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HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | APRIL 21, 2025 13 at UNH, this decline undoubtedly presents a substantial challenge, and we will be closely monitoring the visa granting/denial process for this fall's incoming class." While any drop in student enrollment would affect a university's revenue, international students have long been considered among the best customers. International students generally pay full, non-discounted tuition, often exceeding what domestic out-of- state students pay at public univer- sities, according to the American Council on Education. There were 19,990 international students at Connecticut colleges and universities who made $777 million in economic contributions and supported 6,650 jobs during the 2023-24 academic year, according to information from NAFSA. Nationally, overseas students studying at U.S. colleges and univer- sities contributed $43.8 billion to the U.S. economy and supported 378,175 jobs, according to the same study. The data includes spending on education, accommodations, dining, retail, transportation, telecommuni- cations and health insurance. International boom Like UNH, other universities in Connecticut, up until recently, saw exponential post-pandemic gains in their international student enrollment. Fairfield-based Sacred Heart Univer- sity, which declined to be interviewed for this article, saw a 698% increase in international students between 2019 and 2023 (247 vs. 1,971). The University of Bridgeport also saw a triple-digit percentage increase (161.4%) in its foreign student popu- lation — from 560 in 2019, to 1,464 in 2023. "It is anticipated that, with the change in administration, our international enrollment numbers will be negatively impacted for the upcoming academic year," said Allison Garris, dean of admissions at University of Bridgeport. The school, which was recently acquired by Goodwin University, said it projects a 10% to 15% reduction in incoming international students for the fall 2025 semester. University of Bridgeport, which had total student enrollment of 3,838 in 2024, is "optimistic" that it can main- tain level enrollment for the upcoming academic year, "due to growth domestically with both undergrad and graduate applications," Garris said. That growth, she added, is mainly driven by a new master's degree in medical science and a STEM-fo- cused MBA program. Also, a two-year associate degree program in nursing is garnering significant interest. "Once the international student enroll- ment numbers bounce back, which we're confident they will given the maintained level of interest, we'll be in an even stronger position," Garris said. Meantime, Yale University and UConn maintained relatively constant foreign student populations of between 3,000 and 4,000 from 2019 and 2023, federal data shows. In 2023, University of New Haven had the highest percentage of international students in the state at 37.5%, followed by Yale (23.6%) and UConn (12.4%), including undergrad- uate and graduate students. At UConn, international students comprised 7% of the undergraduate student body and 21% of graduate students at the start of the fall 2024 semester, according to Stephanie Reitz, a spokeswoman for the university. Those figures were similar to pre-pandemic levels. Reitz said UConn will "continue to follow news of potential policy and procedural changes at the federal level that could affect visa issuances, but it's too soon to predict what impacts, if any, they might have on UConn." She said the impact of a potential decline in international students on UConn's financial outlook "has been mitigated by significant growth of applicants from inside the U.S." UConn received 5,000 more applica- tions from out-of-state students in fall 2024, compared with the previous year. "This allows for a more natural increase in out-of-state students, if and when we might experience a decline in international students," Reitz said. At the end of the day, Frederiksen, the UNH president, said the Trump administration's immigration crack- down has led international students to rethink the benefits of a college education in the U.S. against the risks. "It just creates a climate where, if you are a student that's thinking, 'I've always dreamt of this,' now you might think, 'Maybe I'm going to hold off,'" Frederiksen said. The University of New Haven, based in West Haven, saw a 349% surge in its international student population between 2019 and 2023. HBJ PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER F A S T F U N D S F O R Y O U R B U S I N E S S — U P T O $ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ! * Need quick access to capital? With FastTrack Business Credit from Westfield Bank, you can apply online today, get a fast approval, and access to your new line of credit as soon as the next day after closing. 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