As the Trump administration attacks higher education and immigration, New School international students say the office meant to provide guidance is leaving them struggling.

International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) at The New School is designed to support international students by offering immigration resources, support, and guidance to help them thrive both academically and socially. 

However, many students at The New School say the exact opposite is happening. 

Reports of limited communication and unclear guidance from ISSS have left students struggling to manage visa requirements, financial stress, and cultural adjustments on their own. Though some students find the office helpful, they hope for improvements in the future.

Anouk Rothenberger, a first-year psychology student at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, came to The New School from the Netherlands two months ago.

While excited, Rothenberger also expressed facing a lot of stress around the process of getting her student F-1 visa and not receiving adequate support and guidance from ISSS. 

F-1 visas are non-immigrant visas for foreign national students who wish to enter the United States to pursue a full-time education at a Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified school. 

To obtain one, the student must be accepted by a school, receive an I-20 form, pay the SEVIS I-901 fee, and then apply for the visa by completing the DS-160 form and attending an interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate.

Following Trump’s reelection, conversations surrounding visas have become increasingly concerned as changing policies have caused turbulence in immigrant and foreign legal statuses. 

In June, the Trump administration released a proclamation from the official White House website regarding the entry of foreign nationals into the United States. 

The proclamation is an expansion from Trump’s travel ban policies from his first term and restricts or suspends entry for immigrants and nonimmigrants from 19 countries that are deemed “security threats.” 

While acknowledging that the current political climate of the country can make things difficult, as policies are always changing, Andrew Amadei, senior international student advisor at ISSS, emphasized how their primary goal is to provide advising and support to international students and make sure that they feel empowered to stay on top of their visa responsibilities to maintain lawful status. 

“We aim to respond quickly, stay up to date on policy changes, and help students take advantage of all benefits of their visa, including work authorization and cultural exchange,” he said. 

With Trump’s threats to crack down on immigration, international students rely on ISSS to provide timely support and guidance, but Rothenberger said that rarely happens. 

“Whenever I contacted [ISSS], they were so unhelpful. I barely got support,” she said, recalling the time she hadn’t yet received her student visa while the tuition deadline was quickly approaching. 

She explained that the only way to speak to an ISSS staff member was through a live Zoom meeting that took place twice a week.

However, when Rothenberger joined the meeting, she faced a one and a half hour long waiting time to access it. 

Initially she had been instructed not to pay her tuition until she received her visa. A day before the payment deadline however, she received a contradictory email stating she’d lose her spot at the school if she didn’t pay. 

Given that international bank transfers take around a week to go through, she said the situation caused her a lot of stress as she was uncertain of what was to come. “I expected an email explaining what to do next — like guidance or instructions — but I never received anything. That was disappointing,” she said. 

The issues surrounding her visa and late registration led to her missing a week of school, which caused her to experience trouble registering for classes. But when she reached out to ISSS for help, they didn’t get back to her, which drove her to reach out to her professors as a last resort. 

Rothenberger also expressed how ISSS’ general lack of advocacy was both discouraging and disheartening in the beginning of her college journey. 

“It made me feel like the U.S. doesn’t want international students, and you would expect at least some backup from your school when that happens,” she said. 

Xuan Jin, a second-year interdisciplinary science major at Lang, described a better, more positive experience with ISSS.

Jin, who lived in Beijing, China until she was 16, studied at Northeastern University in Boston before coming to New York City to attend The New School. 

Jin found The New School to be more inclusive and engaging in comparison to Northeastern, explaining how she lacked a sense of belonging there. 

While Jin said that ISSS was generally helpful with visa applications and I-20 requirements, she expressed that there were some things they could do differently to accommodate those who miss out on important information.

“They could organize additional meetings for students who miss orientation or provide more detailed explanations afterward,” she said as she admitted to missing orientation and seeking additional guidance as a result. 

In a statement to the New School Free Press, TNS Associate Director of Communications Merrie Snead said, “The university’s ISSS team is here to support all international students in their academic journeys. A top priority for ISSS is ensuring our students have the information they need to feel safe, secure, and informed.”