🌙 6 AM · While you slept
DHS proposes a $70,000 fee for international students' OPT work program
The Department of Homeland Security proposed a $70,000 fee for each international student's initial Optional Practical Training (OPT) work authorization and $30,000 for each extension. The Associated Press reports schools would pay the fee; DHS says colleges could pass the cost on. About 294,000 international students used OPT in 2024-25. The proposal is open for public comment before it can be finalized.
▶ Watch the 90-second briefing (story 2 of 5) 🔔 Get 6 AM & 5 PM alerts
How each side sees it
The administration saysDHS says the fee targets fraud and abuse, calls the program a "pipeline for cheap foreign labor," and says it will protect American workers.
Critics sayNAFSA CEO Fanta Aw says driving away international students "will only hurt American innovation"; the American Council on Education says it won't help enrollment, and some immigration lawyers predict court challenges.
Sources
- AP via PBS NewsHour: Trump administration proposes a $70,000 fee for international students to work in the U.S.
- Reuters via Investing.com: Trump administration plans to charge international students $70,000 for work authorization
- Higher Ed Dive: DHS proposes $70K fee for initial OPT participation and $30K for extensions
Also in this edition
- Isaias becomes the first Atlantic hurricane of 2026, with warnings from Mississippi to Florida
- DNC sues the Trump administration over taxpayer-funded ads
- India's voter-roll protests grow after 130 million names are removed
- Rays sweep the Yankees after a fan-interference call; Dodgers eliminate the Braves
Free · twice a day
Get the catch-up in your inbox
The same fact-checked briefing, sources included, at 6 AM and 5 PM Central. No spin, no spam — unsubscribe anytime.
We only use your email to send the briefing.