.

From 2025 to 2026, new international student enrollment dropped by 17%. That decline led to about $1.1 billion in lost revenue nationwide and nearly 23,000 fewer jobs. Texas alone saw an estimated loss of $64.6 million.