Shorelight Joins Thousands Offering Public Comments Opposing The Proposed Duration of Status Rule
Shorelight has submitted official public comments opposing the administration’s Proposed Rule to eliminate Duration of Status (D/S). We join thousands of individuals, universities, and organizations who have raised concerns about the rule’s impact on international students and US higher education.
Along with our submission, we are sharing comments from several other key organizations to highlight the breadth of opposition and the importance of this issue.
‘A Perfect Storm’ — More Colleges at Risk as Enrollment Falls and Financial Pressures Mount
As our team has been reporting, there is a growing wave of articles highlighting declines in both international student enrollment and domestic student numbers. Together, these trends are having a profound impact on higher education, fueling rising concerns about institutional viability. What was once only rumored or quietly acknowledged in recent years is now being discussed openly across the sector.
Closures and mergers are looming “at a pace we haven’t seen since the Great Recession,” said Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education.
The warning lights have been flashing for years. Fewer high school graduates are enrolling in college and the overall population of college-age students is shrinking, a trend experts refer to as the “demographic cliff.”
Visa Chaos: What 6 Chinese Students Say
This graphic article vividly illustrates the anxiety, stress, and disruption that ongoing visa uncertainty causes for international students. College is already challenging, and these hardworking, dedicated students face unnecessary obstacles on top of the normal demands of academics. The piece humanizes their struggles and raises an important question: Why is the US making it harder for students who contribute so much to our campuses, communities, and economy?
Graphic narrative by Rivi Handler-Spitz
See the full story on Inside Higher Ed >
White House Considers Funding Advantage for Colleges that Align with Trump Policies
We have covered numerous stories about the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape US education — from proposals to dismantle the Department of Education, to withholding billions in research funding from universities, and now, suggesting that future funding could be tied to institutional alignment with federal priorities. If enacted, this policy would represent a significant shift in the relationship between higher education and the federal government, and it will be important to watch how colleges and universities respond.
The White House is developing a plan that could change how universities are awarded research grants, giving a competitive advantage to schools that pledge to adhere to the values and policies of the Trump administration on admissions, hiring and other matters.
Read more on the Washington Post (subscription required) >
