International student enrollment at some Vermont high schools is down by about half after Trump administration policy changes, including a requirement that foreign students allow vetting of their social media accounts.
The decline in international students impacts the culture and bottom line at these schools, a number of them historic private academies that serve as de facto public high schools for the surrounding area in addition to taking on boarding students from around the country and world.
“All students benefit from the opportunity to develop empathy for others and to form friendships with peers from outside of their home community,” said Nora Dock, assistant head of school for enrollment and student experience at Vermont Academy in Saxtons River, in an email. “International education strengthens individual character just as much as it strengthens the US economy.”
St. Johnsbury Academy — one of those historic academies — enrolled 100 international students this year, according to Headmaster Sharon Howell, which accounts for 11% of the school’s total enrollment and 75% of its boarding population. This is down from 185 in 2024, when it boasted the highest number of international students for any public or private K-12 school in the state and the 33rd highest in the country, according to data from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Howell attributes the decline to shifting federal policies.
“In 2025-26, a pause on student visas prevented at least eight admitted students from enrolling, and we saw similar visa difficulties again this year,” she said in an email. “Changes in federal policy toward international students have created uncertainty for families abroad, and I believe that has made some of them hesitant to choose a U.S. school.”
The Trump administration temporarily froze all student visa interviews in May 2025 and, when they resumed a month later, required applicants to make all their social media accounts public for vetting. Since the change, student visa appointments have been scarce.
According to State Department data, the number of visas issued to all types of international students, including those in K-12, college, vocational and cultural exchange programs, dropped 35% in summer 2025 compared to the previous summer.
In Vermont, there were 1,438 international students studying at all levels in September 2026, according to the Department of Homeland Security — a 10% decline from 1,607 the prior year.
“International students have been part of St. Johnsbury Academy for a long time, and they are central to our identity and mission,” Howell said. “They bring a range of cultures, faiths and nationalities to our campus and to the Northeast Kingdom, and that exchange enriches the experience of every student here, local and international alike. We value it deeply.”
In Manchester, Burr & Burton Academy — another historic private academy — is also seeing a decline in international students. René Driscoll, director of international admissions, said the school typically had around 70 international students, about 10% of overall enrollment, before the COVID-19 pandemic and has a mere 35 enrolled this year, 6% of overall enrollment.
Driscoll said she is hearing that immigration policy and visa delays are impacting international families’ decision-making, including worries about a yet-to-be-implemented policy that could potentially restrict students’ time in the country.
This summer, the Department of Homeland Security announced that international students would be admitted to the country for a fixed period of time, not to exceed four years, instead of the duration of their academic program. Students needing additional time — or high schoolers wanting to transition to study at a U.S. college — would have to seek approval from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for an extension.
In August, a coalition of higher education groups and unions sued the Trump administration to stop the change. A federal judge temporarily blocked the rule in mid-September, one day before its scheduled implementation, while that lawsuit advances. The Department of Homeland Security appealed the judge’s ruling last week.
If enforced, the “damage to the higher education system and to the economy of the United States is likely to be catastrophic,” wrote U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor in his ruling, noting that many American colleges and universities are already struggling with declining enrollment based on demographic changes.
There are currently 1.6 million international students pursuing full-time academic or language training programs in the United States, Saylor wrote. His ruling also cited a study that found international students contributed $44 billion to the economy in 2023-2024.
According to Howell, the four-year rule “would present a significant challenge and would require some families to make difficult decisions about their children’s education.”
Driscoll said the changes in international student enrollment haven’t yet affected Burr & Burton’s budget or staffing, but the possibility is “certainly on (their) radar.” Current international student tuition for the school is $64,618 for a full year, while domestic private-pay tuition is $25,933. Tuition for local students for whom Burr & Burton is the de facto high school is paid through state property taxes.
International enrollment at Vermont high schools also appears to be declining for other reasons in addition to immigration policies. Danny O’Brien, head of school at The Putney School, said in an email that only 14% of their student body is international this year compared to a historical average of around 20%.
“The reasons we most often hear for the decline are that fewer students are seeing a U.S. college education as the ‘golden ticket’ to career success and advancement, and so are less likely to want to study here as a stepping stone,” O’Brien said.
The Putney School is seeing an especially stark decline in students coming from Asia, he said, where “there has been major domestic investment in ‘homegrown’ academic quality, availability, and resources.” Howell also noted a significant decline in students from China at St. Johnsbury Academy.
Dock, at Vermont Academy, said that the United States is “no longer a preferred destination, in part because of changes (perceived and otherwise) to the student visa process.”
Vermont Academy enrolled 90 international students in 2024, according to ICE data — the second-highest international student population at a high school in the state. International students typically account for 25% of the Academy’s total enrollment, Dock said.
She said this year’s international student enrollment remains within the school’s normal range, though a small number of admitted and enrolled new international students were not able to attend because their visas were declined, which she called “atypical.”
Vermont Academy is also hearing from its international education consultant partners that “more families are looking to Canada, Australia and other English-speaking destinations for their children,” Dock said.
“Last year we had two families from Western Europe withdraw their applications to schools in the U.S. because they did not like the political climate and wished to send their children somewhere more hospitable,” she added.
O’Brien said that the lower international enrollment has created some short-term budgetary pressures, which he said The Putney School has been planning for, but declined to discuss details.
“We are more concerned with the long-term implications of the U.S. being seen as distrustful and unwelcoming of its international students and the reputational damage to U.S. education,” he said. “These are perceptions that can take root quickly and have lasting effects.”
Lower birth rates mean fewer domestic boarding applicants nationally, he added, another reason international families matter to The Putney School.
An outlier to the trend, so far, is Lyndon Institute, another historic private academy. The school has seen a recent increase in international students, enrolling 24 last year and 31 this year, said Erik Oliver, vice president of external relations and advancement.
Oliver said the school is hearing more questions from families seeking to understand the recent federal rule changes, but they are not hearing that those concerns are discouraging students from applying.
“We are hearing strong interest in the kind of high school experience Lyndon Institute offers: strong preparation for college combined with practical, hands-on learning, opportunities to explore new interests, and a supportive community where students are known and supported,” Oliver said. “That is reflected in the positive response we are seeing in our international enrollment.”
In spite of the uptick in international students this year, Lyndon Institute officials are mindful of the potential impact on enrollment and tuition revenue in the future.
At St. Johnsbury Academy, where the decline in international students has been steep, Headmaster Howell said the school is “on solid financial footing” and is “planning carefully so it is prepared for whatever comes.” Howell said she was not able to comment further on how exactly the Academy is responding financially to the decline.
“Above all, we remain committed to our international students and everything they bring to our community, and we hope to see policies that once again make the U.S. a welcoming destination for students from around the world,” she said.