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Welcome to The Student Funnel, a monthly higher ed sector newsletter from Hybrid, a leader in student marketing and recruitment strategies. We highlight news, trends, and behaviours that impact the sector and share insights on how to better connect with your audiences.
February brought further developments from the White House and, with it, impacts on higher education, as well as the progress of AI tools and a reported increase in international students for UK universities. Plus much, much more.
As we reported last month, Trump’s first few weeks in office were characterised by a flurry of executive orders which largely focused on stamping out Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives. While a federal judge has since temporarily halted key parts of these executive orders, there have been further developments in how the Trump administration has impacted higher education. Here’s what you need to know:
Trump signs executive order barring transgender students from women’s sports
Starting with a major development from the beginning of February - the President signed an executive order barring transgender girls and women from participating in sports teams that align with their gender identity.
The order states that the federal government will rescind all funds from educational programmes that don’t comply. Trump said during the signing ceremony; “With my action this afternoon, we are putting every school receiving taxpayer dollars on notice that if you let men take over women’s sports teams or invade your locker rooms, you will be investigated for violations of Title IX and risk your federal funding”. When referring to K-12 schools and colleges, he said, “There will be no federal funding.”
The Department of Education cancels dozens of research contracts
Earlier in the month, it was reported that the Department of Education abruptly cancelled $881 million in multiyear research contracts. In total, 89 Institute of Education Sciences (IES) contracts were cancelled, including 29 related to diversity, equity and inclusion. The move sparked concern among certain groups about a loss of data accuracy and the dissemination of evidence-based practices.
A week later, it was announced that the Department of Education had cancelled another 10 contracts, this time belonging to Regional Educational Laboratories, which totalled $336 million. There was also a further cancellation of $33 million worth of grants to Equity Assistance Centers.
The Department of Education has not provided a list of the cancelled contracts or a reason for the terminations. However, Democratic lawmakers, including Democrats from the Senate and House of Representatives, have since demanded an explanation and answers.
DOGE blocked then unblocked from accessing student data
Earlier this month, a group representing University of California students filed a lawsuit to block the Elon Musk-run Department of Government Efficiency from accessing federal financial aid data. The US Department of Education was accused of violating federal privacy laws and regulations by granting DOGE staffers access to such data, to which the department then agreed to temporarily block staffers from accessing the information.
Since then, a federal judge declined to block DOGE staffers from accessing sensitive data at the Department of Education, saying that the students failed to show that they would face “irreparable harm” without emergency relief.
However, this decision contrasts with the recent ruling in a different case where a federal judge blocked the Department of Education from allowing workers affiliated with DOGE from accessing the agency’s sensitive student data until March 10.
It’s all quite confusing, but rest assured - we will be staying on top of it and bringing you further developments as it happens.
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X (formerly Twitter) has introduced Grok 3, the latest version of its AI model developed by Elon Musk’s xAI. Musk’s continued positioning of xAI as a rival to OpenAI follows his recently rejected $97.4bn takeover bid for ChatGPT.
The new system boasts 10x the computing power of its predecessor and reportedly outperforms competitors like GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and Gemini-2 Pro in areas such as math, science, coding, and general reasoning.
A key addition is DeepSearch, a tool that scans the internet to provide in-depth, context-based responses to user queries—potentially revolutionizing AI-driven research. X also announced an upcoming voice mode, allowing users to engage in spoken interactions with Grok.
Grok 3 will be available under a new premium “SuperGrok” subscription for $50/month, as X looks to monetise its AI technology. For universities and colleges, AI advancements such as that of Grok 3, could impact future content strategy, audience engagement, and research-driven marketing. If DeepSearch delivers on its promise, it might reshape how prospective students gather information, making it essential for institutions to optimise content for AI-driven search.
After a challenging 2024, early data suggests international student enrolment is on the rise for UK universities in January 2025. Reports from student recruitment platforms Enroly and UniQuest indicate a 27% increase in international deposits and a 14% rise in acceptance letters compared to last year. Additionally, UniQuest found that firm acceptances have jumped 31%, with particularly strong growth from Pakistan (+91%) and India (+11%).
This recovery comes amid declining international student interest in Canada and Australia, where government policies have restricted enrolments. The UK appears to be benefiting from this shift, particularly following the Labour government’s more welcoming stance on international students, as emphasised by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson.
Key trends:
Strong growth: Enrolment surges in East Africa (+84%), West Africa (+27%), and South Asia (+31%), with top source countries including Kenya, Nigeria, and Nepal.
Mixed results across programmes: Deposits for postgraduate research (+15%) and undergraduate courses (+7%) are rising, while master’s-taught course deposits have continued to dip in line with visa policy changes restricting dependents.
Weaker interest from the Middle East & East Asia: Deposits from these regions are down by 30%, suggesting shifting student mobility patterns.
This rebound in international enrolments presents an opportunity for UK universities. Institutions should focus on strengthening recruitment efforts in high-growth regions, leveraging the UK’s improved global perception and Labour’s supportive policies. With the Clearing period on the horizon, this uptick could result in universities not being as reliant on domestic students come August’s results day.
Pinterest reached new highs in monthly active users (553 million, up 16 million) and quarterly revenue ($1.2 billion) in Q4 2024, marking a 19% year-over-year increase. The platform saw strong user growth in Europe, reversing previous declines, while U.S. growth remained steady. However, Pinterest still faces challenges in monetizing international markets, where revenue per user remains low.
With more users actively searching for products, Pinterest is solidifying itself as a key discovery platform for brands. It’s a good time for education brands, especially those targeting European students, to explore new opportunities and content strategies on the platform.
Reddit reported similar positive growth from its Q4 report, with daily active users hitting 101.7 million, up 3.5 million from Q3. However, all user gains came from outside the U.S., while domestic numbers declined.
A key trend is Reddit’s influence on purchasing decisions, with 40% of internet users citing its recommendations as more impactful than expert reviews. This development offers valuable opportunities for education brands looking to engage niche communities and tap into high-intent discussions.
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Canada’s Immigration Minister Marc Miller has urged universities to diversify their international student recruitment beyond India, a move that has sparked criticism from sector leaders. While institutions agree on the benefits of diversification, they argue that systemic issues, such as visa processing delays, high rejection rates, and unpredictable policy changes, are the real barriers to attracting a broader student base.
Currently, 41% of Canada’s international students come from India, followed by China (10%) and the Philippines (5%). While Canadian universities have been working to expand recruitment in Africa and Southeast Asia, slow visa approvals and frequent Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) policy changes have made long-term planning difficult. Additionally, critics warn that singling out Indian students risks damaging Canada’s reputation and deterring applicants from one of its strongest source markets.
Canadian institutions now face a challenging balancing act—maintaining strong ties with Indian students while navigating shifting government expectations. Universities will need to invest in new recruitment strategies, build relationships in emerging markets, and advocate for policy reforms to ensure a stable and predictable system. However, if visa barriers persist, diversification efforts may struggle to gain traction.