The University of North Texas is grappling with a projected $45 million structural budget deficit this fiscal year, fueled by a sharp drop in international master’s student enrollment and a $32 million cut in state funding.
For the past decade, UNT heavily relied on higher-paying international students to drive revenue growth, but those numbers have plunged since 2024—accelerated by federal visa restrictions, widespread student visa revocations, and broader geopolitical pressures. The shortfall from international graduate programs alone is estimated at roughly $30 million, far exceeding earlier forecasts and forcing the university to brace for significant budget reductions across departments.
The deficit, now $14 million larger than the $31.2 million gap the Board of Regents approved in August, reflects structural challenges rather than short-term fluctuations.
“I appreciate that many members of our university community already feel the impact of our current budget shortfall, and that this situation can create uncertainty and stress across the university,” said UNT President Harrison Keller in a letter to faculty and staff on February 17, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle.
In his letter, Keller called the deficit “structural, not just temporary.” He reportedly cited a decline in international students “especially due to recent policy changes.”
Decade of Dependence on Foreign Tuition Ends in Freefall
UNT had been increasing its number of international students for years, according to a State Department-funded database.
The university reportedly had 8,200 international students out of a total body of roughly 46,000 in the 2022-2023 school year, according to OpenDoors data. The next school year, the number rose to 11,917 international students.
By the 2024-2025 school year, UNT had grown its international student population to more than 12,982, ranking it seventh in the nation at the time.
The school’s own numbers, however, suggest a lower volume of international students – and show the trend taking a nosedive. UNT boasted more than 9,000 international students as of June 2024. However, by November that year, the school’s international students had fallen to 7,400. This number apparently held steady through January 2026.
UNT’s international students fell again by the time of publication, to just more than 4,500.
Visa Crackdowns Hit UNT Hard
Under Trump’s administration, federal officials have cracked down on illegal immigration and tightened entry requirements.
In May 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the federal government would “aggressively” revoke the visas of Chinese nationals studying in the United States, according to NPR. As The Dallas Express reported, the federal government’s move to revoke visas of students deemed threats affected dozens across the region, including at UNT.
In June 2025, Trump signed an executive order banning travel from countries deemed potential threats, including Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. It also partially restricted travel from countries like Cuba and Venezuela. The order included exceptions for those with legal status or existing visas.
Trump expanded the travel ban in December to include countries like Syria, Niger, and Mali, as well as the Palestinian Authority, as The Dallas Express reported. This also kept limits on entry with F, M, and J visas – often used by international students – for Burundi, Cuba, Togo, and Venezuela.
Campus Leadership Caught Off Guard
The UNT Board of Regents met in May 2025 and discussed declining international student enrollment.
“Nobody could have envisioned what was going to be happening in international student enrollments,” Keller said at the time.
In the previous 10 years, UNT had grown its undergraduate students by 3,500, master’s students by 5,500, and doctoral students by 130, according to Keller.
“A significant number of those master’s students – particularly in some fields, data science, computer science – were international master’s students,” he added.
While undergraduate and doctoral enrollment showed slight increases from fall 2023 to fall 2024, master’s program enrollment did not follow this trend.
“We were down more than 1,300 students in our master’s programs, because of different market issues and also geopolitical issues – issues around visas,” Keller explained. “When I talk to colleagues across the state and across the country, this is part of a larger trend.”
Keller noted that the school expected to close its enrollment gap and emphasized the importance of student retention and recruitment.
“That has a significant impact on our budget and on our budget forecast,” Keller said. “This is an important inflection point for UNT.”
Regent Pushes India Recruitment and Private Donations
Regent A.K. Mago suggested one possible solution – recruiting more students from India.
“Regarding international students, I am more than happy to help,” Mago said. “I think most of your students do come from India, so whenever you have time, we can take a trip, and I will still be an unpaid supporter of you there – maybe the chair will approve some money for me too.”
Keller thanked Mago for his partnership. He pointed to a recent incident in which federal officials canceled 30 student visas, and Mago worked with UNT and the students’ consulate to restore them.
“This has prompted us to rethink our international strategy,” Keller said. “We want to develop much closer partnerships with Indian universities.”
Keller said he looked forward to continued discussions about bringing Indian students.
“And I will encourage some of my wealthy friends to donate some money to UNT,” Mago added.
“That’s always much appreciated,” Keller replied. “Thank you.”
Prior UNT Scrutiny: Left-Wing Extremism and Campus Threats
In October 2025, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton investigated the University of North Texas for failing to discipline students who celebrated the assassination of Charlie Kirk and issued violent threats against peers who opposed such views, as The Dallas Express previously reported.
In a follow-up letter to President Harrison Keller, Paxton criticized the university’s inaction amid rising “left-wing extremism,” including militant rhetoric from Marxist and Antifa-aligned groups, destruction of Turning Point USA materials, and threats on campus, vowing to use his office’s full authority to enforce consequences and protect students.
