The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) has joined leading higher education organizations to urge Secretary of State Marco Rubio for an immediate reversal of recent federal actions threatening the timely entry of international students to the United States. This unified call comes in response to the State Department’s action to pause all new student visa interviews while preparing for additional social media vetting protocols.
The coalition, led by the American Council on Education (ACE), warned that this pause will cause significant harm to U.S. higher education institutions and their ability to attract global talent. “Such a pause will also hinder our ability to compete for the world’s best and brightest minds to study in the United States,” the letter states. “Imposing a broad pause on all student visas would send a message that our nation no longer welcomes talented students and scholars from other countries.”
The coalition letter also notes the higher education’s long-standing collaboration with the federal government: “Higher education has actively engaged and has long been a partner with the federal government in addressing malign foreign influence and other national security threats targeting our research and education missions.”
Recent actions by the State Department, including the proposed revocation of existing visas for Chinese students, are drawing deep concern. The letter notes such actions “will discourage the overwhelming majority of international students with benign and honest intentions… from choosing to study in the U.S.”
The international student community not only enriches American classrooms and campuses but also delivers a substantial economic benefit—nearly $44 billion in the 2023–2024 academic year alone. The coalition urges the administration to “make any pause on student visa processing as short as possible” and to ensure “clarity and transparency” on new policies to avoid unnecessary disruptions for students and institutions alike.
