Weekly News Roundup: July 24, 2025

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By Shorelight Team
Published on July 24, 2025

Each week the Shorelight team rounds up trusted headlines on the latest in international education and all things impacting students and universities.

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A Super Bowl Per Year: Just how Much Money Do International Students Bring to AZ?

As part of our advocacy work with lawmakers, we try to help them understand the value of international students. As we all know, international students bring fresh perspectives to US campuses — and critical financial support. As domestic enrollment declines, they help keep programs strong and classrooms diverse. In Arizona, their annual economic impact equals the value of hosting a Super Bowl every single year. That’s a win for higher ed, local economies, and US global competitiveness.

  • Having grown by roughly 50% since the pandemic, ASU’s international student body has been a heavyweight in central Arizona’s economy. The combined economic force of those students, both through their tuition dollars and spending while living in the U.S., has the same impact on Arizona as hosting a Super Bowl each year, ASU researcher Kent Hill said.

Read more on AZ Central >

Columbia Agrees to $200 Million Fine to Settle Fight with Trump

We’ve all been watching the administration’s actions toward higher education closely. Columbia University became an early target, largely due to campus unrest following the October 7th, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel. On the campaign trail, the President made clear he would go after universities he believed failed to protect Jewish students or allowed antisemitism to persist — Columbia was first on that list. According to new reporting, the university has agreed to a $200 million settlement and program monitoring. In return, the administration is promising to reinstate some of the $400 million in research funding it had withheld. The final outcome remains uncertain.

  • Columbia University will pay a $200 million fine to settle allegations from the Trump administration that it failed to do enough to stop the harassment of Jewish students, part of a sweeping deal reached on Wednesday to restore the university’s federal research funding, according to a statement from the university.

Learn more on the New York Times >

How US Student Visa Restrictions Are Reshaping Global Academic Power Dynamics

This is an important article that echoes many of the concerns we at Shorelight have been raising. While immigration reform is needed, it’s hard to see how limiting international student enrollment benefits the US. Those of us in the sector understand the need for national security — but targeting a group that strengthens our economy, campuses, and global standing seems short-sighted.

  • US higher education has long served as a pillar of American soft power. University graduates often form a favorable view of the US, taking it with them when they return home and acting as informal ambassadors. Those who stay in the United States long-term, which is almost half, go on to contribute massive amounts to society and the economy. They start new businesses, create new jobs, and innovate, particularly in fields like STEM and healthcare. Data from 2024 shows 43% of doctorate-level STEM engineers and scientists in the US are foreign-born, as are a quarter of licensed US doctors.

  • With fewer international students passing through US campuses, America is jeopardizing its diplomatic reach and putting the future of key workforces at risk. Graduates studying elsewhere may form partnerships more aligned with European interests. Countries are sensing the shift and hoping to lure displaced talent away, which will have long-term implications for the US.

Get the full story on The Geopolitics >

Higher Learning Has Always Been International - We Must Keep it that Way

For those of us advocating for international education, this article is a powerful reminder of its global impact. As the title suggests, higher education has been central to human progress for centuries — driving advancements in democracy, medicine, science, and law. The US built a world-class infrastructure that has attracted the world’s brightest minds, fueling countless innovations and strengthening our global leadership.

  • The American Founders embraced international education as a tool for civic virtue and progress. Benjamin Franklin corresponded with European scientists and founded the American Philosophical Society to promote the international exchange of ideas. Thomas Jefferson studied Enlightenment ideas from Europe that were enshrined in the country’s founding documents.

Read more on LinkedIn >