As President-elect Donald Trump gets ready to take office again, colleges are changing their advice for students who might be affected by his promised strict immigration policies.

Some universities are advising their foreign students to return home before Trump’s second term begins, especially those who are traveling for the holidays. Trump’s first administration not only attempted to stop illegal immigration, but also made legal entry into the U.S. much harder for foreign visitors and students who rely on visas. In a late November update, administrators at Cornell University warned that a travel ban could “likely go into effect soon after inauguration,” suggesting it would be wise for international students and staff to be back in the U.S. before their spring semester starts.

On another issue, independent college advisors and advocacy groups report an increase in anxiety among students from mixed-status families about applying for financial aid. Many of these families are worried about indicating on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that some members do not have Social Security numbers, which could signal to the government that they may be undocumented.

A recent message from the National College Attainment Network highlighted that while federal privacy laws prevent FAFSA information from being used for anything other than financial aid decisions, they cannot guarantee that the data will remain protected from immigration enforcement.

The memo further noted: “For some people, the potential risks may now outweigh the significant benefits of receiving federal student aid.”

Corinne Kentor, a policy associate with the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, reported that her organization has received countless inquiries from university leaders seeking ways to reassure students about the confidentiality of their FAFSA information.

Experts believe these fears may largely be speculation. There are substantial legal barriers, including potential court challenges, that would make it difficult for the Trump administration to use FAFSA data for anything other than evaluating a family’s financial situation for college.

However, the alarming predictions from top universities and national organizations illustrate the uncertainty surrounding Trump’s future immigration policies and how soon these changes could impact areas reliant on immigration. In 2022, students from immigrant backgrounds made up about a third of all college enrollments in the U.S., according to the Presidents’ Alliance.

“There’s a significant amount of fear among immigrant communities and mixed-status families,” Kentor mentioned. “It can feel burdensome to be as transparent as possible without overstepping into speculation.”

A ‘balancing act’ for universities

Stephen Yale-Loehr, a law professor at Cornell University, emphasized the importance of balancing information and fear as he helped create the school’s new guidelines for international students following Trump’s election victory in November.

“It’s a balancing act,” he explained. “You want to equip people with information to prepare for possible scenarios without causing unnecessary alarm.”

The advisory warned that a potential travel ban could affect individuals traveling from the same countries featured in Trump’s previous travel ban, such as Iran, Syria, Nigeria, and Venezuela. The memo also mentioned that China and India could be included as “areas of concern.”

International students enter the U.S. on specific visas that come with particular limitations. The “F-1″ visa is the standard permit for full-time international students, allowing them to stay in the U.S. as long as they are working towards completing their studies. F-1 visa holders can travel outside the U.S. but must present required documents upon returning. They also need to renew their visa stamp if it expires to re-enter the country.

Cornell’s guidelines advised its students and faculty to anticipate extended visa processing times and to carry extra documentation proving their ties to the university when going through airport customs.

In recent weeks, Yale University, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Wesleyan University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have issued similar alerts, advising those planning to travel internationally to return to the U.S. by January 20.

This concern arises at a time when international student enrollment in U.S. colleges has reached an all-time high. Recent data from the Institute of International Education reported over 1.1 million international students enrolled last year, representing a 7% increase from the previous year.

The exact impact of Trump’s new immigration policies on college enrollment trends remains uncertain, and he has yet to clarify how his second-term immigration approach may differ from the first. Nevertheless, individuals like Fanta Aw, executive director of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, advocate that welcoming foreign students and staff to American institutions benefits everyone involved.

“We believe there is a shared understanding of the important role that international students play in our economy,” she mentioned, noting that the substantial revenue international students generate annually is “significant.”

Mixed-status families continue to struggle with FAFSA issues

In spite of the challenges they encounter when applying for college, hundreds of thousands of students from mixed-status families submit applications for federal student aid every year. Unfortunately, widespread problems with the FAFSA form impacted this group more severely than others in the last enrollment period.

According to a government oversight report, the Education Department, tasked by Congress to reform the FAFSA, significantly misjudged the number of individuals from mixed-status families who needed their identities manually verified, resulting in substantial delays that hindered many students’ college aspirations, as explained by Gaby Pacheco, the president of TheDream.US, which helps undocumented youth succeed in college and careers.

“We witnessed serious repercussions,” she observed, “including U.S. citizen students deciding against attending college because of affordability issues.”

After several months of turmoil, the Education Department allowed parents lacking Social Security numbers to fill out the FAFSA in April. While the revised form is functioning more effectively now, the incoming president has pledged to carry out mass deportations in his next term, increasing anxiety among applicants from vulnerable populations.

The FAFSA primarily serves to assess eligibility for financial aid, and experts assert that federal law forbids using personal information for any other purposes. Nevertheless, the Education Department does share data with the Department of Homeland Security to verify the immigration status of students applying for financial aid as eligible noncitizens, according to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal. There are no agreements that permit this information to be utilized for immigration enforcement, and advocates argue that such actions would encounter legal challenges.

However, the conversation has already created a fear-filled atmosphere, said Hugo Que, the college access program director at 10,000 Degrees, a nonprofit organization aiding low-income students in California and Utah with college applications and funding. Having faced similar challenges as an undocumented individual, Que expressed understanding of the “what ifs.”

“I wish I could confidently say, ‘Don’t stress about it,’” he admitted. “But we can’t speak with such certainty.”