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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.
The legal and political spotlight on higher ed in the US intensified in July, as multiple high-profile universities reached settlements with the Trump administration following federal investigations into antisemitism, civil rights violations, and Title VI compliance.
Columbia University became the first to settle under the renewed enforcement of Trump-era directives, after the university faced multiple federal probes into how it handled antisemitism complaints. While Columbia did not admit wrongdoing, the terms of the deal are significant:
The university will pay $200 million over three years to the federal government
plus $21 million to resolve EEOC investigations
and will submit to third-party monitoring to ensure future compliance.
In exchange, the government will reinstate the vast majority of federal grants that had been paused or terminated in March 2025, restoring Columbia’s access to billions in current and future funding.
The move has drawn strong criticism from civil liberties groups like PEN America and FIRE, who warn that the settlement could chill campus speech, particularly protest and political activism related to Israel and Palestine. Faculty and student groups at Columbia have also raised concerns that the settlement sets a dangerous precedent for academic freedom.
Brown University reached a similar but less punitive agreement, committing to review its internal procedures and agreeing to significant new financial and political terms:
It will invest $50 million over 10 years in Rhode Island’s workforce development programmes,
pledge support for the local Jewish community,
and adopt language aligning with the administration’s stance on transgender recognition, including restrictions on how it acknowledges transgender students institutionally.
Meanwhile, the University of Pennsylvania has agreed to comply with Trump’s policy stance on transgender athletes as part of its own negotiated resolution.
Other universities caught up in federal investigations and/or cuts include Cornell, Duke, Northwestern and Princeton.
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July brought several updates that will reshape how students search, how content is created, and how your institution appears online. Here's what’s new, and what it means for your marketing strategy.
YouTube leans into AI content, and not everyone is happy about it
YouTube is rolling out a suite of new generative AI tools to make video creation faster, more accessible, and, in their words, “more fun.” Key updates include:
A “photo to video” generator that turns still images into short video clips
New AI-generated visual effects
A centralised “AI Playground” hub for experimenting with generative video tools
This aligns with YouTube's larger goal: closing in on $40 billion in ad revenue as creators churn out more content than ever.
But there’s growing concern from users and creators about the flood of low-effort, AI-generated videos cluttering the platform, which is raising questions about quality, originality, and authenticity.
Short-form video remains one of the most powerful tools in your student engagement toolkit, but the bar for originality is undoubtedly rising. As generative tools become more common, audiences may become more sceptical of polished but impersonal content. Think about how you can combine AI-powered efficiency with human-led storytelling to stay credible and engaging.
Google expands AI search mode to the UK, with no opt-in required
Google’s new AI-powered search mode, which was previously launched in India and the US, is now live in the UK. The feature includes generative AI summaries at the top of search results and more conversational, intent-based interactions.
Search mode is being rolled out automatically, meaning users don’t have to opt in to make use of its features. This essentially means that more people will start seeing AI-generated content instead of traditional blue-link results.
As AI-powered search expands globally, the way prospective students find your institution will shift, even if your core SEO strategy hasn’t changed. This is a clear sign that traditional rankings are giving way to AI-powered summaries and brand positioning. If your content isn’t optimised for these experiences, you risk being left out of students' first impressions entirely.
On that note… generative AI is reshaping SEO
A recent industry briefing on AI and SEO laid out a roadmap for how brands can adapt to the rapidly changing search landscape. Here’s what stood out:
Search habits are evolving, especially among Gen Z and millennial audiences who expect faster, more contextual answers
Trust in AI-generated content is still developing, with users valuing transparency and expertise
Training sets for large language models are influencing which websites get surfaced and which get buried
Brand visibility in AI-driven search now depends on balancing technical optimisation with human-led content creation
To remain visible in an AI-driven search landscape, institutions need to do more than optimise for keywords. Your website must also be built for clarity, accessibility, and user trust.
Ensure content is structured in a clear, intuitive way. Use descriptive headings and logical page layouts to guide users smoothly.
Use straightforward, accessible language that answers prospective students' (and their families’) most common questions.
Focus on addressing the common questions and concerns your audiences may have, and structure the site to support a smooth, user-friendly experience. Well-organised, accessible content not only enhances usability but also strengthens confidence in your institution.
It’s a mixed landscape right now for higher education in the US. Public trust in higher education is recovering domestically, but international enrolments continue to face hurdles, presenting admissions and marketing teams with both opportunities and challenges. Here are the details:
Public confidence in higher ed rising
According to recent findings from a Gallup-Lumina Foundation survey, public confidence in American higher education has rebounded notably, reversing a decade of downward trends.
The survey found that 42% now say they have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in higher education, up from 36% in each of the past two years. What’s more, the share with little or no confidence has declined from 32% a year ago to 23% today. One of the key reasons behind this is that more Americans now see colleges and universities as positively impacting society, offering meaningful returns on the cost and effort involved in obtaining a degree.
This shift in perception presents institutions with an opportunity. By reinforcing clear communication around the tangible value of higher education, including graduate outcomes, employability, and contributions to communities, universities can strengthen brand perception.
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International student visa issuances fall sharply, led by declines from China and India
Internationally, the situation is more challenging. Recent data from the US State Department indicates significant declines in student visa issuances for May 2025 compared to the previous year, with F-1 visa issuances (academic student visas) dropping significantly.
Let’s dive into this a little deeper:
Nearly 60% of the decline in F-1 visa approvals is attributed to applicants from China and India, two of the largest markets for US institutions.
In India, 6,984 F-1 visas were issued in May 2025 compared with 11,829 in May 2024, marking a nearly 41% drop
Meanwhile, China saw 14,409 F-1s issued compared to 16,987, which is a 15.2% drop.
The exact reasons for these declines are most likely down to tighter immigration policies and a heightened political scenario in the US, combined with the option of cheaper tuition elsewhere.
Economic implications: $7 billion at risk
These declines aren't purely about enrolment; they have significant economic consequences. According to a new analysis by NAFSA: Association of International Educators and JB International, the US could lose as much as $7 billion in local economic activity due to the steep fall in international student enrolments.
This is down to the drop in students’ contributions through tuition fees, accommodation, and local spending.
This shortfall could result in more than 60,000 US job losses, according to the report.
“This analysis, the first to calculate the potential economic impact of fewer international students on cities and towns across the country, should serve as a clarion call to the State Department that it must act to ensure international students and scholars are able to arrive on U.S. campuses this fall,” said Fanta Aw, executive director and CEO of NAFSA, in a press release.
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The busiest time in the UK university calendar: Results Day. Every year in August, A-level students receive their exam results and find out whether they have been accepted into their first or second choice university, or whether they will need to secure a university place through the Clearing process.
The 2025 pre-results day data released by UCAS showed multiple records broken in this year’s recruitment cycle.
First up - the number of UK 18-year-old applicants who applied through UCAS by the 30th June deadline reached a record high of 328,390, up 2.2% compared to the same point last year. This put the application rate (the proportion of the 18-year-old population who applied) at 41.2%, a slight decrease from 41.9% last year. Looking at overall applications from all ages and all domiciles, the total number rose to 665,070, up from 656,760 (+1.3%) in 2024.
Alongside this data, UCAS released a separate report to show both the number of offers made by universities and colleges and the offer rate. The data indicates that 94.5% of all students who applied before the January deadline went into the results period having received at least one offer from a university or college. Overall, the number of offers made to 18-year-old applicants rose by 3.6% compared to last year.
The number of undergraduate applications from Chinese students also broke records, with a 10% increase via UCAS. Other year-on-year applicant increases included Ireland (up 15%), Nigeria (up 23%) and the US (up 14%), all of which contributed to the slight overall increase in international applicants.
Overall, there were 138,460 international undergraduate applicants through UCAS ahead of Results Day, which is a 2.2% increase compared to the same point last year.
Let's dive into the latest updates across social media...
Facebook moves to restrict the reach of unoriginal content
Facebook has recently announced a new update to its algorithm, which will focus on demoting “unoriginal” content in order to boost material from original creators.
The idea is that this will then give creators more incentive to keep posting by ensuring that they get all of the credit and engagement for their work. Instead of, as it has been up until now, losing out to people who steal their ideas.
Facebook explained what they define as “unoriginal” content:
“Unoriginal content reuses or repurposes another creator’s content repeatedly without crediting them, taking advantage of their creativity and hard work. We love it when creators reshare content, add commentary in a reaction video or join in on a trend, adding their unique take. What we want to combat is the repeated reposting of content from other creators without permission or meaningful enhancements.”
This algorithm change from Facebook could have big implications for higher ed marketers and their social media strategy.
Here are some tactics to consider:
Avoid posting the same content across multiple institutional pages or reposting popular creator content without adding your own spin. Add narrative, commentary, or original visuals to make it count.
Make sure your user-generated content has permission and purpose. Always credit creators, and go beyond reposting.
Authenticity is now a performance lever. Authentic voice = better reach.
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