By Faith Farley, Government Relations Intern, ̽»¨Â¥
As a senior studying international affairs and political science at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., I’ve witnessed the institution's transformation over the past four years, with the marking the most significant changes and uncertainties.
The institution has had to scale back student services and programs to accommodate these budgetary challenges due to rising costs, cuts to federal research funding, declining international student enrollment, and uncertain federal funding. These factors have exacerbated a structural budget deficit that has persisted since FY 2022, with expenses growing faster than revenue. To address these financial difficulties, the institution has taken several steps to reduce expenses. Last spring, in preparation for the uncertain financial situation, . This reduction has impacted all areas of the institution, placing a strain on student organizations and student services.
has led to a less diverse student body and has strained the university’s budget, with a 44% decline in undergraduate international student enrollment.
In 2019, 1,416 undergraduate international students and 2,515 graduate international students attended the university.
In 2024, 794 undergraduate international students and 2,548 graduate international students attended the university.
In an August 2025 meeting, Vice Provost for Enrollment and Student Success Jay Goff said the drop in international student enrollment is expected to decrease the institution's revenue by around $10 million. The decrease in international student enrollment has exacerbated GWU’s financial challenges, and this decline is expected to be further compounded by the recent actions by the Trump administration.
Additionally, the institution implemented a hiring freeze for all staff and faculty positions supported by operational funds through mid-October 2025. , marking the first time the University has laid off staff since the pandemic. This also resulted in a staff shortage that has reduced students' access to services.
The campus library used to be open 24 hours a day, allowing students a safe and productive space to study throughout the year. However, due to staff shortages, the library's hours have been reduced to 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. There have been many times throughout my time at GWU when I watched the sunrise in Gelman Library after an all-nighter. While the University has announced it will reinstate 24-hour access on Monday, October 13, students have been impacted for the past two months by this reduction in student services.
Campus dining venues in District House and the University Student Center are closed on the weekends, leaving students with limited dining options.
University officials also ended 24-hour security in upperclassmen residence halls, reducing hours of operation to 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. A university spokesperson stated officials decided to implement this change due to low incident data; however, another official stated that financial sustainability is considered when making decisions regarding university security.
The financial struggles of George Washington University are not unique, as higher education institutions across the country face federal funding uncertainties, declining international enrollment, and cuts to federal research grants. The cuts to student services, while disheartening, are unfortunately a consequence of the recent attacks on higher education that will continue to grow as the federal funding landscape becomes more uncertain.