Washington: Foreign students enrolled at US colleges in strong numbers this fall despite fears that a Trump administration crackdown would trigger a nosedive, yet there are signs of turbulence as fewer new, first-time students arrived from other countries, according to a new report.

Overall, US campuses saw a 1 per cent decrease in international enrolment this fall compared with last year, according to a survey from the Institute of International Education.

But that figure is propped up by large numbers of students who stayed in the US for temporary work after graduating. The number of new students entering the United States for the first time fell by 17 per cent, the sharpest decrease since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some universities are seeing backslides that have punched big holes in tuition revenue, but overall the falloff is less severe than some industry groups had forecast. Researchers credit colleges for helping students navigate visa issues through the summer.

“I think colleges and universities did absolutely everything in their power to advocate to get these students to the United States,” said Mirka Martel, head of research, evaluation and learning for the institute.

At DePauw University, a Catholic university in Chicago, the number of international graduate students fell by almost 62 per cent this fall, a driving factor in recent spending cuts. The university president blamed student visa troubles and declining........

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