Georgetown University is forecasted to lose $35 million in federal research grants and see a 20% decline in international graduate student enrollment amid federal cuts to higher education funding and changing immigration policy.

Interim University President Robert M. Groves announced the updates in an Oct. 28 email to faculty and staff, in which he affirmed April financial measures that cut $100 million from the university’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget and instituted a hiring freeze. Groves also said the university is unsure how long the decline in international student enrollment will last and how it will affect university finances.

Groves said the university will continue to assess its financial future as it prepares to reevaluate the hiring freeze and budget cuts in December.

“It is now certain that the $100M cut in April was prudent,” Groves wrote in the email. “However, many uncertainties remain. Thus, it’s too early to know the outcome of the December review — whether we could relieve some of the constraints on spending or whether more cuts will be needed.”

Groves said the projected financial loss is higher than the university’s previous estimates, which he did not specify.

Gregory Afinogenov, the Georgetown chapter president of the faculty union American Association of University Professors, said the budget cuts have already hit faculty.

“There have already been significant sacrifices,” Afinogenov told The Hoya. “This $100 million cut has not come for free. Dozens of classes have already been canceled, cut, especially those taught by adjunct faculty — obviously people have lost money.”

Georgetown has faced increasing pressure from the federal government as President Donald Trump ramps up attacks on higher education institutions, including cutting research funding and restricting international students’ visas.

Groves added that the federal government’s “new visa and immigration policies contributed to a steeper decline than anticipated” in international graduate student enrollment. About 1,780 international graduate students are enrolled at Georgetown for Fall 2025, according to university data, a decrease from around 2,170 in Fall 2024.

Groves said overall graduate student enrollment is only down 3%, which he partially attributed to the university’s tuition discounts for laid-off federal workers and recent graduates. 

“There was some success in our offering tuition discounts to some laid-off federal workers and recent Georgetown alumni, but that means reduced revenue per student,” Groves wrote. “Further, some programs offered online classes for students with delayed visas. Great uncertainty remains about whether there will be a multi-year reduction in international students.”

Crystal Luo, an Asian American professor in the history department, said international students are vital to the university community.

“It is a huge loss, not just financially but intellectually and socially, to our university community when international students decline to enroll or are unable to get visas,” Luo told The Hoya. “It’s something that I think we should all be really concerned about for reasons that go beyond the bottom line.”

In the April email, Groves said the university would also seek to increase graduate and nondegree certificate enrollment, reallocate restricted gift funds to support ongoing university activities and seek additional philanthropic support.

Groves also expressed concern over the financial impacts of the ongoing federal shutdown, which he said has delayed funding disbursements, and Trump’s tariff policies, which he said increased the costs of goods, services and utilities.

While the shutdown will not likely affect student aid and international student support, it may disrupt grant proposals, delay research funding and limit access to federal resources, according to an Oct. 1 email from Katy Button, the university’s associate vice president for federal government relations.

Jane Komori, a professor in Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, said the university must try to better include faculty input in future budget decisions.

“I find it disconcerting that we receive without notice these kinds of emails that essentially dictate to us what is going to happen, rather than consulting with faculty, staff and students who are the stakeholders in all of this,” Komori told The Hoya.

“This is where we work and spend all our time, and we have not only invested interest, but good ideas about how to run things, and we’re keen to share them,” Komori added.

Groves held two town halls with faculty in September to address concerns about the changes, but Komori said they were insufficient.

“There’s a performance of information sharing and consultation, but it doesn’t extend beyond the superficial,” Komori said. “So what we really need is for faculty, staff and students to be in the room when any big decisions about budget are being made.”

Kavin Sakthivel (GRD ’26) — an international student from India and the president of GradGov, Georgetown’s graduate student government — said international students are central to Georgetown’s mission.

“Everything is catered to the common good, the global good,” Sakthivel told The Hoya. “So people from all around the world who are doing sort of great things in their countries are coming here to learn more about how to do more things better. If those people don’t come, we lose that.”

Groves said the university understands the impact of Congress ending GradPLUS loans, a federally managed student aid service for graduate students that will stop accepting new applicants July 1, 2026. 

“GradPLUS loan features will end in July 2026,” Groves wrote. “That is certain. The office of the Chief Financial Officer is actively working on alternative mitigations for the change in the loan programs. However, the effect of this change on graduate applications for Fall 2026 remains unknown.”

In 2023, GradPLUS loans made up 32% of national graduate loan disbursements and 16% of students relied on them, according to a 2024 report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. The report also found that 30% of students in graduate programs with tuition over $70,000, such as many of Georgetown’s programs, rely on GradPLUS loans.

Groves said the university’s targeted cuts since April have permitted it to avoid large-scale layoffs, though he acknowledged the actions hurt some community members.

“I know that the mitigation actions of April (e.g., pausing of merit increases, hiring freezes) are painful,” Groves wrote. “We remain deeply grateful for your patience. It is important to acknowledge that the shared sacrifices we are making are essential to securing the University’s financial stability. This sharing has avoided the mass layoffs occurring at our peer universities.”

Many universities across the country have laid off faculty and staff amid financial strain, including cutting administrative and academic programs.

Afinogenov said Groves must provide assurances that the university will not lay off faculty and staff in the future.

“One thing we need is an assurance that there won’t be layoffs,” Afinogenov said. “Another thing that we need is a clear timeline and a clearer set of guidelines for how the funding freeze will become a funding thaw.”

Groves will provide another update to faculty and staff in November on the university’s financial situation in advance of the Dec. 31 assessment deadline, according to his email.

Sakthivel said he recognizes that Groves is in a difficult situation and values the email’s transparency, even though the update was worrying.

“The transparency that Dr. Groves mentioned earlier this year is really appreciated, and keeping us updated is good,” Sakthivel said. “On the other hand, hearing about the numbers was not very pleasing. We are in tough times, and the university is taking the measures that are required to keep our educational goals going.”

Groves said the uncertain legal and political environment has upended higher education and he is grateful for the university community’s work.

“These are disruptive times,” Groves wrote. “Your ongoing commitment to Georgetown’s honorable and good for the world.”

This story was updated to reflect recent developments.