South Dakota’s public university system has fewer students than last year, in part because of a continuing decline in international interest in our fair schools:
Systemwide international student enrollment decreased by 237. International enrollment also dropped by 76 students last year. The decreases come amid federal immigration policy changes during the Trump administration that have made it more difficult for some foreign students to enter and stay in the country [Makenzie Huber, “South Dakota Public University Enrollment Drop Includes Fewer Undergrad and International Students,” South Dakota Searchlight, 2026.09.10].
Among the dopey policies depressing South Dakota’s international student enrollment (and the big dollars out-of-country recruits bring to campus and community) is the Great Dictator’s prioritization of sport over scholarship:
Visa access was also made more difficult ahead of this school year when the U.S. prioritized foreign ticketholders for the FIFA World Cup, which coincided with the peak period for student and exchange applicants, the analysis noted.
It also highlighted reports of limited and delayed appointments for international students at consulates in India and China — the top two countries sending international students to the United States. The same issue occurred across Europe, where many requests for expedited appointments were denied.
In addition to immigration, the Trump administration has also cut funding for academic research, which has resulted in fewer graduate student spots being available for international and American students [Piper Hutchinson, “Trump Visa Policy Leads to Fewer International Students at US Colleges, Report Concludes,” South Dakota Searchlight, 2026.08.17].
We rush travel papers for a week or two of tourist spending, at the expense of opening the doors to scholars who will spend years supporting our local universities and economies while studying and researching and who may stay and work in South Dakota as doctors and scientists making ongoing contributions to our society. That policy is backwards and poor.