US Plans 15% Cap on International Undergraduate Enrollment Limiting Indian Students

The Trump administration has issued a memo to nine elite U.S. universities proposing a cap limiting international undergraduate enrollment to 15% of total admissions, with no more than 5% of students from any single country, including India. This new policy, part of a "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education," also requires universities to meet several other conditions, such as freezing tuition fees for five years, eliminating departments that belittle conservative ideas, and screening foreign students for alignment with "American and Western values." These restrictions could sharply reduce admission opportunities for Indian students, who constitute one of the largest groups of international students in the U.S., potentially pushing applicants toward more expensive private universities or alternative countries like Canada and the UK. The memo demands transparency in admissions data, prohibits consideration of race or sex in admissions and hiring decisions, and aims to ensure universities maintain a diverse marketplace of ideas without dominant political ideologies. The White House has not publicly announced the memo or explained the specific selection of the nine universities, though officials indicate these institutions were chosen due to their willingness to engage with the initiative.