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WASHINGTON — <\/span>The Trump administration has finalized a rule that will prevent international students<\/a> from staying in the U.S. for more than four years unless they obtain the federal government’s approval, the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday, announcing a departure from long-standing practice. <\/p>\n The rule, which goes into effect in September, also puts in place restrictions on when and how students may change their major or academic program. <\/p>\n Current rules give students significantly more flexibility. They are generally admitted to the U.S. for as long as it takes to complete the academic program, many of which are longer than four years by design.<\/p>\n Higher education leaders have opposed the rule, arguing the change creates an administrative burden for schools, universities and the federal government. <\/p>\n \u201cThis action is unnecessary and duplicative,\u201d said Zuzana Wootson, deputy director of federal policy at the Presidents\u2019 Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, a nonprofit organization. \u201cInternational students are already among the most closely monitored nonimmigrant populations in the U.S. and are subject to rigorous oversight by DHS and academic institutions.\u201d <\/p>\n In a statement, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin described the rule as cracking down on a loophole that international students were exploiting by extending their studies.<\/p>\n \u201cBy implementing clear, finite limits on these visas, the United States is reclaiming its ability to properly screen, vet, and monitor individuals within our borders,\u201d Mullin said. \u201cThis final rule ensures that foreign students remain focused on their primary purpose: completing their studies and returning home.\u201d<\/p>\n The rule is the latest in a series of Trump administration crackdowns on international students.<\/a> Last spring, widespread terminations<\/a> of students’ legal status sent students scrambling to hide or leave the country out of fear they would be detained for being in the U.S. illegally. <\/p>\n The federal government also imposed a requirement for visa applicants to share their social media handles, subjecting them to increased scrutiny. And travel bans<\/a> affecting more than a dozen countries across Africa, the Middle East and Asia further limited international students’ ability to obtain a visa and enter the U.S. for school. <\/p>\n The rule comes as international student enrollment is declining.<\/a> The effects are most acutely felt at schools with small endowments and student bodies that enroll a large percentage of international students,<\/a> who have been recruited from abroad. International students are not eligible for federal financial aid and, as a result, often pay full-price tuition. <\/p>\n Higher education leaders have warned the growing uncertainty could further drive international students elsewhere, with ripple effects throughout the workforce and the economy. <\/p>\n \u201cAt a time when global competition for talent is intensifying, this policy sends exactly the wrong message,\u201d Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA, an association that represents international education, said in a statement. \u201cIt tells the world\u2019s brightest students and scholars that the United States is becoming less welcoming, less predictable, and less committed.\u201d <\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n The Associated Press\u2019 education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP\u2019s standards<\/a> for working with philanthropies, a list<\/a> of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n