IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Officials from Iowa’s three public universities say international student enrollment has fallen this year, which some believe is due to immigration concerns raised during the presidential election.
The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that Iowa State University, the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa are expecting a dip of a few hundred students spread among them. Officials say a prolonged decline would negatively affect the universities culturally and financially.
The drop comes at a time when the three universities have experienced a $30 million cut in state funding over the past year. Most international students pay out-of-state tuition, which is significantly higher than for resident students.
Lee Seedorff is a senior associate director of UI International Student and Scholar Services. She says immigration concerns happened around the same time as when many students were filling out college applications.
University of Northern Iowa spokesman Scott Ketelsen says the school’s overall acceptance numbers are down because of increased competition from other universities and “global uncertainty.”
