Policy Digest 2026

June

May

April

On April 3, the White House released the FY2027 Presidential Budget Request (PBR) which proposed cutting funding for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) programs at the State Department by 68 percent compared to FY26 enacted levels. The impacts of the proposed cuts include eliminating the Gilman Program, eliminating the Stevens Initiative, and reducing funding for the Fulbright Program by almost 80 percent. The PBR also eliminates FY27 funding for the Title VI and Fulbright-Hays programs at the Department of Education.
On April 8, the U.S. for Success Coalition sent a letter to the Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Consular Affairs, requesting the U.S. State Department prioritize international student and scholars visa processing during the upcoming peak season for visa applications, consistent with the approach taken by administrations of both parties in the past.
On April 21, a bipartisan group of senators sent a letter to the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies requesting robust funding for Title VI and Fulbright-Hays International Education and Foreign Language Studies programs at the Department of Education for FY27.
On April 22, a group of senators sent a letter to the GAO asking for an examination of the USCIS adjudication pause and the 75 country processing pause at the Department of State and what the agencies are doing to lift the holds. See NAFSA's page.
On April 28, NAFSA, the International Student Resource Center, and the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, hosted a webinar, The End of Duration of Status? What Campuses and Students Need to Know to Prepare which provided an overview of what we know so far and how colleges and universities can prepare for the possible changes.
On April 30, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and thirty-seven fellow Senators sent a letter on behalf of educational and cultural exchange programs to the Subcommittee on the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Senate Committee on Appropriations leadership. The letter called on the Senate Appropriations Committee to fund exchanges at $700.95 million for FY27; and retain oversight language from FY26 to ensure appropriated funds are released in a timely manner and are utilized consistently with Congressional intent.

March

On March 5, before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers spoke of the importance of ECA programs, calling them “a cornerstone of American public diplomacy.” Ahead of the hearing, NAFSA worked with partners to equip committee members with relevant questions. Read a summary of the hearing.
On March 9, NAFSA released a statement on the decline in F-1 visa insurance in the summer of 2025, after the Department of State. NAFSA Executive Director and CEO, Fanta Aw observed: “International students today have more choices than ever, and if the United States signals that they are not welcome, they will simply go elsewhere. The consequences are real: billions in lost economic activity, tens of thousands of American jobs at risk, and damage to the nation’s global competitiveness and innovation potential.”
On March 13, 89 representatives joined Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) in a letter to the leaders of the House's National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Subcommittee, voicing support for funding for State Department Educational and Cultural Exchange programs at fiscal 2026 levels ($700 million).
On March 18, NAFSA led a full day of virtual meetings with members of Congress and their staff, as part of its annual Advocacy Day to convey the message that Congress plays a vital role in protecting and funding international education programs and advancing policies integral to U.S. global competitiveness, national security, and workforce development. Nearly 120 advocates from 44 states and every NAFSA Region leveraged their student stories, state-specific data, and professional expertise to engage almost 90 members of Congress.
On March 19, Representatives Sam Liccardo (D-CA-16), Jay Obernolte (R-CA-23), and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-8) introduced the bipartisan Keep Innovators in America Act (H.R. 8013). The bill would allow international students to maintain F-1 student status while engaging in optional practical training (OPT) and permit international students with pending or approved green card applications to maintain student status. See NAFSA's page.
On March 27, 82 Members of the House of Representatives, led by Rep. Deborah Ross, sent a letter to the Chair and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, requesting $85,664,000 in funds for the U.S. Department of Education’s International Education and Foreign Language Studies account, including $75,353,000 for HEA-Title VI and $10,311,000 for Fulbright-Hays.

February

On February 3, the U.S. House of Representatives approved of the Senate amendments to FY 2026 Consolidated Appropriations Act, allocating $80.7 million for the Department of Education's Title VI and Fulbright-Hays programs, which is a $5 million decline from prior year funding, and $667 million for the U.S. State Department’s educational and cultural exchange programs, including the Fulbright and Gilman scholarship programs, which is a $74 million decline from prior year funding. The bill was signed into law by President Trump later that day.
On February 4, NAFSA posted a quick-reference table showing recent country-specific policies that continue to impact visa or immigration benefits for nationals of the listed countries. See NAFSA's page.
On February 5, NAFSA executive director and CEO, Fanta Aw spoke at a Capitol Hill briefing organized by the Forum on Education Abroad to help convey to congressional offices that international experience is a boon for students’ career readiness and success. The briefing featured the Forum’s recent research on this subject as presented by Forum president and CEO, Melissa Torres as well as remarks from Rep. Gabe Amo (D-RI-01) and Rep. Jefferson Shreve (R-IN-06) on their own transformative study abroad experiences.
On February 23, the U.S. State Department and the Department of Education announced they will now be collaborating on administering Section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 which concerns the reporting of foreign funds and gifts to U.S. colleges.
On February 23, the Department of State (DOS) announced that "Routine visa processing is not currently available" at the following consular posts: Israel (Jerusalem and Tel Aviv) and Lebanon (Beirut). Other embassies or consular offices may be closed on a situational basis, for example, in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Pakistan. See NAFSA's page.
On February 26, Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri) released recent correspondence he had with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on the need for practical training reform. In her response to Sen. Schmitt's letter that asked DHS to "conduct a thorough review of the OPT program to begin the process of either reforming or ending OPT," Sec. Noem referred to the Spring 2025 regulatory agenda item regarding practical training posted on September 4, 2025, saying that it will go through the standard APA notice and comment process. NAFSA updates its Practical Training Reform page as updates are received.

January

Related Content