Thanks Elise, this is an important message for those of us in conversation with people sympathetic with the Trump administration. We are shooting ourselves in the foot economically. Every dollar we invest in scientific research generates between 30 percent and 100 percent return on investment, or more. Think about companies like SpaceX that they love to celebrate: they're built on decades of government-funded basic research. That's the kind of exploratory science that private shareholders would never approve without a direct profit motive, but it's exactly what creates the breakthroughs that fuel entire industries.
The cost is already showing up in the data. A recent Nature journal poll found that 75% of American scientists are considering leaving the country because of Trump's disruptions to science funding. We're talking about a brain drain of the people who drive innovation and economic growth. Meanwhile, countries like France are setting up funds specifically to lure American scientists away, recognizing the opportunity to scoop up talent that we're actively driving out. My sister-in-law, who left France to run a lab at an American university last year, is now being forced to consider returning. The students who were supposed to start running the lab are no longer welcome at the university. The brand new lab itself is in limbo. They were going to be studying ways to avoid the next pandemic, which, if you think about it… how much money are we lighting on fire by trying to put us back in lockdown again soon?
But let’s back up an remember where this assault on higher learning is coming from. This is the same guy who spent years demanding that Obama, the first Black president, prove he was smart enough for Harvard by releasing his college transcripts. Trump called Obama "a terrible student" and demanded "Let him show his records" without any evidence whatsoever. Yet when it comes to his own academic record, Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen testified that Trump directed him to threaten schools not to release his grades or SAT scores, and audio recordings from 2018-2019 reveal Trump's own sister saying she did his homework and that someone took his SATs for him. Trump graduated without any honors, yet he had the audacity to question a Harvard Law Review president's intelligence.
So when you see headlines about Trump's assault on higher learning, remember this is someone who used college to avoid military service, used wealth and connections to buy his way through the process, weaponized college transcripts as a racist attack on his predecessor, and then systematically covered his tracks. Now he's gutting the very institutions and international collaborations that make America a scientific superpower, all while other countries are rolling out the red carpet for the talent we're hemorrhaging. It’s one man’s hurt ego projecting his emotional wounds into our wallets.
Today's article, and your comments here Timothy just bring to mind how attitudes regarding higher education have evolved in the U.S. over the past several decades. As a nation, we have gone from "education for the sake of education is good" ...to "college is a waste of time and money." We no longer honor 'learning' unless we can monetize it. This just makes me sad.
I’ve seen so many comments on Facebook about how teachers are glorified babysitters and how higher ed is not worth it. But education is so vital and we should have learned that after the pandemic. We have so many kids who slipped through the cracks bc school was shifted to online for at least a year. Education is more vital than ever now.
As someone who grew up in a college town and works at a university, I can 100% affirm: International students helped many towns make it through 2008-2012 financial crisis. Beyond the value of universities, They support local businesses, increase the tax base, and international help towns rebound. A perfect example of this is Utica, NY or Lancaster, PA. Immigrants revitalize towns and communities in ways that FAR outweigh negatives.
Trump idolizes Putin. It is no coincidence that he's playing out of Russia's playbook. Dictatorships often enrich a select few at the expense of the many. And you can cement that imbalance by ensuring the general population is un- or undereducated. And those that are educated are indoctrinated into a narrow thought pattern approved by those in power. Harvard refusing those demands stops that last piece. Taking away funding and reducing exposure to outside thought is a second line into forcing universities to limit the thought processes of their scholars.
I had always taught my students that the U.S. President's number one job was to put America and Americans first. When negotiating policy and treaties with foreign entities, the U.S. President should always keep in mind, "What's in it for us?" This may sound like I'm advocating for our presidents to be selfish jerks. However, with all practicality, the U.S. president doesn't negotiate with priority placed on the 'other' country. And, quite often the benefit to the U.S. (as with foreign aid) is image and optics. On the world stage--this can prove to be the greatest asset-building strategy.
All of this requires a president who knows the difference between "America First" and "America Only." Donald Trump is not that president. While he touts "America First", his isolationist policies will leave America Lonely.
So well put, Todd! It shows how MAGA fails even in its own self-obsessed goals, getting so distracted by [people who aren't MAGA] succeeding that they don't realize that not everything is a zero-sum. Forest vs trees, nose vs face, bullet vs foot, all of that cruel and short-sighted nonsense.
This is a great article, but how do we stop this run away train. Everyday the president is threatening and bullying his way through to try and get his way!!!!
Bonnie -- Our original fears that Trump would "bully[] his way through to try and get his way" have certainly materialized. However, our true fears were based on a judiciary that would capitulate, and that has not happened. Personally, I was cautiously optimistic that the courts would not be willing to usurp their authority, and abandon the Constitution in deference to Trump. On this note--the courts have *mostly* done the right thing. Have there been--and will there continue to be painful days ahead? Absolutely. I don't think it's hyperbole to say that the next three years will be difficult, even hellish for many folks. Maybe so for you...maybe for me. But here's a fact that can't be ignored: Trump is attempting to rule by edict (executive order). EVEN IF a few of these orders are validated by the courts, we have to keep in mind that executive orders live and die with the current administration. Sure, a successor can continue to enforce a predecessor's executive order, but by the same token, can strike it down on day one of their term.
As Adam Kinzinger has recently pointed out, the next president needs to focus their first two years on reversing Trump's painful policies, and the last two years of the term pushing legislation that clarifies the Constitution's "separation of powers", and places explicit legislative limits on the executive branch. All this to avoid a future Trump.
If you don't already...I highly recommend subscribing to Adam Kinzinger's Substack.
I believe that trump does not care if this is harmful to America. Trump and his cronies are intent on taking everything they can from the rest of us and cementing the oligarchy. Trump likes monarchal countries and would genuinely like to be king. It is painful to know that maga acolytes are so intent on punishing and putting in their place anyone they consider sinful that they will help them in their destruction of our country.
I completely agree that we benefit from the diverse backgrounds and nationalities that attend our universities, economically and socially. The draw for receiving an education in the states is a wonderful thing, but I also acknowledge how other countries value education more than we do in this country. Is it not concerning that we cater more to foreign money in admissions rather than open pathways for free education and resources to all our own citizens? Is the benefit of well-educated foreigners mainly for the benefit of corporations? College is a big business and so is the student loan system profiting from students. How can we fix a broken educational system k-12 and beyond at the same time not eliminating the benefits we reap from foreign students attending US schools?
It's interesting to pair this question with what the BBB proposes to do about student loans (making them unsubsidized so students have to pay while attending school) and charters/ private schools. It all seems to lead in one direction: making education less attainable for the masses, more expensive and elitist. While at the same time, removing DEI policies and practices so that those who have traditionally been marginalized remain that way.
I'm not sure it only benefits corporations. I think foreign students subsidize US students as well. In addition to the larger economies the local economies benefit too. I think of the towns surrounding the colleges I have attended or worked at. They all benefit from both the diversity in the student body and the financial impact of the student body as well.
I also think we *can* fix the K-12 system while still benefiting from foreign students. But there has to be the political will. Congress could change the way interest accumulates on loans (in a positive way) that students use for technical & trade schools and colleges. Could we both better support K-12 and provide free/reduced community college/trade schools? Probably. But it costs money. And people have to agree to spend that money in that way. They have to find value in it.
These are legitimate questions. I do think we should put more effort into education at all levels being high quality and accessible to Americans. And I agree that we shouldn't rely on foreign students to pay for it. But I highly doubt that this is the plan. Even if it had been articulated as such, given everything else this administration is doing, I wouldn't believe it. But perhaps you are suggesting we should pick our battles?
I am glad to see this article. For research institutions, such as Harvard, Cornell, Princeton, Univ of Michigan, Univ of Texas, and so many others (both public and private), this is their unique and important contribution to society. Yes, they provide teaching and learning for undergraduates, but these institutions put hundreds of millions of dollars towards these research operations, which they recruit the world's best scientists and scholars to conduct. While no one likes to talk about how underpaid most graduate students, postdocs (a staff member usually within 5 years of getting their PhD who usually does research at a much lower salary than a researcher at a private company), research staff, and even faculty are. While it is true that there are a handful of faculty with healthy salaries, they in no way compare to the billions in grants received by government contractors (SpaceX, Boeing, etc.), creating billionaires with tax payer dollars. Only 1.2%-2% of people hold a PhD, and yet most do not make what would would expect for an advanced degree in such a small population.
Scientists in higher education rarely profit from their discoveries. They do not profit from informing us about climate change, for example. Their work is in the interest of curiousity, understanding, supporting the greater good, and bettering society. It is only to our advantage that tax dollars fund life-changing research at extremely high returns on investment. This research is conducted by the brightest minds in the world at an extremely low cost, as the US used to be a place of desire and envy to go to the best universities. However, it is quickly changing.
In the same way that it is not profitable to deliver mail to remote areas in the US - which is why the USPS is funded by the govt, it is not profitable to do research on rare diseases or exploratory research that could have returns. The US benefits from the brightest in the world working on extremely difficult problems at low salaries.
I'll also address the fact that the fear that international students have are also felt by their American colleagues. It creates uncertainty in the research workforce within universities, but also in the entire brain pipeline to the country. Who is going to work in our cancer centers, hospitals, tech industry, understand and explore law, and explore business practices? If we want American kids filling these roles, we need to understand that these researchers work at lower salaries than most expect, and that we need to set expectations to make the best childhood education in the world accessible to American kids. However, by defunding the schools who are most in need (and in our lowest performing states from a school performance perspective), or outright lying about election results in Oklahoma to children, we will never produce enough excellent students who are qualified to study or perform research at these world-renowned institutions. We are an embarrassment when it comes to academic excellent and becoming an embarrassment when even meeting basic education standards.
The freedom to explore, challenge, and inform oneself gives power to the people, where it belongs in a democracy. If Harvard is Ukraine and every other high ed institution is Poland, including - and maybe especially so - public universities in red states. Harvard is not perfect, but it is important that it stands in its academic freedom and speech, ability for international students to attend, and ability to conduct research that positively impacts society.
I feel this to my core. I have a PhD and I don't work at a university for a lot of reasons, but certainly one if those reasons is that it's a mad scramble for few resources and the pay is terrible to boot. Graduate students in the sciences are supported by grants and do significant scientific work for the "privilege" of being broke and stressed for 4 or more years as they produce enough published research to support a thesis. The stipend they receive for that work isn't enough to pay for housing, yet in most universities, they can't work outside the university to supplement their income. Not that they have a lot of free time. I was in the lab at night and on weekends. I didn't have access to student parking (for undergrads) or staff, so I had to pay for parking it take public transportation. I was on campus one night by myself during a riot (the hockey team won). And the only reason I could "afford" to get a PhD was because grants pay for grad student tuition, lab supplies, and lab space. I still left with student loans. Many of those grants are federal grants, which support the basic sciences so that others (including for-profit companies) can avoid the cost of the basic sciences on the way to making bigger innovations. Other countries are not going to stop investing in basic sciences and building the next generation of scientists. The next generation of scientists will have to be trained in those countries. And why would the best and brightest come back here? Their kids aren't going to have the same opportunities. The US will stop competing at the top levels of innovation because there's nothing here to draw the most talented people back. When you cut the vine at the root, it will either along its entire length unless a new root can be established. No strong roots will be reestablished by this administration and those who support it. They'll succeed in Making America Last.
100% feel this comment as a PhD in engineering and as someone employed at one of the universities in the news. I'm watching our faculty, students, and high education staff being invited w/ open arms by other countries - who will fund their research, where they can use words in their grant proposals like "women" or "diverse" (even when describing birds), where their students can conduct research and earn their degree w/o fear of being kidnapped and being thrown into an unmarked car by masked people, and can finally send their kids to school with little fear of a school shooting (this is often included in a reason they were thinking about leaving anyway). The brain drain is here and it will impact our corporations, our day-to-day living, govt, and schools. International students bring $43B into the US economy each year. They are not a drain on taxpayers, nor a threat.
This is exactly why trumps America First bullshit has no positive outcome. We now live in a global world. We are all dependent on what happens in other countries and there is no going back, nor should we want to. Trump is more concerned with saying he’s making us great by what he’s doing, than he is by causing irreparable damage to our world standing because of what he’s doing. It’s sad, embarrassing and will cause so much destruction that our children and grandchildren will have to deal with.
Help me understand how there is NOTHING the other branches of government can do? Despite dems having minority? Is there ZERO integrity? Any FEAR of the way this administration is burning down the country? Are ALL of the cult followers thinking they will benefit from all this blatant crime? HOW is ANYONE ok with all the corruption? Where are the consequences? I don't understand. *Apologies for the CAPS!
Universities in the US have been instrumental in numerous inventions and innovations, spanning various fields. Examples include the FDA-approved fluoride toothpaste developed at Indiana University, seat belts researched at Cornell University, and the spreadsheet created at the Harvard Business School, according to UConn Today. Additionally, universities have played a significant role in medical advancements, like the MRI scanner and surgery under anesthesia, and the Hepatitis B vaccine developed in collaboration between the University of Pennsylvania and the Fox Chase Cancer Center, Halo Science reports.
Here's a more detailed look at some university-driven inventions:
Medical Advancements:
Hepatitis B vaccine:
.
Developed at the University of Pennsylvania in collaboration with the Fox Chase Cancer Center, says Halo Science.
MRI scanner:
.
An invention credited to universities for their role in developing this crucial diagnostic tool, as noted by Halo Science.
Surgery under anesthesia:
.
Another significant medical advancement pioneered by universities, according to Halo Science.
Other Inventions and Innovations:
Fluoride toothpaste: The FDA-approved version was developed at Indiana University, says UConn Today.
Seat belts: Extensive crash injury research at Cornell University led to the development of seat belts, according to UConn Today.
Spreadsheet: Scholars at the Harvard Business School are credited with inventing the ubiquitous spreadsheet, notes UConn Today.
Post-it Notes adhesive: Developed by a University of Colorado Boulder alum.
Liquid Crystals: Researchers at CU Boulder designed new types of liquid crystals.
3D Printing: A significant breakthrough by a CU alum.
Lasers: Developed by a CU alum.
TiVo: A CU invention.
Quantum Squeezing: Developed by scientists at JILA research institute, says CU.
I live locally to Harvard. The decimation to the local economy will be awful if this administration gets its way. As the article states local landlords will suffer, as will many small business. As someone mentioned in the comments, they think AI will change the future of education. But the programs that need to be developed to help control AI still need to be created. If Cambridge and Boston suffer and this policy expands small college towns will really struggle. College towns are little rays of sunshine and hope across this country.
This is what I came here to say: I'm local to Harvard as well and we've already seen the effects of being targeted by the administration: the detainment of Rumeysa Ozturk, the targeting of Boston mayor Michelle Wu, Tom Homan saying he can't wait to decimate our local immigrant population with ICE raids, and of course the nonstop attacks on Harvard.
I'm not sure that people understand the extent to which Harvard is embedded in the entire local Boston economy, and to a great extent the state as a whole. All the biomedical research and advancements, the whole engine of STEM and the arts and humanities, publishing, international business, finance... all of it relies on Harvard in some way. Nearly every hospital is associated with Harvard. Even the other universities - MIT, Tufts, Boston U and Boston College, they're all tied together in a higher ed ecosystem that rises or falls as one. My neighbors are Harvard professors, or they host students, or they rely on Harvard for medical care. Our economy, our community, has been under attack and it's heartbreaking.
We are not perfect, but we are an engine of American prosperity and a force for good, and it hurts to be named a public enemy like this.
We visited Boston last summer with our kids for a Lizzy McAlpine concert. It was such a great trip. The library was a work of art! We walked everywhere, did a bus tour, and took the train to Harvard. I want to go back!
Disconcerting to observe the systematic dismantling of American ideals. Our family recently attended EXPO 2025 in Osaka, Japan where countries around the globe are on exhibition. The U.S. pavilion was crowded with attendees who could see the USA on full display. Ironically enough, the US exhibit is filled with messaging and imagery that highlights American ideals of education, opportunity, diversity, and innovation.
We were struck by the images and promotion of international student programs, path to immigration, vibrant national parks, and numerous other programs that are being eliminated and/or drastically reshaped. It was a sinking feeling to observe the promotion of a welcoming America that seems to be further removed from those ideals with each day that passes.
This is a critically important article. Thank you! I find myself wondering if there is another layer to this insanity. Noam Chomsky and others have spent decades warning us about “the dumbing down of America.” An ignorant populace is easier to manipulate and control. For the sake of the individuals who possess so much talent, I do hope they will find more receptive places to study and work outside this country. Already, three prominent Yale scholars have left to teach at the university Toronto. I suspect this is just the beginning.
In an ideal world, the best minds would all be working together to solve the worlds problems- unfortunately, we aren’t there and every country is trying to be the most powerful country in the world. The only thing I disagree with in your article is where it says foreign students pay full fees and subsidize US students- according to Harvard’s website, all students whether foreign or not, can receive financial aid based on need not merit- hence the reason so many foreigners can afford to even go to Harvard-“We know that paying for college is a big concern for many families, and we’re committed to making a Harvard education – and the opportunities that come with it – possible for more students than ever. International students are eligible for exactly the same aid as American students.
Because we want to bring the best people to Harvard regardless of their financial circumstances, we follow two important principles:
Need-blind admissions. Your financial need and your aid application will never affect your chance of being admitted to Harvard.
100% need-based aid. We base aid awards on need, not on merit. This means that financial aid supports the students who will benefit from it the most. Furthermore, we meet 100 percent of our students' demonstrated financial need.”-
and as you stated 94% of law students are foreign. It seems like Harvard prefers students outside of the US as it is so difficult to get into Harvard as a US student- but our taxes go to subsidize Harvard - and our student loans are ridiculous it’s difficult to go to any university- while I’m not in any way condoning Trump/admin- there has to be a better way
International students often pay higher tuition fees, similar to the way out of state students pay higher than in-state students at state schools. Even though some international students may qualify for financial aid, most of them may not be getting that type of aid.
Harvard's financial aid model is more an oddity than indicative of the broader pattern. International students do, for the most part, pay higher tuition fees and often in full. And when we attended state schools, we paid the higher rates too.
I also don't know we can draw the conclusion that Harvard prefers students outside of the US. It's really hard for foreigners to get into Harvard too! Some fields of studies naturally draw more intl interest, and comparative law seems like it would be one of them.
(The stat provided in the essay says 94% of the comparative law program is foreign, rather than the entire law school student population.)
Thanks Elise, this is an important message for those of us in conversation with people sympathetic with the Trump administration. We are shooting ourselves in the foot economically. Every dollar we invest in scientific research generates between 30 percent and 100 percent return on investment, or more. Think about companies like SpaceX that they love to celebrate: they're built on decades of government-funded basic research. That's the kind of exploratory science that private shareholders would never approve without a direct profit motive, but it's exactly what creates the breakthroughs that fuel entire industries.
The cost is already showing up in the data. A recent Nature journal poll found that 75% of American scientists are considering leaving the country because of Trump's disruptions to science funding. We're talking about a brain drain of the people who drive innovation and economic growth. Meanwhile, countries like France are setting up funds specifically to lure American scientists away, recognizing the opportunity to scoop up talent that we're actively driving out. My sister-in-law, who left France to run a lab at an American university last year, is now being forced to consider returning. The students who were supposed to start running the lab are no longer welcome at the university. The brand new lab itself is in limbo. They were going to be studying ways to avoid the next pandemic, which, if you think about it… how much money are we lighting on fire by trying to put us back in lockdown again soon?
But let’s back up an remember where this assault on higher learning is coming from. This is the same guy who spent years demanding that Obama, the first Black president, prove he was smart enough for Harvard by releasing his college transcripts. Trump called Obama "a terrible student" and demanded "Let him show his records" without any evidence whatsoever. Yet when it comes to his own academic record, Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen testified that Trump directed him to threaten schools not to release his grades or SAT scores, and audio recordings from 2018-2019 reveal Trump's own sister saying she did his homework and that someone took his SATs for him. Trump graduated without any honors, yet he had the audacity to question a Harvard Law Review president's intelligence.
So when you see headlines about Trump's assault on higher learning, remember this is someone who used college to avoid military service, used wealth and connections to buy his way through the process, weaponized college transcripts as a racist attack on his predecessor, and then systematically covered his tracks. Now he's gutting the very institutions and international collaborations that make America a scientific superpower, all while other countries are rolling out the red carpet for the talent we're hemorrhaging. It’s one man’s hurt ego projecting his emotional wounds into our wallets.
Today's article, and your comments here Timothy just bring to mind how attitudes regarding higher education have evolved in the U.S. over the past several decades. As a nation, we have gone from "education for the sake of education is good" ...to "college is a waste of time and money." We no longer honor 'learning' unless we can monetize it. This just makes me sad.
I’ve seen so many comments on Facebook about how teachers are glorified babysitters and how higher ed is not worth it. But education is so vital and we should have learned that after the pandemic. We have so many kids who slipped through the cracks bc school was shifted to online for at least a year. Education is more vital than ever now.
Timothy and Todd, All true.
Also, everyone associated with this administration hates all education, because uneducated people are easier to control.
This. You nailed it.
It is the reason for everything they are doing.
As someone who grew up in a college town and works at a university, I can 100% affirm: International students helped many towns make it through 2008-2012 financial crisis. Beyond the value of universities, They support local businesses, increase the tax base, and international help towns rebound. A perfect example of this is Utica, NY or Lancaster, PA. Immigrants revitalize towns and communities in ways that FAR outweigh negatives.
Trump idolizes Putin. It is no coincidence that he's playing out of Russia's playbook. Dictatorships often enrich a select few at the expense of the many. And you can cement that imbalance by ensuring the general population is un- or undereducated. And those that are educated are indoctrinated into a narrow thought pattern approved by those in power. Harvard refusing those demands stops that last piece. Taking away funding and reducing exposure to outside thought is a second line into forcing universities to limit the thought processes of their scholars.
I had always taught my students that the U.S. President's number one job was to put America and Americans first. When negotiating policy and treaties with foreign entities, the U.S. President should always keep in mind, "What's in it for us?" This may sound like I'm advocating for our presidents to be selfish jerks. However, with all practicality, the U.S. president doesn't negotiate with priority placed on the 'other' country. And, quite often the benefit to the U.S. (as with foreign aid) is image and optics. On the world stage--this can prove to be the greatest asset-building strategy.
All of this requires a president who knows the difference between "America First" and "America Only." Donald Trump is not that president. While he touts "America First", his isolationist policies will leave America Lonely.
So well put, Todd! It shows how MAGA fails even in its own self-obsessed goals, getting so distracted by [people who aren't MAGA] succeeding that they don't realize that not everything is a zero-sum. Forest vs trees, nose vs face, bullet vs foot, all of that cruel and short-sighted nonsense.
This is a great article, but how do we stop this run away train. Everyday the president is threatening and bullying his way through to try and get his way!!!!
Bonnie -- Our original fears that Trump would "bully[] his way through to try and get his way" have certainly materialized. However, our true fears were based on a judiciary that would capitulate, and that has not happened. Personally, I was cautiously optimistic that the courts would not be willing to usurp their authority, and abandon the Constitution in deference to Trump. On this note--the courts have *mostly* done the right thing. Have there been--and will there continue to be painful days ahead? Absolutely. I don't think it's hyperbole to say that the next three years will be difficult, even hellish for many folks. Maybe so for you...maybe for me. But here's a fact that can't be ignored: Trump is attempting to rule by edict (executive order). EVEN IF a few of these orders are validated by the courts, we have to keep in mind that executive orders live and die with the current administration. Sure, a successor can continue to enforce a predecessor's executive order, but by the same token, can strike it down on day one of their term.
As Adam Kinzinger has recently pointed out, the next president needs to focus their first two years on reversing Trump's painful policies, and the last two years of the term pushing legislation that clarifies the Constitution's "separation of powers", and places explicit legislative limits on the executive branch. All this to avoid a future Trump.
If you don't already...I highly recommend subscribing to Adam Kinzinger's Substack.
I believe that trump does not care if this is harmful to America. Trump and his cronies are intent on taking everything they can from the rest of us and cementing the oligarchy. Trump likes monarchal countries and would genuinely like to be king. It is painful to know that maga acolytes are so intent on punishing and putting in their place anyone they consider sinful that they will help them in their destruction of our country.
I completely agree that we benefit from the diverse backgrounds and nationalities that attend our universities, economically and socially. The draw for receiving an education in the states is a wonderful thing, but I also acknowledge how other countries value education more than we do in this country. Is it not concerning that we cater more to foreign money in admissions rather than open pathways for free education and resources to all our own citizens? Is the benefit of well-educated foreigners mainly for the benefit of corporations? College is a big business and so is the student loan system profiting from students. How can we fix a broken educational system k-12 and beyond at the same time not eliminating the benefits we reap from foreign students attending US schools?
It's interesting to pair this question with what the BBB proposes to do about student loans (making them unsubsidized so students have to pay while attending school) and charters/ private schools. It all seems to lead in one direction: making education less attainable for the masses, more expensive and elitist. While at the same time, removing DEI policies and practices so that those who have traditionally been marginalized remain that way.
I'm not sure it only benefits corporations. I think foreign students subsidize US students as well. In addition to the larger economies the local economies benefit too. I think of the towns surrounding the colleges I have attended or worked at. They all benefit from both the diversity in the student body and the financial impact of the student body as well.
I also think we *can* fix the K-12 system while still benefiting from foreign students. But there has to be the political will. Congress could change the way interest accumulates on loans (in a positive way) that students use for technical & trade schools and colleges. Could we both better support K-12 and provide free/reduced community college/trade schools? Probably. But it costs money. And people have to agree to spend that money in that way. They have to find value in it.
These are legitimate questions. I do think we should put more effort into education at all levels being high quality and accessible to Americans. And I agree that we shouldn't rely on foreign students to pay for it. But I highly doubt that this is the plan. Even if it had been articulated as such, given everything else this administration is doing, I wouldn't believe it. But perhaps you are suggesting we should pick our battles?
I am glad to see this article. For research institutions, such as Harvard, Cornell, Princeton, Univ of Michigan, Univ of Texas, and so many others (both public and private), this is their unique and important contribution to society. Yes, they provide teaching and learning for undergraduates, but these institutions put hundreds of millions of dollars towards these research operations, which they recruit the world's best scientists and scholars to conduct. While no one likes to talk about how underpaid most graduate students, postdocs (a staff member usually within 5 years of getting their PhD who usually does research at a much lower salary than a researcher at a private company), research staff, and even faculty are. While it is true that there are a handful of faculty with healthy salaries, they in no way compare to the billions in grants received by government contractors (SpaceX, Boeing, etc.), creating billionaires with tax payer dollars. Only 1.2%-2% of people hold a PhD, and yet most do not make what would would expect for an advanced degree in such a small population.
Scientists in higher education rarely profit from their discoveries. They do not profit from informing us about climate change, for example. Their work is in the interest of curiousity, understanding, supporting the greater good, and bettering society. It is only to our advantage that tax dollars fund life-changing research at extremely high returns on investment. This research is conducted by the brightest minds in the world at an extremely low cost, as the US used to be a place of desire and envy to go to the best universities. However, it is quickly changing.
In the same way that it is not profitable to deliver mail to remote areas in the US - which is why the USPS is funded by the govt, it is not profitable to do research on rare diseases or exploratory research that could have returns. The US benefits from the brightest in the world working on extremely difficult problems at low salaries.
I'll also address the fact that the fear that international students have are also felt by their American colleagues. It creates uncertainty in the research workforce within universities, but also in the entire brain pipeline to the country. Who is going to work in our cancer centers, hospitals, tech industry, understand and explore law, and explore business practices? If we want American kids filling these roles, we need to understand that these researchers work at lower salaries than most expect, and that we need to set expectations to make the best childhood education in the world accessible to American kids. However, by defunding the schools who are most in need (and in our lowest performing states from a school performance perspective), or outright lying about election results in Oklahoma to children, we will never produce enough excellent students who are qualified to study or perform research at these world-renowned institutions. We are an embarrassment when it comes to academic excellent and becoming an embarrassment when even meeting basic education standards.
The freedom to explore, challenge, and inform oneself gives power to the people, where it belongs in a democracy. If Harvard is Ukraine and every other high ed institution is Poland, including - and maybe especially so - public universities in red states. Harvard is not perfect, but it is important that it stands in its academic freedom and speech, ability for international students to attend, and ability to conduct research that positively impacts society.
I feel this to my core. I have a PhD and I don't work at a university for a lot of reasons, but certainly one if those reasons is that it's a mad scramble for few resources and the pay is terrible to boot. Graduate students in the sciences are supported by grants and do significant scientific work for the "privilege" of being broke and stressed for 4 or more years as they produce enough published research to support a thesis. The stipend they receive for that work isn't enough to pay for housing, yet in most universities, they can't work outside the university to supplement their income. Not that they have a lot of free time. I was in the lab at night and on weekends. I didn't have access to student parking (for undergrads) or staff, so I had to pay for parking it take public transportation. I was on campus one night by myself during a riot (the hockey team won). And the only reason I could "afford" to get a PhD was because grants pay for grad student tuition, lab supplies, and lab space. I still left with student loans. Many of those grants are federal grants, which support the basic sciences so that others (including for-profit companies) can avoid the cost of the basic sciences on the way to making bigger innovations. Other countries are not going to stop investing in basic sciences and building the next generation of scientists. The next generation of scientists will have to be trained in those countries. And why would the best and brightest come back here? Their kids aren't going to have the same opportunities. The US will stop competing at the top levels of innovation because there's nothing here to draw the most talented people back. When you cut the vine at the root, it will either along its entire length unless a new root can be established. No strong roots will be reestablished by this administration and those who support it. They'll succeed in Making America Last.
100% feel this comment as a PhD in engineering and as someone employed at one of the universities in the news. I'm watching our faculty, students, and high education staff being invited w/ open arms by other countries - who will fund their research, where they can use words in their grant proposals like "women" or "diverse" (even when describing birds), where their students can conduct research and earn their degree w/o fear of being kidnapped and being thrown into an unmarked car by masked people, and can finally send their kids to school with little fear of a school shooting (this is often included in a reason they were thinking about leaving anyway). The brain drain is here and it will impact our corporations, our day-to-day living, govt, and schools. International students bring $43B into the US economy each year. They are not a drain on taxpayers, nor a threat.
Forgive my typos. My phone's autocucumber is terrible.
This is exactly why trumps America First bullshit has no positive outcome. We now live in a global world. We are all dependent on what happens in other countries and there is no going back, nor should we want to. Trump is more concerned with saying he’s making us great by what he’s doing, than he is by causing irreparable damage to our world standing because of what he’s doing. It’s sad, embarrassing and will cause so much destruction that our children and grandchildren will have to deal with.
Help me understand how there is NOTHING the other branches of government can do? Despite dems having minority? Is there ZERO integrity? Any FEAR of the way this administration is burning down the country? Are ALL of the cult followers thinking they will benefit from all this blatant crime? HOW is ANYONE ok with all the corruption? Where are the consequences? I don't understand. *Apologies for the CAPS!
Right. I keep wondering the same thing. How can there be so little effective opposition?
Universities in the US have been instrumental in numerous inventions and innovations, spanning various fields. Examples include the FDA-approved fluoride toothpaste developed at Indiana University, seat belts researched at Cornell University, and the spreadsheet created at the Harvard Business School, according to UConn Today. Additionally, universities have played a significant role in medical advancements, like the MRI scanner and surgery under anesthesia, and the Hepatitis B vaccine developed in collaboration between the University of Pennsylvania and the Fox Chase Cancer Center, Halo Science reports.
Here's a more detailed look at some university-driven inventions:
Medical Advancements:
Hepatitis B vaccine:
.
Developed at the University of Pennsylvania in collaboration with the Fox Chase Cancer Center, says Halo Science.
MRI scanner:
.
An invention credited to universities for their role in developing this crucial diagnostic tool, as noted by Halo Science.
Surgery under anesthesia:
.
Another significant medical advancement pioneered by universities, according to Halo Science.
Other Inventions and Innovations:
Fluoride toothpaste: The FDA-approved version was developed at Indiana University, says UConn Today.
Seat belts: Extensive crash injury research at Cornell University led to the development of seat belts, according to UConn Today.
Spreadsheet: Scholars at the Harvard Business School are credited with inventing the ubiquitous spreadsheet, notes UConn Today.
Post-it Notes adhesive: Developed by a University of Colorado Boulder alum.
Liquid Crystals: Researchers at CU Boulder designed new types of liquid crystals.
3D Printing: A significant breakthrough by a CU alum.
Lasers: Developed by a CU alum.
TiVo: A CU invention.
Quantum Squeezing: Developed by scientists at JILA research institute, says CU.
I live locally to Harvard. The decimation to the local economy will be awful if this administration gets its way. As the article states local landlords will suffer, as will many small business. As someone mentioned in the comments, they think AI will change the future of education. But the programs that need to be developed to help control AI still need to be created. If Cambridge and Boston suffer and this policy expands small college towns will really struggle. College towns are little rays of sunshine and hope across this country.
This is what I came here to say: I'm local to Harvard as well and we've already seen the effects of being targeted by the administration: the detainment of Rumeysa Ozturk, the targeting of Boston mayor Michelle Wu, Tom Homan saying he can't wait to decimate our local immigrant population with ICE raids, and of course the nonstop attacks on Harvard.
I'm not sure that people understand the extent to which Harvard is embedded in the entire local Boston economy, and to a great extent the state as a whole. All the biomedical research and advancements, the whole engine of STEM and the arts and humanities, publishing, international business, finance... all of it relies on Harvard in some way. Nearly every hospital is associated with Harvard. Even the other universities - MIT, Tufts, Boston U and Boston College, they're all tied together in a higher ed ecosystem that rises or falls as one. My neighbors are Harvard professors, or they host students, or they rely on Harvard for medical care. Our economy, our community, has been under attack and it's heartbreaking.
We are not perfect, but we are an engine of American prosperity and a force for good, and it hurts to be named a public enemy like this.
We visited Boston last summer with our kids for a Lizzy McAlpine concert. It was such a great trip. The library was a work of art! We walked everywhere, did a bus tour, and took the train to Harvard. I want to go back!
I agree!
Really eye-opening. As an Ohioan and a university employee, it’s a mixed bag of emotions (and not good).
Disconcerting to observe the systematic dismantling of American ideals. Our family recently attended EXPO 2025 in Osaka, Japan where countries around the globe are on exhibition. The U.S. pavilion was crowded with attendees who could see the USA on full display. Ironically enough, the US exhibit is filled with messaging and imagery that highlights American ideals of education, opportunity, diversity, and innovation.
We were struck by the images and promotion of international student programs, path to immigration, vibrant national parks, and numerous other programs that are being eliminated and/or drastically reshaped. It was a sinking feeling to observe the promotion of a welcoming America that seems to be further removed from those ideals with each day that passes.
This is a critically important article. Thank you! I find myself wondering if there is another layer to this insanity. Noam Chomsky and others have spent decades warning us about “the dumbing down of America.” An ignorant populace is easier to manipulate and control. For the sake of the individuals who possess so much talent, I do hope they will find more receptive places to study and work outside this country. Already, three prominent Yale scholars have left to teach at the university Toronto. I suspect this is just the beginning.
In an ideal world, the best minds would all be working together to solve the worlds problems- unfortunately, we aren’t there and every country is trying to be the most powerful country in the world. The only thing I disagree with in your article is where it says foreign students pay full fees and subsidize US students- according to Harvard’s website, all students whether foreign or not, can receive financial aid based on need not merit- hence the reason so many foreigners can afford to even go to Harvard-“We know that paying for college is a big concern for many families, and we’re committed to making a Harvard education – and the opportunities that come with it – possible for more students than ever. International students are eligible for exactly the same aid as American students.
Because we want to bring the best people to Harvard regardless of their financial circumstances, we follow two important principles:
Need-blind admissions. Your financial need and your aid application will never affect your chance of being admitted to Harvard.
100% need-based aid. We base aid awards on need, not on merit. This means that financial aid supports the students who will benefit from it the most. Furthermore, we meet 100 percent of our students' demonstrated financial need.”-
and as you stated 94% of law students are foreign. It seems like Harvard prefers students outside of the US as it is so difficult to get into Harvard as a US student- but our taxes go to subsidize Harvard - and our student loans are ridiculous it’s difficult to go to any university- while I’m not in any way condoning Trump/admin- there has to be a better way
International students often pay higher tuition fees, similar to the way out of state students pay higher than in-state students at state schools. Even though some international students may qualify for financial aid, most of them may not be getting that type of aid.
Harvard's financial aid model is more an oddity than indicative of the broader pattern. International students do, for the most part, pay higher tuition fees and often in full. And when we attended state schools, we paid the higher rates too.
I also don't know we can draw the conclusion that Harvard prefers students outside of the US. It's really hard for foreigners to get into Harvard too! Some fields of studies naturally draw more intl interest, and comparative law seems like it would be one of them.
(The stat provided in the essay says 94% of the comparative law program is foreign, rather than the entire law school student population.)
So short sighted..