Trump’s H-1B Visa Fee Could Strain Universities and Schools

The New York Times ^ | Oct. 8, 2025 | Madeleine Ngo

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Higher education leaders and public-school superintendents say they depend on skilled foreign workers to fill critical roles.

President Trump’s $100,000 fee for new H-1B visas will have major consequences for tech companies and financial firms. But the effects of the new fee will also ripple across the education system and show up in classrooms across the country.

Higher education leaders and public-school superintendents say the steep fee will hurt schools that depend on foreign workers to fill critical teaching roles. Some university and college presidents said it would impede their ability to hire faculty members through the visa program, which allows educated foreign citizens to work in “specialty occupations.” Others said their school districts could not afford the fee, making it harder for them to find math and special education teachers.

The change is yet another blow to colleges and universities that have been squeezed by the Trump administration’s barrage of attacks on higher education. Federal officials have frozen billions in research funds, demanded hefty payments from top schools, intensified vetting of student visas and pursued civil rights investigations into dozens of universities.

Administration officials say the H-1B visa program lets employers sideline American workers and suppress their wages. They have argued that the new fee will help counter that by encouraging employers to prioritize hiring domestic workers.

But some education leaders said they worried the change would make institutions less competitive and restrict their ability to hire the best candidates.

“It’s not as if this is done on a whim because we’re trying to replace American workers,” said Lynn Pasquerella, the president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities. “It is done based on what the Trump administration is calling for...”

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TOPICS: Education
KEYWORDS: china; h1b; india

[bobbo666]

close ‘em down

[Sacajaweau]

Just change the acceptance rate...

[aquila48]

Couldn’t happen to better re-education camps.

[BenLurkin]

they depend on skilled foreign workers to fill critical roles.

Well that's the problem isn't it.

[Skwor]

liars, they depend on foreign labor to keep Americans oppressed and unemployed AND to deny any chance of entering the credentialed pipeline.

[Liz]

Boo——frickin’——hoo.

[jroehl]

“restrict their ability to hire the best candidates” = One of the greatest lies ever told.

[catnipman]

“Higher education leaders and public-school superintendents say the steep fee will hurt schools that depend on foreign workers to fill critical teaching roles.”

Harvard, for example, has a 14 billion dollar endowment, so they can easily afford to pay higher wages and attract some of their OWN GRADUATES to fill those “critical” teaching roles!

[yldstrk]

skilled foreign workers to fill critical roles
**********
What critical roles?

[KarlInOhio]

Let me play a sad song on the world’s smallest sitar.

[rellic]

Since I went to private Christian universities, I really don’t care that public politically governed universities can’t afford to be politically correct anymore!
My tuition payed for the cost of my education.
My schools did not get government money, it was all private.
Plus since I was working I was taxed to pay for the public university garbage.
I have no regrets that those “public” universities can no longer afford the political nutcases they want to hire.

[KarlInOhio]

they depend on skilled foreign workers to fill critical roles.

Probably teaching the undergrad classes.

I am very glad the college I went to had a focus on education rather than research. Over 80% of the classes I had were taught by the PhDs rather than graduate assistants. A few were borrowed from a local military base, so you got someone with the education plus some practical experience in blowing stuff up. I think I had one class in grad school taught by a non-PhD, but it was a technical class and he was a local expert on the topic.

[vmpolesov]

I know, it’s messed up. Back in the good old days Americans were proud of their county and of their fellow Americans.

[AndyTheBear]

The end of economic abuse is stressful for the abusers? Oh how horrible. Thank God brave papers like the NYT will opine endlessly for their sad plight.

[RKV]

This is what I voted for.

[Rowdyone]

Higher Education is a Big Business. If they need high tech staff let them pay the H-1B fee or train Americans to do it. Which is the whole plan to begin with.

[tumblindice]

Good.

[Salman]

They always have the option of hiring Americans. Or is that just plain not done any more?

[SeekAndFind]

RE: they depend on skilled foreign workers to fill critical roles.

Here is the all important question— DON’T WE HAVE ENOUGH SKILLED AMERICANS AND LEGAL RESIDENTS TO FILL CRITICAL ROLES? If not, what the heck are our colleges and universities teaching?

What are foreign universities doing right that our universities aren’t?