In this episode of Cow Guy Close, I joined guest host Luke Lloyd to discuss the decline in foreign student enrollment at American universities – and what it means for the future of higher education.
For decades, an acceptance letter from an American university represented opportunity, excellence, and the promise of the American dream. International students contributed not just tuition dollars, but research, innovation, and cultural exchange. But enrollment from overseas has slowed – and that shift is not accidental.
I explain why recent policy changes, including stronger visa scrutiny and better vetting, are necessary. While we do need foreign students, we must also ensure that those entering our universities are not engaged in espionage or intellectual property theft. America has experienced real consequences from insufficient oversight.
For too long, many institutions prioritized full-paying foreign students over American students. That imbalance is beginning to correct itself. We also discuss a larger issue: Over the past 20 years, universities have gradually shifted from education to ideological indoctrination.
Education changed my life – but today, too many campuses function as political training grounds rather than centers of intellectual development. If universities want to recover their credibility, they must return to fundamentals: • Education over activism • Merit over ideology • Market accountability through supply and demand Higher education must serve students and the nation – not partisan agendas.
