ICLTHE INNER CIRCLE
LEDGER
← Full daily edition
Immigration, education & workforce policy / SOURCED NEWS BRIEF

Trump administration proposes $70,000 university fee for each international student's first OPT work authorization

Proposed rule only; $70,000 initial and $30,000 renewal fees reported; public comment and possible litigation remain

Edited by The Inner Circle Ledger · Summary of linked reporting

Donald Trump

Source published: Oct 7, 2026 · 12:58 PM EDT · Event: 2026-10-07

The Department of Homeland Security proposed requiring colleges and universities to pay $70,000 for every international student making an initial application to Optional Practical Training, or OPT, and $30,000 for each renewal. OPT lets eligible students work in jobs related to their field during or after study, generally for one year, with up to two additional years for certain science, technology, engineering and mathematics graduates.

Response / context

DHS told the Associated Press that the proposal responds to fraud and abuse and described OPT as a 'pipeline for cheap foreign labor.' Fanta Aw of NAFSA, an international-education association, said the measure would harm innovation, economic growth and workforce development. The fees would be paid by schools, not directly by students. This is not a final rule: AP reports that the public has 60 days to comment before DHS may finalize it, and higher-education or business groups could challenge it in court. No lawsuit or judicial ruling on this proposal is reported.

Dates and scope

Source publication: Oct 7, 2026 · 12:58 PM EDT

Event or conduct: 2026-10-07. DHS proposed the fee October 7; it remains subject to a 60-day public-comment period and has not taken effect.

Source review: Oct 7, 2026 · 12:58 PM EDT

Dated report. Publication, event and review times are different; the review time is when the sources were last checked, not a live update.

This brief preserves the available response and disposition. Coverage is non-exhaustive. How we review sources.

Read the original sources

  1. Associated Press: Trump administration proposes a $70,000 fee for international students to work in the US ↗

    Proposal details, DHS rationale, stakeholder response and procedural caveats - October 7

Keep following this record

The Pardon Ledger is a free weekly email: new clemency grants and money entries, each with its sources, the response on record, and what changed.

Latest issue: Whose names are on the filings ↗

Or follow @innercircleledger.com on Bluesky and @PardonLedger on X · Support the Ledger · Download the data