Steamboat Mountain School had plans to welcome four new international students this coming fall, but the federal pause on foreign student visas could prevent them from studying anywhere in the U.S. 

On May 27, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent a cable order to all U.S. embassies and consulates issuing a temporary halt on screening interviews for international student visas. The pause targets individuals seeking visas in categories F, J and M, which apply to academic student visas, exchange visitor programs and vocational student visas respectively. 

It is unknown when the halt will be lifted, but it does not affect those with visa interviews already scheduled. Instead, it prohibits the scheduling of any new visa interviews while individuals’ social media profile examinations are expanded into the screening process. 

At Steamboat Mountain School, students from Spain, the Netherlands, Mexico and Germany were waiting to schedule their own visa interviews when the pause went into effect, according to Pearson Alspach, director of admissions at the Upper School. There are also several returning international students that face ambiguity about their future at the school.

International recruitment begins an entire year in advance, where potential new students are contacted in the fall. Prospective students complete the application process in the winter followed by admission in the spring. Whether new international students can attend in the fall entirely depends on the length of the screening halt. 

International students and the school’s administration must complete a slew of documentation in addition to their final visa interview. The I-20 form, for example, ensures that a student is admitted to an academic program recognized by the government and is financially secure to study abroad. 

Alspach indicated that she has been in contact with every returning family with international status to create individualized plans, but there are more uncertainties with students still needing to apply for a visa. While these students may have to explore other options outside of the U.S., Steamboat Mountain School is also open to allowing them to join later in the fall if the halt is lifted. 

“There’s a misconception that (the visa halt) is just affecting higher education,” Alspach said, but boarding schools, who have a large international student population, are also impacted. Steamboat Mountain School is a member of The Association of Boarding Schools — they receive broader communication from the large-scale organization for updates on international student procedures.

For the next academic year, the school potentially will have seven international students, including the four incoming students awaiting their visa interviews. “Although international students represent a small percentage of our school population, they bring valuable perspectives and experiences to our community,” said Head of School Samantha Coyne Donnel in a statement. 

Both Donnel and Alspach touched on international student’s valuable contribution to the school’s mission to “thrive in a dynamic, global society.” In conjunction with the school’s global studies program, where students travel to a foreign country for four weeks in the spring, international students help broaden classmates’ worldview and learn about themselves.  

Alspach emphasized that students local to Steamboat Springs get a “different perspective” after their interactions with the international students, while those learning abroad also benefit from new experiences. 

On one occasion, Alspach said, the school “had a student from Vietnam who had never seen snow.” For many student athletes who are drawn to the school for its unique Ski and Snowboard program, this would likely be difficult to imagine.  

Academically, international students add more nuance and depth to conversations in subjects like history. They not only help teach other students about events based on their own country’s point of view but also allow domestic students to recognize their own perspective within the context of historical events. 

Steamboat Mountain School’s international students come from a myriad of locations. Mexico is a popular origin country and more recently Vietnam. An alum published a book in Vietnamese about his experience at the school, which has garnered increased interest from potential Vietnamese students looking to study in the U.S. 

Others are attracted to the Ski and Snowboard program or simply hear about the school from someone they know. The prospective German student who is currently unable to schedule a visa interview wants to attend because their mother also attended the school as an international student. 

Alspach said that “it’s very scary” for current international students who are unsure of what their visa status will be come the start of the 2025-26 school year in the fall and that the school would be “very sad” if unable to welcome the four new foreign students who have already been admitted.