Administration

Penn State joins amicus brief in support of international students

Penn State joined 58 other colleges and universities in an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit by Harvard and MIT to block new rules by the Trump administration that would keep international students from remaining in the U.S. if they were enrolled exclusively in online courses this fall. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State, along with 58 other colleges and universities across the country, filed an amicus brief today (July 13) in support of a lawsuit by Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology to block a Trump administration policy prohibiting international students from remaining in the U.S. while enrolling exclusively in online courses.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Student Exchange Visitor Program announced on July 6 that international students taking a fully remote course load during the fall 2020 semester could not legally stay in the country.

Penn State President Eric Barron denounced the rule change, and pledged the University’s support for international students. Penn State joined the Association of American Universities, the American Council on Education, the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and other institutions of higher education in calling for the immediate revocation of the new rules.

Last Updated July 16, 2020