University of North Texas is facing a $45 million budget deficit — significantly worse than initially projected — as international student enrollment has plummeted, university officials revealed this week.
The shortfall, which is $14 million larger than earlier estimates, has forced UNT President Harrison Keller to warn of impending budget cuts across the institution. The financial crisis stems primarily from a sharp decline in international master’s students, particularly in high-revenue programs like data science and computer science.
“Nobody could have envisioned what was going to be happening in international student enrollments,” Keller stated during a recent address to faculty and staff. The president characterized the deficit as structural rather than temporary, signaling that quick fixes won’t solve the problem.
International Students: A Critical Revenue Stream
Why does the loss of international students hit so hard? These students, especially at the graduate level, typically pay substantially higher tuition and fees than their in-state counterparts, making them vital to the university’s financial health.
“A significant number of those master’s students, particularly in some fields, data science, computer science, were international master’s students,” Keller explained. “That has a significant impact on our budget, on our budget forecast.”
The university now anticipates net tuition and fees of $412 million for fiscal year 2026 — representing a staggering $47.3 million decrease from the current year’s budget, according to UNT’s consolidated operating budget.
The enrollment decline began in Fall 2025 and appears to be part of a broader trend affecting institutions nationwide. “When I talk to colleagues across the state, this is part of a larger trend that we’re seeing,” Keller noted.
Visa Policies Compound the Problem
Federal policy shifts have created additional barriers for international students hoping to study in the United States. In January 2026, the U.S. State Department revoked approximately 8,000 student visas as part of national security efforts.
This action coincides with data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center showing nearly 10,000 fewer foreign students enrolling at the graduate level in Fall 2025 compared to the previous year.
The timing couldn’t be worse for UNT. The university had experienced substantial growth over the past decade, with international master’s programs serving as a key driver of that expansion. Now, officials find themselves scrambling to address a financial hole that threatens to undermine that progress.
Looking Ahead
University leadership acknowledges that stabilizing enrollment, particularly through renewed international recruitment efforts, will be essential to restoring financial balance. But that’s a long-term solution to an immediate problem.
In the meantime, difficult decisions loom. While specific cuts haven’t been announced, the structural nature of the deficit suggests they could be both significant and lasting.
For a university that had become accustomed to growth, this sudden reversal represents more than just a financial setback — it’s a sobering reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in higher education when external factors disrupt carefully laid plans.
