Students turned away from the ‘American Dream’

WHEN 25-year-old biology student Yao’s PhD programme enrolment was deferred due to funding cuts at her US university, she joined a growing list of Chinese students exploring other destinations.

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Visa revocations and university funding cuts by the administration of US President Donald Trump have become a source of anxiety for international students. Those from China face additional challenges due to Washington’s trade war with Beijing and the increasing vilification of Chinese citizens, students and industry insiders said.

“I used to think politics was far away from me, but this year I really felt the impact of politics on international students,” Chicago-based Yao said, declining to give the name of her prospective university.

China had accounted for the biggest international student body in the US for 15 years, until it was overtaken by India last year. The economic impact of Chinese students on the American economy was $14.3 billion in 2023, according to Open Doors data.

But within the US, the community has been portrayed as a national security threat - likened to spies sent across by the Chinese Communist Party — and threatened with proposed legislation that could bar them from universities.