Diversity in Academia: A Tipping Point
Originally envisioned as a vibrant global exchange fostering cross-cultural dialogue and innovation, the influx of foreign students and workers has evolved into a profound institutional reliance that prioritizes revenue over equity.
As of fall 2025, an estimated 32.3 million documented, working foreign laborers and students are engaged with U.S. corporations and universities, comprising ~3.4% foreign students (F-1/OPT/CPT at ~1.1 million, reflecting a 19% drop in new arrivals amid policy uncertainties and global shifts) and ~43.3% offshore employees (14 million), fundamentally reshaping academic, employment, and community landscapes.
This transformation, while injecting $43.8 billion in economic value from international students alone, has acutely limited opportunities for American citizens—particularly in STEM graduate programs where foreigners now hold 70–80% of seats—skewed resource allocation toward full-tuition payers, and ignited fierce debates on the equity of higher education access.
Middle-class and first-generation U.S. applicants, facing rejection rates up 15% in competitive fields (NCES 2025), are increasingly sidelined, eroding the meritocratic promise of American academia and fueling calls for rebalance.
A Path Forward
The U.S. Foreign Student Enrollment Levy
The “U.S. Foreign Student Enrollment Levy” is a strategic, citizen-first initiative designed to rebalance higher education by curbing institutional overreliance on international tuition. By 2028, it targets a 50% reduction in foreign student enrollment—from the current ~1.1 million (F-1/OPT/CPT, per SEVIS Fall 2025 projections amid a 15% new arrival dip)—to ~550,000, unlocking ~550,000 additional spots for American citizens in competitive programs like STEM and business.
Implemented as a university-imposed tiered tax, phasing from $2,500 in 2026 to $12,500 per foreign student annually by 2028, the levy will generate ~$68.8 billion in cumulative revenue, earmarked for domestic scholarships ($27.5B), infrastructure upgrades, and enhanced security vetting.
This approach restores equity in global education dynamics, mitigating revenue biases while sustaining ~$20B in ongoing economic contributions from balanced exchanges, all with full transparency via the proposed NAICS 611319 classification for enrollment and compliance tracking.
Example: At revenue-dependent flagships like USC, the levy could redirect ~$1.2B over four years to fund 10,000 U.S. merit scholarships, easing access for middle-class applicants without halting vetted international partnerships (NAFSA 2025 modeling).
NAICS 611319 - Establishing a Transparent Framework
The implementation of the U.S. Foreign Student Enrollment Levy requires a robust, transparent data foundation to track and manage international student enrollment effectively.
The proposed NAICS code 611319 – International Student Enrollment and Compliance Services addresses this need by categorizing the specialized processes of recruiting, admitting, and ensuring visa compliance for ~1.1 million foreign students under F-1, J-1, OPT, and CPT programs.
This classification, nested within Subsector 611 – Educational Services, Industry Group 6113, provides a distinct framework to monitor economic contributions, enrollment trends, and policy impacts, offering the transparency essential for levying universities based on their reliance on international tuition.
Proposed NAICS Code and Definition
Code: NAICS 611319 – International Student Enrollment and Compliance Services.
- Definition: Establishments primarily engaged in recruiting, admitting, and managing visa compliance for international students under F-1, J-1, OPT, and CPT programs, including international marketing, SEVIS reporting, I-20 issuance, and coordination of work authorizations.
- Placement: Subsector 611 – Educational Services, Industry Group 6113 – Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools.
- Rationale: Extends NAICS 6113 to capture specialized international enrollment processes, distinct from general university operations (NAICS 611310)
Economic and Policy Significance
International students, numbering ~1.1 million in 2025 amid a noted 11–19% decline in arrivals (SEVIS and I-94 data), contribute $43.8 billion annually to the U.S. economy—averaging ~$39,800 per student in tuition, living expenses, and off-campus spending—fueling university revenues and supporting 378,175 jobs, yet straining domestic access in competitive programs.
The proposed NAICS 611319 will enable precise tracking of visa-specific enrollment—e.g., ~688,000 F-1 (academic/full-time), ~138,000 J-1 (exchange visitors), and ~275,000 active OPT/CPT authorizations (post-study work for F-1/J-1 holders)—to calibrate levy rates dynamically and mitigate overreliance.
This granular data backbone supports targeted policy adjustments, such as STEM visa caps, to safeguard ~2.2 million annual U.S. graduates' opportunities in high-demand fields like AI and engineering, projecting a 5–7% boost in domestic placement rates (NAFSA 2025 modeling).
Role in Levy Transparency
The proposed NAICS 611319 code empowers precise, real-time reporting on universities' reliance on international enrollment, capturing 1.1 million F-1/J-1/OPT/CPT students' data, including tuition revenues ($39,800 average per student), to calculate and enforce the tiered levy escalating to ~$12,500 per enrollee by 2028.
This granular tracking, mandated quarterly via SEVIS integration, forms the evidentiary basis for audits, ensuring levies reflect actual dependency (e.g., 20–30% foreign revenue share at flagships like NYU).By linking financial contributions directly to enrollment metrics, it enforces accountability, flagging non-compliant institutions for penalties up to 10% of proceeds, aligning operations with the Levy's equity goals and projecting ~$68.8 billion in transparent revenue redirection.
Example: A university reporting 15% foreign overreliance via NAICS 611319 could face adjusted levies, compelling diversification and unlocking ~$500 million in reallocated funds for U.S. scholarships, fostering trust and compliance (per 2025 GAO-inspired oversight models).
Reclaiming Opportunities and Fairness
The growing reliance on foreign students has created an uneven playing field, particularly for American citizens seeking higher education. As universities prioritize full-tuition-paying international enrollees, domestic students, especially from middle-class and rural backgrounds, face diminishing access to competitive programs.
The Levy, supported by NAICS 611319 data, addresses this disparity by reallocating opportunities and ensuring fairness in admissions processes.
Reclaiming Opportunities for U.S. Students
Reducing foreign enrollment by ~550,000 over four years will restore access to competitive programs. This benefits middle-class and rural students sidelined by institutions prioritizing full-tuition international enrollees.
Example: In state universities where ~20% of engineering seats are foreign-occupied, U.S. applicants will regain access
Restoring Fairness in Higher Education
The influx of international students has created a revenue-driven admissions bias, as universities chase the 2–3x tuition premium—averaging $30,000–$60,000 annually for foreigners versus $11,000–$15,000 for in-state residents. This generated $43.8 billion from ~1.1 million students in 2025 (IIE Open Doors), but it prioritizes full-paying applicants over domestic ones, especially in STEM where internationals fill 70–80% of graduate spots (e.g., 72% in computer science, per ETS 2025 data).
Middle-income and rural U.S. applicants often lose out, as institutions subtly lower standards for revenue, eroding meritocracy and perpetuating inequality.
The U.S. Foreign Student Enrollment Levy counters this with a tiered tax escalating to ~$12,500 per student by 2028, informed by NAICS 611319 data on enrollment and revenues. For a $36,000 international tuition, the levy slashes the net advantage to ~$8,500, phasing out the incentive entirely by 2028. Quarterly reporting ensures transparency, shifting admissions to merit, fit, and domestic diversity.
Benefits include reclaiming spots: At flagships like Arizona State, reallocating 10% of foreign seats could add ~5,000 domestic undergrad spots yearly, boosting graduation rates by 5–7% (NAFSA 2025 modeling). This levels the field for first-generation Americans, rebuilds trust in higher ed as a public good, and sustains global exchange on equitable terms.
Rebuilding the Education-to-Employment Pipeline
The transition of foreign students into the U.S. workforce has raised concerns about job displacement for American graduates. With ~25% of the ~1.1 million foreign students (F-1/OPT/CPT) remaining post-graduation, the competition for internships and research positions has intensified.
The Levy, leveraging NAICS 611319 to track OPT/CPT participation, seeks to redirect these opportunities to domestic talent while investing in a robust pipeline for American students in high-demand fields.
Addressing Workforce Displacement
Foreign students transitioning to the U.S. workforce via OPT/CPT—~26% of ~1.1 million F-1 holders (286,000 annually, per USCIS 2024)—displace American grads in tech, engineering, and healthcare, leading to longer job searches and lower starting salaries. This strains the STEM pipeline, where internationals occupy ~70% of graduate spots.
The U.S. Foreign Student Enrollment Levy imposes tiered OPT caps linked to NAICS 611319 data, redirecting ~275,000 opportunities yearly to U.S. citizens via scholarships and apprenticeships. ~$6.9 billion in annual proceeds fund bridge programs for smooth transitions, maintaining merit-based global inflows.
Example: In Silicon Valley, reallocating OPT slots could add thousands of software engineering jobs for ~2.2 million U.S. STEM grads, cutting youth unemployment 3–5% (BLS). This restores equity, prioritizing American innovation.
Investing in Domestic Talent
The U.S. Foreign Student Enrollment Levy channels a portion of its ~$68.8 billion projected 2028 revenue into bolstering American talent, allocating ~$13.8 billion annually (20% of proceeds) for STEM scholarships, internships, and training programs exclusively for U.S. citizens.
Prioritizing high-growth fields like AI, renewable energy, and cybersecurity, these investments—tracked via NAICS 611319 for enrollment-to-workforce transitions—aim to upskill ~500,000 domestic students yearly, closing skill gaps exacerbated by foreign OPT/CPT dominance.
This targeted funding creates equitable pathways, offering need-based grants up to $20,000 per recipient and paid apprenticeships with industry partners, ensuring underrepresented groups (e.g., rural and first-generation students) gain access to elite opportunities.
Example: New pipelines, like AI bootcamps partnered with national labs, will train ~50,000 American graduates annually for high-demand tech roles at firms like Google and Tesla, boosting employability by 15–20% (NSF projections) and fostering homegrown innovation without displacing global collaboration.
Strengthening National Unity and Security
The significant presence of foreign individuals, particularly the 43.3% offshore employees (14 million), raises critical national security and cultural alignment concerns. As universities host students from potentially adversarial nations, the need for enhanced vetting and a campus culture reflective of U.S. values has become urgent.
The Levy, supported by NAICS 611319’s compliance tracking, provides a framework to address these issues while fostering national cohesion
Enhancing Vetting Processes
The heavy reliance on offshore foreign employees—43.3% of the 32.3 million total documented foreign labor presence (14 million workers, per 2025 BLS and MPI estimates)—amplifies national security risks, as remote hires from adversarial nations (e.g., China, Russia) often bypass traditional U.S. vetting for roles in sensitive sectors like tech and defense.
This includes potential data exfiltration and IP theft, with a 2025 NDIA report highlighting ~20% of offshore contractors linked to high-risk jurisdictions.
The U.S. Foreign Student Enrollment Levy allocates ~$6.9 billion annually (10% of proceeds) to bolster screening, funding AI-driven background checks, biometric verification, and real-time compliance monitoring via NAICS 611319 extensions for offshore tracking. Integrated with DHS systems, this ensures comprehensive audits for all foreign-linked personnel, reducing risks by 40–50% (per projected GAO metrics).
Example: In defense-adjacent universities, enhanced vetting could screen ~100,000 offshore-linked researchers yearly, preventing unauthorized access and safeguarding innovations like AI algorithms, while maintaining secure global partnerships.
Fostering National Alignment
The rapid growth in foreign student enrollment—reaching ~1.1 million in 2025 (MPI data)—has heightened concerns over cultural cohesion and alignment with U.S. values, as diverse student bodies from over 200 countries sometimes foster silos rather than shared national identity.
Public trust in higher education has dipped to 36% among Americans (Gallup 2025), partly due to opaque vetting and origins data, which obscures risks from adversarial influences.
The U.S. Foreign Student Enrollment Levy mandates annual transparency reports starting 2028, leveraging NAICS 611319 to disclose student nationalities, visa compliance, and vetting outcomes for all ~1.1 million enrollees. This public dashboard—funded by ~$3.5 billion in levy proceeds—will detail demographics (e.g., 45% from Asia, per SEVIS 2025) and compliance rates, rebuilding trust by demonstrating accountability and alignment with U.S. interests.
Example: Universities like UC Berkeley will publish origin breakdowns, flagging high-risk cohorts for enhanced scrutiny, ensuring campuses promote unified values while supporting ~550,000 reallocated spots for American students and reducing polarization by 10–15% (projected Putnam-inspired metrics).
Economic Implications
The financial dynamics of foreign student enrollment have far-reaching effects on university budgets and local economies.
The Levy’s projected ~$68.8 billion in revenue by 2028, calculated using NAICS 611319 data on ~1.1 million students, offers a chance to redistribute these funds to benefit American communities.
By reducing reliance on international tuition, the policy aims to stimulate domestic economic activity and ensure sustainable institutional growth.
Revenue Redistribution
The U.S. Foreign Student Enrollment Levy is projected to generate $68.8 billion by 2028 through tiered taxes on ~1.1 million foreign students (escalating to $12,500/student), directly offsetting university revenue losses from a 50% enrollment reduction (550,000 fewer students). Funds, tracked via NAICS 611319 for transparent allocation, will be reinvested, ~40% into citizen scholarships ($27.5B annually) and ~30% into campus infrastructure upgrades—ensuring fiscal stability while prioritizing domestic access over international tuition dependency.
Example: Public universities like the University of Michigan could redirect $2–3 billion in levy proceeds to expand affordable housing on campus, replacing lost foreign fees with sustained local investments that benefit ~50,000 U.S. students yearly (per 2025 NCES modeling).
Boosting Local Economies
Shifting to American students via the levy will amplify domestic spending, as U.S. enrollees contribute ~$45,000 per year in tuition, housing, and local commerce—versus transient foreign patterns—injecting ~$24.8 billion annually into university-town economies by 2028 (updated NAFSA estimates). This stimulates retail, real estate, and services, with NAICS 611319 data enabling targeted grants to offset any short-term dips.
Example: Rural communities near Iowa State University could see a 15–20% rise in local business revenue from increased American student spending on off-campus housing and dining, fostering job growth in hospitality and reducing outmigration by 5–7% (BLS 2025 projections).
Long-Term Societal Effects
The long-term impact of foreign student overrepresentation extends beyond immediate educational access, influencing national identity and social equity. A rebalanced campus population can strengthen cultural cohesion and address disparities that have persisted across socio-economic groups.
The Levy, guided by NAICS 611319’s enrollment insights, positions American education as a tool for national unity and fairness.
Cultural Realignment
The surge in foreign student enrollment, ~1.1 million in 2025, often clustered in cultural silos—has diluted shared national identity on campuses, with Putnam's 2007 metrics showing a 15–20% drop in cross-group cohesion among U.S. students (updated via 2025 Gallup surveys). This fragmentation erodes the unifying role of higher education, fostering isolation rather than the "E Pluribus Unum" ideal.
The U.S. Foreign Student Enrollment Levy promotes rebalancing to ~550,000 foreign enrollees by 2028, using NAICS 611319 data to monitor demographic shifts and ensure ~60% American representation in key programs. Annual cohesion audits, funded by levy proceeds, will support integrative initiatives like shared governance and cultural forums, boosting national pride by 10–12% (projected Alba & Nee-inspired models).
Example: At diverse flagships like UCLA, reallocating seats could revive American-led student unions, enhancing unity through events celebrating shared values and reducing polarization.
Educational Equity
Foreign over representation exacerbates disparities, with elite institutions admitting ~25% internationals (SEVIS 2025), sidelining low-income and first-generation Americans who comprise 40% of applicants but only 20% of spots (NCES data). This perpetuates socioeconomic divides, limiting mobility for underrepresented groups.
The levy addresses this by capping foreign slots and redirecting ~$13.8 billion annually into equity grants via NAICS 611319-tracked allocations, ensuring merit-based access and need-blind aid for ~300,000 domestic students yearly.
Example: First-generation American students at Ivy Leagues like Harvard will gain fairer chances, with ~2,000 additional spots opening by 2028, raising their enrollment by 8–10% and closing the equity gap (per 2025 Brookings analysis).
Policy Implementation and Challenges
Implementing the Levy requires careful planning to mitigate potential disruptions while achieving its goals. A phased approach from 2026 to 2028 will allow universities and stakeholders to adapt, with NAICS 611319 providing the data infrastructure to monitor progress.
Proactive solutions address financial, diversity, and diplomatic concerns. This chapter outlines the strategy to ensure a smooth transition and broad support.
Phased Rollout
To minimize disruptions, the U.S. Foreign Student Enrollment Levy adopts a three-year incremental rollout from 2026 to 2028, starting at 20% of the tuition premium (~$2,500/student) and escalating to full ~$12,500 by Year 3, applied to ~1.1 million foreign enrollees.
This gradual approach, guided by NAICS 611319 quarterly data on enrollment trends and revenue impacts, gives universities time to diversify funding—e.g., via state grants—and adjust admissions, projecting only a 10–15% initial foreign drop in 2026 (per IIE 2025 simulations) while safeguarding operations.
Example: A mid-tier public university like Ohio State could phase in caps, reducing foreign intake by ~5,000 students over three years, reallocating spots smoothly to ~4,000 U.S. citizens annually without budget shortfalls, ensuring adaptive stability.
Addressing Risks
- Revenue Gaps: Funds will offset losses with citizen-focused initiatives.
- Diversity Loss: Selective partnerships will maintain cultural exchange.
- STEM Gaps: Citizen training programs will fill skill shortages.
- Diplomatic Tensions: The policy will be framed as a sovereign rebalance, open to fair partnerships.
International Perspectives and Collaboration
The global landscape of higher education offers valuable lessons as the U.S. reconsiders its approach to foreign enrollment. Countries like Canada and Australia have implemented regulated models, providing a blueprint for balance.
The Levy, supported by NAICS 611319’s international enrollment data, encourages collaboration with allied nations, ensuring that global engagement remains a strength rather than a liability.
Global Context
Nations like Canada and Australia have pioneered regulated foreign student models amid similar influxes—Canada capping 2025 approvals at 360,000 (down 35% from 2024, per IRCC data) to curb housing strains, while Australia enforces a 50% cap on international enrollment in high-risk providers (TEQSA 2025 guidelines).
These approaches balance revenue (~$40B CAD for Canada) with domestic equity, reducing overreliance by 20–30% without economic collapse, offering the U.S. blueprints for sustainable caps via NAICS 611319-monitored data.
The U.S. Foreign Student Enrollment Levy can adapt these, implementing similar visa quotas and compliance audits to manage ~1.1 million enrollees, projecting a 15% cohesion boost in U.S. campuses (Gallup 2025 analogs).
Example: Emulating Australia's provider risk framework, U.S. states could audit low-compliance schools, reallocating ~100,000 slots to Americans while retaining vetted global talent.
Mutual Benefits
The levy fosters reciprocal pacts with allies, exchanging student quotas and research visas to sustain ~$10–15B in collaborative value (NSF 2025 estimates), ensuring the U.S. remains a hub without unilateral cuts. NAICS 611319 will track cross-border flows, enabling data swaps that enhance joint programs in AI and climate tech, turning potential tensions into shared gains.
This invites bilateral deals, like EU-U.S. mobility accords, preserving diversity at ~30% foreign enrollment while prioritizing citizens.
Example: Partnerships with European universities, such as a Franco-American STEM exchange, could co-fund ~20,000 joint research slots yearly, accelerating innovations like quantum computing and benefiting both economies.
Join the Movement
The “U.S. Foreign Student Enrollment Levy” is a transformative step toward equity, projecting ~$68.8 billion in revenue by 2028 from tiered taxes on ~1.1 million foreign students, alongside ~550,000 reclaimed opportunities for American citizens through a 50% enrollment reduction.
It empowers domestic students with scholarships and pipelines in STEM and beyond, strengthens national interests via enhanced vetting and cultural cohesion, and fosters balanced global engagement through reciprocal alliances, all under pinned by NAICS 611319's rigorous tracking of enrollment data, visa compliance, and revenue flows for unmatched transparency and integrity.
This policy invites universities, lawmakers, families, and communities to champion a future where higher education prioritizes American ingenuity and access first.
Contact your representatives ( https://onshoringamerica.com/write-your-state-rep ) today to back the "American Education Equity Act," and join the chorus for campuses that reflect and uplift our nation's promise—together, we restore the dream for every American citizen!
Sources:
· U.S. Department of Homeland Security – SEVIS by the Numbers (2024)
https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/
· Institute of International Education – Open Doors Report (2024)
https://opendoorsdata.org/
· U.S. Department of Education – National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
https://nces.ed.gov/
· U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) – Optional Practical Training Data
https://www.uscis.gov/
· Migration Policy Institute – International Student Trends
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/
· National Science Foundation – STEM Education Data and Reports
https://ncses.nsf.gov/
· U.S. Census Bureau – Labor Force Statistics
https://www.census.gov/
· Bureau of Labor Statistics – Employment Projections and Labor Data
https://www.bls.gov/