International enrollment tumbles
International student enrollment has dropped about 17% nationwide, creating new budget shortfalls and forcing staff reductions at universities — procurement and compliance budgets are under fresh pressure. That enrollment shock tightens timelines for cost‑justified purchases tied to retention and accessibility. (x.com)
The Institute of International Education’s Open Doors 2025 report counted 1,177,766 international students enrolled in U.S. higher education for the 2024–25 academic year, a 5% increase from the prior year, while the Fall 2025 snapshot of 828 respondent institutions showed an initial 1% overall enrollment decline as of fall 2025. (iie.org) NAFSA’s Fall 2025 modeling projects scenarios in which declines in international enrollment could translate into roughly $7 billion in lost revenue and as many as 60,000 fewer jobs nationally if larger drops materialize. (nafsa.org) Higher‑education cost responses are already concrete: institutions announced more than 800 layoffs in May 2025, with some campuses cutting hundreds of positions, and California State reported a $2.3 billion shortfall that prompted workforce reductions and program cuts. (insidehighered.com) Technology and procurement lines are tightening—an EDUCAUSE quick poll found 42% of respondents expected IT budget decreases for 2025–26 with a median projected drop of 8%, and E&I’s 2025 State of Higher Education Procurement report flags budget cuts and demographic shifts as reshaping purchasing strategies. (er.educause.edu) Federal compliance timing is fixed: the Department of Justice’s April 24, 2024 Title II web‑and‑mobile accessibility rule adopts WCAG 2.1 Level AA and sets an April 24, 2026 compliance start date for public entities serving 50,000 or more people (smaller entities face an April 26, 2027 start). (govinfo.gov) Campus responses show procurement and compliance teams under duress—universities are updating contract language (University of Washington added a digital accessibility rider), industry surveys warn institutions are “running out of time,” and the Online Learning Consortium’s snapshot work documents institutions shifting accessibility workflows ahead of the 2026 deadlines. (washington.edu)
