Georgia universities could lose $1 billion amid international student visa pause

Georgia had a little more than 28,000 international college students in the 2023-2024 school year, per data from NAFSA, an international education nonprofit.

Why it matters: The Trump administration is halting student visa interviews and revoking visas for Chinese students amid a political pressure campaign against colleges and universities and a broader immigration crackdown.

• A big drop in international students could hurt college town economies, some of which are already struggling due to lower enrollment.

The big picture: California, New York and Texas have the greatest shares of the approximately 1.1 million international college students nationwide, according to NAFSA's latest report.

• Georgia's share of international students represent 2.5% of the country's international student population.

Zoom in: Georgia's international students are estimated to contribute $1.1 billion to the state's economy, the report says.

• The money includes tuition, books, housing, food, utilities, shopping, entertainment and living expenses.
• NAFSA says the international students also supported 9,348 jobs, with the most created at Georgia Tech, Savannah College of Art and Design, Emory University, Georgia State University and UGA (see the full list).

International students make up 23% of Georgia Tech's and 18% of Emory University's student bodies, according to the New York Times.

What they're saying: Gov. Brian Kemp's administration and University System of Georgia officials did not return Axios' request for comment about the potential impact.

Zoom out: The student visa pause comes as the Trump administration criticizes U.S. colleges and universities for failing to crack down on what it describes as heightened antisemitism as students protest Israel's actions in Gaza.

• The State Department is considering broader vetting of student visa applicants' social media posts.

• The revocation of Chinese students' visas is tied to concerns that their government is using them "to steal intellectual property on Beijing's behalf," a State Department official told Axios' Marc Caputo.

The latest: A federal judge on Thursday extended a temporary order blocking the Trump administration from revoking Harvard University's ability to host international students.

• After Columbia University, Harvard became the administration's main target, with ongoing battles over federal grants, student visas and more.

The other side: Detractors argue that making it harder for international students to come study in the U.S. harms the country's global image, and risks missing out on key talent in hot fields like artificial intelligence.

• Many AI startups have at least one immigrant founder, a recent analysis found.
• NAFSA says international students contribute $43.8 billion to the U.S. economy, supporting hundreds of thousands of American jobs.