Next Stop Toronto? Indian Students Seek Alternatives as Trump Policies Target Elite Universities

Priya Sharma had dreamed of studying at Harvard since she was twelve years old. The 19-year-old from Mumbai had spent years preparing for the SATs, building her resume with volunteer work, and saving money for application fees. But when President Donald Trump issued a proclamation in June 2025 barring foreign students from entering the United States to attend Harvard, citing “national security concerns,” her American dream suddenly felt more like a nightmare.

“I’ve been accepted to Harvard for fall 2025, but now I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to set foot on campus,” Sharma said from her family’s apartment in Bandra. “My parents are now frantically researching universities in Canada and the UK as backup options.”

Sharma is not alone. Across India, families are grappling with the uncertain future of American higher education as the Trump administration has launched an unprecedented assault on elite universities. The administration’s actions have created a ripple effect that is reshaping the global flow of international students, with many now turning their attention to Canada and European countries as safer alternatives.

The Harvard Precedent

The crisis began in May 2025 when Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem terminated Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, effectively blocking the university from enrolling international students for the 2025-2026 academic year. The decision, which accused Harvard of “fostering violence,” was followed by Trump’s June proclamation that suspended entry visas for foreign students seeking to study at the prestigious Ivy League institution, according to Reuters.

According to the White House fact sheet, the proclamation “suspends the entry into the United States of any new Harvard student as a nonimmigrant under F, M, or J visas” and directed the State Department to consider revoking existing visas for current Harvard students. The suspension was initially set for six months but could be extended, creating uncertainty for thousands of prospective students.

Harvard, which hosts nearly a quarter of its student body from outside the United States, immediately challenged the restrictions in federal court. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs granted a temporary restraining order blocking the visa restrictions, as reported by The Harvard Crimson, but the legal battle continues, leaving students and families in limbo.

The university has maintained its defiance, stating in legal documents that “The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights. Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the federal government,” according to Harvard Magazine.

A Broader Campaign Against Liberal Bastions

The Harvard case is part of what NPR described as a broader Trump administration strategy to reshape elite universities using “several tactics, including freezing federal grants and contracts, and threatening colleges’ tax-exempt status.” The administration’s actions reflect what many see as an ideological war against institutions perceived as liberal bastions.

In response to the crisis, Harvard and the University of Toronto announced an unprecedented partnership that would allow Harvard students to complete their studies in Canada if visa restrictions prevent them from entering the United States.

The implications extend far beyond Harvard’s gates. The United States currently hosts more than 300,000 students from India, making it the largest source of international students in American higher education. According to The Washington Post reporting from May 2025, many of these students are now “rethinking their plans” as the Trump administration targets foreign students for potential deportation.

The economic stakes are enormous. International students contribute billions of dollars to the U.S. economy annually, with Foreign Policy noting that the crackdown “threatens economic blow” to institutions that have become increasingly dependent on international tuition revenue.

The Canadian Alternative

In response to the crisis, Harvard and the University of Toronto announced an unprecedented partnership that would allow Harvard students to complete their studies in Canada if visa restrictions prevent them from entering the United States, as first reported by The Guardian. The agreement between Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy represents a new model for international education cooperation.

“These are exceptional times,” said Janice Stein, founding director of the Munk School, acknowledging the unusual circumstances that prompted the collaboration. Harvard Kennedy School Dean Jeremy Weinstein described the partnership as a response to “the tumultuous and ‘exceptional’ politics of the postsecondary world during the second term of Donald Trump,” according to The Guardian.

Under the arrangement, Harvard students would apply for Canadian study permits and enroll as full-time, non-degree students at the Munk School. The program would only be available to students who have already completed a year of study in the United States, ensuring some continuity in their academic journey.

A Shift in Global Education Patterns

The uncertainty surrounding American higher education is already influencing student decision-making across India. Education consultants report a surge in inquiries about Canadian and European universities as families seek alternatives to American institutions.

“We’re seeing a significant shift in interest,” said Rajesh Patel, director of Global Education Consultants in New Delhi. “Families who would have automatically looked to the US are now seriously considering Canada, the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands as their first choice.”

The trend is supported by data from the International Consultants for Education and Fairs (ICEF), which noted that while international students still maintain “a mainly positive view of study in the United States,” the Trump administration’s actions are “creating an uncertain outlook for international students.”

Canada, despite implementing its own caps on international student visas, remains an attractive alternative. The country’s Immigration Levels Plan introduced annual limits on study permits, with a 10% reduction in 2025 compared to 2024 targets, but it still offers more predictable pathways for international students than the increasingly volatile American system.

European countries are also benefiting from the shift. Germany’s tuition-free public universities, the Netherlands’ strong English-language programs, and the UK’s post-Brexit efforts to attract international students are all gaining renewed attention from Indian families.

The Human Cost

Behind the policy debates and institutional maneuvering are real human stories of disrupted dreams and uncertain futures. For students like Priya Sharma, the situation represents not just an academic setback but a fundamental challenge to their life plans.

“I’ve been learning about American history and culture my whole life,” she said. “I’ve read about the American dream, about how America welcomes the best and brightest from around the world. Now I’m wondering if that America still exists.”

Her concerns are shared by thousands of other Indian students who find themselves caught between their aspirations and the political realities of a changing America. The situation has created what CNN described as a “new landscape” for foreign students, where traditional pathways to American higher education are no longer guaranteed.

Looking Forward

As the legal challenges to Trump’s university policies continue to work their way through the courts, the broader implications for American higher education are becoming clear. The country that once proudly welcomed international students as a symbol of its global leadership now faces the prospect of losing its competitive edge in the global education market.

For Indian students and their families, the message is equally clear: the American dream may still exist, but it now comes with unprecedented risks and uncertainties. As a result, many are looking elsewhere for the world-class education they seek, fundamentally altering patterns of global student mobility that have existed for decades.

The Harvard-Toronto partnership may represent just the beginning of a new era in international education, one where American universities must work with foreign partners to serve students they can no longer welcome to their own campuses. Whether this marks a temporary adjustment or a permanent shift in the global education landscape remains to be seen, but for now, students like Priya Sharma are preparing for a future that looks very different from the one they had originally imagined.

Sources: The White House, Reuters, The Harvard Crimson, TIME, NBC News, Harvard Magazine, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, CNN, NPR, and ICEF Monitor.