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Western Michigan University's Sangren Hall on March 30, 2017.

(JakeGreen/MLive.com)

University officials across Michigan weren't shy about criticizing President Donald Trump's now blocked travel ban targeting seven predominately Muslim nations, saying the move left international students feeling threatened and unwelcome.

But less clear, for now, is whether the ban - as well as concerns about changes in benefits and restrictions on student visas - will lead to fewer international students enrolling at U.S. colleges and universities next fall.

International student applications for at least four of Michigan's 15 public universities - Western Michigan, Grand Valley State, Wayne State and Michigan State - are down or flat, at either the graduate or undergraduate level, when compared to the same time last year.

University of Michigan, on the other hand, has seen an increase of about 5.2 percent in applications from foreign students.

How those numbers will look come this fall remains to be seen, but university officials are watching closely.

"The sentiment abroad is very negative about coming to the United States," said Juan Tavares, director of international admissions and services at Western, where applications from foreign students are down about 24 percent when compared to this same time last year.

"People make reference to the travel bans, and even though the travel bans have been blocked, they still see that as a negative action from the U.S. government."

A variety of factors affect the amount of applications universities receive from international students, officials say, and it's difficult to pinpoint the degree to which Trump's actions are impacting the numbers.

But a new survey by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers shows international student recruitment professionals report hearing concerns from families around the globe, including over Trump's travel ban and potential changes to student visas and employment opportunities.

"The survey results suggest a rising level of concern on the part of institutions that fall enrollments in the United States may be impacted by perceptions that the U.S. is becoming less welcoming of international students," said Michael Reilly, AACRAO's executive director.

"Institutions are struggling to reassure students that their studies or travels will not be disrupted by future policy changes during this period of tremendous uncertainty.

Trump's executive order, issued in January, banning citizens of seven predominately Muslim countries from coming to the U.S. was blocked by a federal judge. Trump later issued a revised travel ban, but it too was blocked in court.

Western Michigan University's Sangren Hall on March 30, 2017.

Tavares said Western's 24 percent drop in international student applications also could be due in part to a stronger U.S. dollar, competition for students, and changes to foreign government scholarship programs, such as Saudi Arabia's.

The Saudi government, facing budgetary challenges, has reduced funding for its state-funded study abroad scholarship program, according to news reports.

AACRAO's survey shows 38 percent of institutions that responded to the survey also reported a drop in international applications, while 35 percent reported an increase. Twenty-seven percent reported no change.

The survey also showed that international student recruiters are hearing a "great deal of concern from students and families all over the globe." Most of those concerns, 79 percent, are coming from the Middle East, followed by India, at 46 percent.

Chris Hendree, associate director of admissions at Grand Valley, heard those concerns first hand earlier this year during a recruiting visit to India.

Students considering graduate programs in the U.S. were worried the Trump administration would eliminate or vastly reduce a student visa program, known as Optional Practical Training, he said. The program allows foreign students to work in the U.S. for a period of one-year either during or after finishing their education.

Hendree said he hasn't heard of any changes proposed by the Trump administration to the OPT program, but added there's plenty of "rumors" about changes to the program.

"News spreads fast, and incorrect news spreads faster," he said. "It's hard to counteract the rumors that are out there."

Those rumors, Hendree said, may have played a role in the slight drop in graduate-level applications from international students, particularly those from India. The university has received 345 such applications this year, compared to 367 this same time last year.

Despite that drop, undergraduate-level applications from foreign students have increased slightly. And overall, the total number of international student applications is roughly the same now as it was at the same time last year - 563 compared to 560.

The top five Michigan universities by international student enrollment in 2015-16

Overall, Michigan ranks no. 9 nationwide for international student enrollment, with 33,848 students in the 2015-16 school year, according to a report by the Institute of International Education.

The two leading institutions: Michigan State University, with 8,256 international students, and University of Michigan, with 7,630 international students, IIE says.

At MSU, international applications from freshman students is down 9 percent when compared to the same time last year. But, on the other hand, graduate student applications are up "just slightly" over last year.

University officials declined an interview request, but in a statement, spokesman Jason Cody said "it is difficult to try and pinpoint one particular reason for the numbers we are seeing, such as the recent change in administration."

Cody said countries targeted by Trump's travel ban are "not markets from which we typically attract undergraduates on a regular basis."

When MSU does attract students from those nations, "often they are already in the U.S. at the time of application," said Cody, who noted changes to the Saudi scholarship program and a stronger dollar also contribute to application fluctuations.

This chart shows the five nations with the most international students in Michigan during the 2015-16 school year.

Kedra Ishop, vice president for enrollment management at U-M, said international student applications are up 5.2 percent from the same time last year.

"I think both our academic reputation and the support services that we provide for international students still allow us to compete in a growingly complex space in the international student environment," she said.

But while applications are up, Ishop and her colleagues will be "carefully watching" for any changes to federal policy - in areas such as the issuance of student visas - that could impact the ability of international students to travel to and enroll at U-M.

Wayne State University has seen international applications drop, but "it is too early to tell by how much because we're in the middle of the cycle," said spokesman Matt Lockwood.

He said the travel ban could be having an impact. But other areas, such as currency fluctuations, changes in foreign scholarship programs and "plateauing" enrollment in engineering programs, are also likely playing a role.

Central Michigan University and Ferris State University declined to comment or say whether applications from international students are up or down this year.

Moving forward, the AACRAO report says, the challenge for institutions is to "craft appropriate messages to their recruitment regions that will reassure students and their families that an education in the United States remains a strong option."