On June 5, President Donald Trump’s administration announced a travel ban on citizens from 12 countries, barring them from entering the U.S., taking effect beginning June 9. This ban includes Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. In addition to these outright bans, seven other countries — including Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela — now face significant travel restrictions. Citizens from these nations may be denied tourist, student, or immigrant visas unless they pass heightened security screenings or meet narrow exemption criteria.
This announcement came after Trump’s attempt to bar Harvard University from accepting international students in May. Both efforts have brought a spotlight to the state of international education opportunities in the U.S., leaving college students with many questions. How will Trump’s travel ban affect international students already studying in the U.S.? Will it affect study abroad opportunities? How are colleges addressing this ban?
President Trump’s new travel ban is discriminatory, racist, and downright cruel. By targeting people based on their nationality, this ban only spreads disinformation and hate.
— Amnesty International USA (@amnestyusa) June 5, 2025
While the details are still murky, here’s everything college students should know about Trump’s newly installed travel ban so far.
How Will Trump’s Travel Ban Affect International Students?
The National Association of Foreign Student Advisors: Association of International Educators (NAFSA) website states that the ban does not affect students who have already been approved for a visa or are currently in the U.S. However, it affects many international students who are in the process of receiving a visa, or those who are hoping to study in the U.S. but have not yet applied for a visa. “Visa applicants who are subject to this Presidential Proclamation may still submit visa applications and schedule interviews, but they may be ineligible for visa issuance or admission to the United States,” the U.S. Department of State — Bureau of Consular Affairs website states.
According to the Institute of International Education, there are about 19 million students enrolled at U.S. colleges, and close to 6% of those students, or slightly more than 1.1 million, are international students. Due to this new ban, this number could significantly drop in the upcoming school year and beyond.
“Driving away international students and scholars will have both immediate and long-term consequences that harm Americans,” NAFSA Executive Director and CEO Fanta Aw tells Her Campus. “From breakthroughs in cancer treatment to the technology behind Zoom, international student talent has been central to transformative advances that define our modern way of life.”
Will the Travel Ban Affect Study Abroad Programs for U.S. Students?
Study abroad opportunities for U.S. citizens are not expected be affected by the travel ban. The University of Central Florida’s director of study abroad, Oliver McSurley, tells Her Campus that the travel ban only affects those who are citizens of banned countries and want to come into the United States. “The recently announced travel ban pertains to inbound individuals — travelers seeking to enter the United States,” McSurley says. “For that reason, the measures just announced do not generally impact study abroad initiatives, which are focused on outbound U.S. travelers studying internationally.”
How Are College Students Responding to the Travel Ban?
A large number of universities have not publicly responded to or commented on the travel ban’s effect on their students. However, students on social media have shared their confusion, anger, and distrust over the situation.
For example, an Iranian student who is studying in the U.S. and goes by the name @miakmm on TikTok recently shared a post saying that she must return to the U.S. by June 9 or she will not be able to return to her university. “Just got an email from my university that my country has been banned and if I don’t come back to the U.S. by June 9 I can never return so I’m packing to leave by tomorrow night.”
Meanwhile, X user @pardis7899 discussed her frustration in waiting for her student visa, saying she now has to wait even longer with the travel ban in place.
I’m one of those #IranianStudents waited for my visa AP process more than a year and now facing #TravelBan. There are more than 1500 students and researchers like me. We have worked hard to be accepted in prestigious universities in USA and this is unfair#EducationWithoutBorders
— پــَــردیـــــس :) (@pardis7899) June 9, 2025
The hashtag #EducationWithoutBorders has surfaced on X to gain support against the ban, espiecally for Iranian students.
We, Iranian students and researchers, after receiving admissions from U.S. universities, have suffered months of administrative processing — and now face a travel ban on top of that.
We are scientists and scholars, not threats or terrorists. #EducationWithoutBorders pic.twitter.com/ezeI8UAGE5— Sana Mohammadi (@SanMohammadiMD) June 8, 2025
In solidarity with these students, educators like Aw are advocating for this ban to be lifted. “International students and scholars are already among the most tracked individuals entering the United States,” Aw says. “Treating them as national security threats not only contradicts the administration’s own stated goals, but also jeopardizes the values and prosperity that define the American promise. We urge the administration to reverse course and pursue policies that reflect our nation’s best interests.”
As of June 13, there is no indication that the ban will be lifted.