Donald Trump: For thousands of international students, earning a degree in the U.S. may not be the final step. Many want to continue their time in the country by working through Optional Practical Training, or OPT.
What is the $70,000 OPT proposal?
Optional Practical Training is a program that provides eligible F-1 international students with an opportunity to acquire employment in a field related to their course of study in the US. The vast majority of eligible students can benefit from 12 months of OPT, with eligible STEM students able to extend this period by another 24 months. If the rule change goes into effect, US universities and other qualifying institutions would be required to pay a $70,000 fee for an initial OPT period for a student. An additional OPT recommendation would cost an additional $30,000. Notably, the $70,000 fee would be charged to the institution and not directly billed by the government to the student.
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Reasons Indian students are watching this proposal with interest
OPT has become an integral step in the U.S. education-to-employment pathway for international students. The work experience available after finishing a U.S. degree can be one of the considerations that Indian students do decide upon a university in the U.S., especially STEM students. As such, the proposed fee could introduce uncertainty in the following areas.
What could happen to STEM graduates?
Donald Trump: STEM students may be especially uncertain because many eligible graduates are counting on the extra OPT to build out their professional experience. The current rules offer an additional 24 months of OPT after the initial 12 months to eligible STEM graduates. The rule would apply an extra $30,000 fee when recommending the second OPT. In terms of the potential financial impact, this could have on universities, this could be a high new cost in relation to the number of international graduates that the university supports through the program.
