The Trump administration’s move to block Harvard University from enrolling international students has triggered a swift global response. Officials in Hong Kong are urging local universities to attract affected students in the United States and safeguard their academic future.
Trump threatens to shift $3 billion in US grants to trade schools
President Donald Trump suggested boosting trade schools Monday by using funds seized from frozen grants to other schools, opening up a new dimension in his administration’s escalating fight with Harvard University and other elite American universities.
“I am considering taking Three Billion Dollars of Grant Money away from a very antisemitic Harvard, and giving it to TRADE SCHOOLS all across our land,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “What a great investment that would be for the USA, and so badly needed!!!”
Since shortly after his January inauguration, Trump and Harvard have been at odds, with the Republican president targeting the Ivy League school’s tax-exempt status, federal research funding, international student enrollment and diversity-related programs. The administration has also accused Harvard of failing to protect Jewish students from antisemitism.
The Trump administration has also made a list of demands of other U.S. universities and has frozen funds for those schools, as well. State schools, in addition to elite private universities, have been deeply impacted by the freezing of federal funds.
Why is the US trying to ban Harvard from enrolling foreign students?
The Department of Homeland Security revoked Harvard’s certification to enroll international students, citing what it described as concerns over antisemitism, DEI programs and alleged coordination with the Chinese Communist Party. Legal and academic figures have pushed back against those accusations in public and in court.
The order, which would have taken effect for the 2025–26 academic year, threatened the visa status of thousands of students, including many from China, which accounts for about 20% of Harvard’s international enrollment.
A federal judge in Massachusetts temporarily blocked the DHS action the same day, granting a restraining order that prevents enforcement while litigation proceeds. A hearing on a possible injunction is set for later this week.
Harvard has filed two lawsuits against the Trump administration — one contesting the loss of visa certification, and another challenging what the university says is a freeze of $2.2 billion in federal research funding.
How has the international community responded?
In Hong Kong, the Education Bureau called on universities to ease the transfer process for eligible students and maintain the city’s reputation as a global education hub. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology announced it would offer unconditional admission and streamlined procedures to incoming or enrolled Harvard students seeking transfer.
The bureau also contacted the Harvard Club of Hong Kong to coordinate support efforts.
Around the world, but especially across Europe, other universities have also sought to attract students and faculty studying or teaching in the United States as the Trump administration expands the scope and severity of its actions against both public and private American universities. France and Germany, for instance, are both working to lure some of the same top students and researchers that Hong Kong is now seeking to acquire.
What are the broader implications for US colleges?
While international students make up just 6% of total U.S. college enrollment, those students generate disproportionate tuition revenue, especially for private institutions. At Harvard, they represent 28% of students.
Other universities, including Carnegie Mellon, Columbia and NYU, have even higher international shares.
Advocates warn that the administration’s actions fuel fear and uncertainty for more than one million international students nationwide. Some colleges are already reporting higher rates of international students declining acceptances.
Higher education remains one of the nation’s top service exports, contributing an estimated $43 billion to the U.S. economy during the 2023–24 academic year.
