U.S. student visa denials hit a decade high in 2025, contributing to enrollment declines that could cost Texas universities an estimated $133.2 million annually, per a recent report.

Why it matters: Fewer international students can also mean a weaker pipeline of global talent fueling long-term U.S. economic growth.

By the numbers: Visa refusal rates rose to 35% in 2025 — the highest in a decade — after years of relative stability, per Shorelight, a company that helps international students apply to U.S. schools.

• For students from parts of Africa and South Asia, denial rates were as high as 84% in 2025.

The big picture: Texas is among the states with the largest projected tuition losses tied to declining international enrollment, according to Shorelight's analysis.

• International students typically pay out-of-state tuition — often about three times higher than in-state rates, according to College Board data.

Between the lines: The data aligns with what NAFSA: Association of International Educators is seeing nationally. New international student enrollment fell 17% nationally last fall, Rachel Banks, senior director for public policy and legislative strategy at NAFSA, tells Axios.

• In Texas, that translated to a $65 million economic loss tied to fewer incoming students — reflecting a slowdown in new arrivals, not total international student contributions.

Zoom in: The University of Texas generated more than $242 million from international students during the 2024-2025 academic year, the most recent data available.

• That year, nearly 2,000 undergraduates and more than 4,600 graduate students were from abroad — or about 12% of all UT students.

State of play: Visa processing is strained by competing priorities, including expanded travel bans and the State Department's focus on World Cup travel.

• "There is no exception made for people coming to study. So we're concerned about the fallout that that will have," Banks says.

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Next time you stop by Desnudo, Flitch or Medici (or insert your favorite Austin caffeine purveyor here), you can now tell yourself you're doing your body good.

Driving the news: New research from Texas A&M University shows how drinking coffee may offer safeguards from the effects of aging and chronic disease.

Why it matters: While coffee has long been connected to positive health outcomes, like reduced risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, the Texas researchers are some of the first to show how.

Zoom in: Compounds in coffee may work by activating a protein in the body that's part of a family of receptors that help regulate our gene activity in response to stress.

• The protein is involved in inflammation, metabolism and tissue repair — all tied to age-related diseases.

What they're saying: "If you damage almost any tissue, [the protein] responds to bring that damage down," Stephen Safe, distinguished professor and Sid Kyle Endowed Chair in Veterinary Toxicology in the university's Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, said in a statement.

• "If you take that receptor away, the damage is worse."

💭 Our thought bubble: It's nice to think that drinking coffee daily may help ensure we have even more days left to keep drinking coffee.

Austin actor Bill Wise, whose first on-screen performance was "Heckler" in "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation," died last week. He was 61. (Austin Chronicle)

⚕️ Some Austin-area clinics are rolling out rapid sexually transmitted infection tests that can deliver results in about 30 minutes. (Austin American-Statesman)

🚧 Elon Musk appears to have decided to build his Terafab chipmaking facility at a site 20 miles east of Bryan-College Station. (Austin Business Journal 🔒)

Austin professional ultimate frisbee team the Sol is hosting the induction of the inaugural class to the Texas Ultimate Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Why it matters: The induction class will recognize men and women who launched competitive ultimate in the late 1970s and drove its growth in the early 1990s.

What they're saying: The inductees "established the culture, the competition, and the community that paved the way for professional teams like the Sol today," team founder Patrick Christmas said in a statement.

Catch up quick: Ultimate is a field sport played with a frisbee in which a team aims to complete a pass into the opposing squad's end zone.

• Founded in 2016, the Sol plays in the Ultimate Frisbee Association, which has 22 teams located in cities across the U.S. and Canada.
• The Sol is 2-0 this season, with victories over Atlanta and Houston.

📍 If you go: The celebration will take place at halftime during the Sol's 7pm matchup against the Houston Havoc at Parmer Field in Northeast Austin.

• Other upcoming home games are against Las Vegas on May 16 and Seattle on May 31.
• Tickets start at $9, with kids under 12 free.

Here's what's on deck this weekend.

Friday

🔮 Catch three days of psychedelic rock, indie and underground music at Austin Psych Fest through Sunday. Single-day tickets start at $98.

🎶 See Leon Bridges at Stubb's during the Andy Roddick Foundation's benefit concert. 9pm, $227.

Saturday

🐈 Snuggle with a kitten at Austin Public Library's Yarborough Branch "Kittypalooza" event, with cat-themed crafts and cats and kittens available for adoption. 10am-1pm, free.

Sunday

💐 Celebrate the mothers in your life at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, with picnic boxes and crafts. 9am-4pm, $15.

🌳 Take a stroll with your mom at Laguna Gloria. First 100 guests get a free drink. 9am-3pm, $10.

🎨 Enjoy a full day of art talks and tours at Blanton Museum's monthly "All Day" event. 10am-5pm, $20.