Awareness and Opportunity: Meeting the New Horizon for India–U.S. Higher Education

Many U.S. higher education institutions are worried—DEI advocates fear for their jobs, programs, and the future of diversity on their campuses. International and domestic students worry that joining political protests could lead to suspension, visa termination and deportation. The new U.S. government under Donald Trump has laid off 50% of the Department of Education workforce, while federal funding for major institutions like Johns Hopkins and Columbia University, as well as key research centers, has been indefinitely frozen. In late March, the president signed an executive order to dismantle the U.S. Education Department altogether, with plans to shift education budgeting (including aid) and curriculum control to individual states. Under these plans, what are now federal education funds will be redirected to other departments. 

All of these issues are real and concerning. But concerns for the future of higher education and international student mobility are nothing new. Nor is the claim that higher education’s future is uncertain. The fact is that the sector has weathered just as many painful and “surprising” events as the banking industry did during the 2008 global financial crisis, as tourism did during COVID-19, and as inflation is currently impacting employment in the tech industry and housing market.

To call these times uncertain is as superfluous as observing that a pendulum swings. The future of higher education is always uncertain. And international higher education—the sector we work in and passionately promote—is undergoing a massive transformation. To reframe it in a more practical manner: international higher education is evolving. And at a time when social media thrives on doomsday discourse and as some of our colleagues across the world recoil at the actions of the U.S. president, we who work closely with the world’s largest population of international students are not in dread. Or rather, where the media and, by extension, much of the sector sees the collapse of a system already ripe with flaws, we see an opportunity—a massive one—to rebuild, and to do it better, starting with a good hard look at the facts.

What is Certain

Some things are indisputable, and we should not take them for granted, especially in times of transition. Facts matter. They are the foundation upon which actionable goals must be built to ensure that international higher education continues to drive student mobility, achievement, and global progress. And those facts tell us this: in the midst of transformation, institutions worldwide would be wise to turn to, and strategize with, India. India, as Dean Chell Roberts of the Shiley Marcos School of Engineering at the University of San Diego said in a recent ShiftED Talks podcast episode: We don't know the future, but one of the things really stands out to me, one of the futures, is India. If you look at population growth, and the care for education, the central hub of the world–it’s India.” 

Some important facts about Indian student mobility and economic impact in the last year or so shed light not only on this populations’ value, but also on the possibility that Indian students may serve as a critical bridge between current and future immigration and education policy shifts.

• India is the world’s largest source of international students. Surpassing China, whose outbound numbers declined by 4% between 2023 and 2024, India sent 331,602 students abroad last year—a 23% increase from the previous academic year. Today, Indian students account for more than 29% of all international students.

• According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the economic impact of Indian students in the U.S. in 2023 was $11.8 billion (International Student Economic Impact, Open Doors, 2023).

• India has the largest youth population in the world, with over 250 million people aged 15–24 (UN). By 2030, India will have the most college-eligible students globally, solidifying it as a long-term pipeline for U.S. universities.

U.S.-India Diplomatic Relations Under Trump: What We Know

This past February, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with President Trump in Washington, D.C., reaffirming the U.S.-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. Their meeting underscored that U.S.-India relations will continue to evolve, with significant developments in trade, defense, technology, and diplomacy. Key agreements included a commitment to doubling bilateral trade to $500 billion over the next five years, expanded market access, Increased investments across multiple industries, strengthened supply chains, and even an aerospace collaboration. India additionally committed to removing a 6% tax on digital ads impacting U.S. tech giants like Google, Meta, and Amazon. 

These commitments directly impact higher education in both countries. The greater the collaborations–especially those impacting technology, economy, and trade–the higher the demand for academic and research exchanges between the countries. But that’s not all. The two countries explicitly named agreements that will enhance the demand for student exchanges. 

Impact of the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership on International Higher Education

The launch of the U.S.-India TRUST initiative earlier this year signals that international student mobility will be a central force in advancing technological progress. According to the joint statement from India’s Ministry of External Affairs following the Trump-Modi meeting:

“The leaders announced the launch of the U.S.-India TRUST (‘Transforming the Relationship Utilizing Strategic Technology’) initiative, which will catalyze government-to-government, academic, and private sector collaboration to promote critical and emerging technologies in defense, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing, biotechnology, energy, and space, while ensuring the security of sensitive technologies and reducing regulatory barriers.”

Another key initiative, INDUS Innovation, aims to strengthen U.S.-India academic partnerships and foster investments in space, energy, and emerging technologies. A February 13 White House briefing noted that the summit “reinforced the commitment to the INDUS-X initiative, which facilitates partnerships between U.S. and Indian defense companies, investors, and universities to produce critical capabilities for both nations’ militaries. The next summit is scheduled for 2025.”

Key Takeaways for Advocates of International Higher Education

At GradRight, we believe in higher education as a catalyst for empowerment, enabling individuals worldwide to shape their futures and reap the rewards of global learning. Having provided selection and financing services to nearly half a million Indian students, we have firsthand insight into the challenges they face in securing and funding their international education.

When students come to us today, worried about their futures, we tell them the facts. The present moment is complex, but we are witnessing a transition—one that in the shorter term looks very promising for Indian students, and in the longer term for the entire sector. If we fail to recognize the evolutionary nature of higher education, the doomsday narrative will prevail—and we may very well find ourselves constructing new barriers to our own success.