Information on Legislative and Executive Actions

The university is following developments in Washington, DC to pass a continuing resolution to fund the federal government. The current continuing resolution expired on Oct.1, 2025 at midnight. For a full list of federal shutdown operational information (by agency), please visit the Council on Government Relations website as this list continues to be updated throughout the day. The Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge Federal Government Shutdown webpage also includes helpful information for Ohio State’s research community. The U.S. Department of Education has notified institutions that Pell Grants, federal loans and loan repayment systems are expected to remain operational.

2025 Federal Administration Transition, offered through Ohio State's Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge, provides guidance for students, faculty and staff about impacts to research.

The Office of Legal Affairs and the Office of International Affairs receive frequent questions from international students, faculty and staff concerning travel abroad and registration requirements as well as potential interactions with representatives of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Ohio State’s campuses. The Office of International Affairs provides international students and scholars with advising and assistance on immigration regulations and paperwork. International students and scholars should consider that federal travel regulations or policies may evolve and have the potential to affect reentry for some students and scholars.

The Office of International Affairs has posted frequently asked questions about visas and immigration records on its website.

On Sept. 19, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order requiring an additional $100,000 fee for H-1b workers entering the United States. Guidance from U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) has indicated that: (1) this fee will apply to new H-1b petitions filed on or after September 21, 2025; (2) H-1b beneficiaries of petitions filed before September 21, 2025, are not affected by the executive order and should still be able to enter the United States; and (3) H-1b renewals are not affected by the executive order. The executive order would only impact workers in H-1b status and would not affect those on student visas, including F-1 and J-1 students and F-2 and J-2 dependents. (See:  https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/h-1b-faq.) The university's Office of International Affairs shared an additional update on Sunday, Sept. 21, with Ohio State H-1b employees, and the university will continue to update information as it becomes available in this rapidly evolving matter.

Beginning in early April 2025, the university learned that the federal government terminated the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records of 12 Ohio State international students. As of April 28, 2025, the university confirmed that the SEVIS records of all 12 students have been restored. The Office of International Affairs has notified each student of this status change and will continue to stay connected with Ohio State’s international students and scholars.

Below is updated guidance to help address these questions. For additional university guidance, see the Key Issues webpage.

Travel and registration guidance

Visa issuance and entry or re-entry to the United States for noncitizens is always at the discretion of the United States government. Since 2019, the U.S. State Department has requested social media information on visa applications. The U.S. government can, and does, review social media posts and online activity of visa applicants. If international students, faculty or staff have concerns about potential complications with re-entry or visa renewal, the safest course of action is to avoid international travel.

In May 2025, the U.S. Department of State paused the scheduling of student visa interviews and issued a statement outlining increased scrutiny of visa applications for Chinese students. The Office of International Affairs has been in touch with incoming and current international students to offer support and guidance. Students who are currently abroad are encouraged to remain in contact with the U.S. embassy or consulate where they plan to apply for or renew their visas. New incoming international students have also been advised to arrive in the United States and complete the required immigration check-in with the Office of International Affairs by August 19, 2025.

A presidential proclamation took effect Monday, June 9, 2025, that suspends entry into the United States for certain nationals of 19 designated countries.

• Full Ban (12 countries): Nationals of Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen are subject to a full ban suspending entry into the United States under both immigrant and nonimmigrant visa categories.
• Partial Ban (7 countries): Nationals of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela are subject to a partial ban suspending entry into the United States under specific visa types, including student and exchange visas (F, M, and J categories) and B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2 visas (business/tourist categories).

The proclamation primarily affects individuals from the listed countries who are currently outside the United States and do not have a valid visa as of June 9, 2025. Individuals who are already inside the United States, or those outside the United States who hold valid visas issued prior to this date, are generally not subject to the ban.

• If individuals wish to obtain confidential legal advice regarding specific international travel concerns, they should speak with their own immigration counsel. Ohio State Student Legal Services may be able to assist students (including domestic and international students) who have paid their legal services fee. The Office of International Affairs or Office of Legal Affairs may be able to answer questions regarding situations in which entry to the United States or visa issuance is dependent on Ohio State sponsorship. Please keep in mind, however, that these offices represent the university, not the individual student or employee, and that advice concerning specific situations may be limited.
• Noncitizens must notify the U.S. government of changes of address within 10 days of any such change. Failure of a noncitizen to timely update an address may result in criminal penalties, financial penalties, and/or removal from the U.S. See the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website.
• Federal regulations permit F-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors to satisfy the address change requirement through notification to their schools and program sponsors. Individuals in F-1 or J-1 status at Ohio State must report address changes within 10 days through the Office of International Affairs. See the following links:
  • F-1 student change of address information (also includes those in J-1 “student” category)
  • J-1 exchange visitor change of address information (e.g., scholars, professors, and short-term scholars)
• Federal law requires that all noncitizens in the United States for 30 days or more register with the U.S. government. Failure to register may result in criminal penalties, financial penalties and/or removal from the U.S. Many noncitizens may already be considered registered, including, for example:
  • Noncitizens issued I-94s (including electronic I-94s) — even if the period of admission has expired. (Most individuals in nonimmigrant statuses such as F-1, J-1, H-1b, O-1, TN, etc., would be considered registered under this provision.
  • Lawful permanent residents (green card holders)
  • Noncitizens with employment authorization cards
  • Noncitizens with pending I-485s who have provided fingerprints (i.e., done biometrics).
  • For more information, see the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website.
• Any noncitizens, whether previously registered or not, who turn 14 years old in the United States, must register within 30 days after their 14th birthday. Parents of noncitizens under the age of 14 should be aware of this re-registration requirement.
• Noncitizens are required to carry evidence of registration. Failure to carry evidence of registration may result in criminal penalties, financial penalties, and/or removal from the U.S. Most nonimmigrants should carry their I-94 printouts and passports; green card holders should carry their green cards.
• U.S. citizens that are concerned about the possibility of accidental detention during immigration enforcement operations may wish to carry evidence of U.S. citizenship or legal presence in the United States (e.g., Real ID driver’s license, passport or passport card).

ICE guidance

If law enforcement comes to classrooms, academic or clinical spaces:

• The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of student education records, including immigration status, for all students. That means university employees cannot disclose a student’s immigration status to law enforcement, proactively or in response to questions, without consultation with the Office of Legal Affairs.
• In clinical spaces, all care providers, including students, must abide by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and provide care per clinical expectation. HIPAA applies to all patients, regardless of immigration status. This means that care providers cannot disclose any information about a patient’s immigration status to law enforcement – proactively or in response to questions. Additionally, there is no requirement to document immigration status and, generally, patients are not asked about their status unless it directly relates to their health care.
• Generally, all local, state and federal law enforcement agencies – including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – coordinate with the Ohio State University Police Division (OSUPD) when they have enforcement needs on campus. The university anticipates that the process will continue to be followed; however, if law enforcement comes to a classroom space or office, contact OSUPD at 614-292-2121 and the Office of Legal Affairs at 614-292-0611 to assist.

H-1b guidance

On Sept. 19, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order requiring an additional $100,000 fee for H-1b workers entering the United States. Guidance from U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) has indicated that: (1) this fee will apply to new H-1b petitions filed on or after September 21, 2025; (2) H-1b beneficiaries of petitions filed before September 21, 2025, are not affected by the executive order and should still be able to enter the United States; and (3) H-1b renewals are not affected by the executive order. The executive order would only impact workers in H-1b status and would not affect those on student visas, including F-1 and J-1 students and F-2 and J-2 dependents. (See:  https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/h-1b-faq.).

The university is aware of this order, and teams including the offices of Legal Affairs and International Affairs are actively exploring impacts. Ohio State will continue to share guidance as soon as it is available.

Any scholar needing support should contact the Office of International Affairs at iss@osu.edu. OIA shared an additional update on Sunday, Sept. 21, with Ohio State H-1B visa holders.

As university leaders stated in a Feb. 12, 2025, message to faculty, staff and students, Ohio State is continuing its evaluation of its work in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and has formed working groups to review Ohio State jobs and duties related to DEI and to examine DEI programming, initiatives and projects. The goal is to ensure that the university has a full picture of work in this area and can be positioned to make changes if state or federal law requires it or if we decide a different approach is in the university’s best interests. As the working groups move forward, updates will be shared as information becomes available.

On February 14, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights issued guidance in a Dear Colleague Letter, which served to inform and accelerate the university's continuing work.

On Feb. 27, President Carter announced an initial reorganization and update on the continuing review of DEI programs. Effective Feb. 28, 2025, the university’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion will sunset along with some of its services. Scholarships administered through the Office of Academic Affairs, including the Morrill Scholarship Program and the Young Scholars Program, will be maintained, but their eligibility criteria may be modified to ensure compliance with the law. The programming and services offered by the Office of Student Life’s Center for Belonging and Social Change will be discontinued effective Feb. 28. The Office of Institutional Equity will be renamed the Office of Civil Rights Compliance to more accurately reflect its work. The Office of Civil Rights Compliance will continue to serve as a university-wide resource for receiving, investigating and resolving all reports of discrimination, harassment and sexual misconduct – and will report to the Office of University Compliance and Integrity. Additional details are available on Ohio State News.

On March 20, 2025, an executive order was issued directing the secretary of education to take steps to close the U.S. Department of Education. Additionally, the executive order directs the secretary of education to ensure that the U.S. Department of Education funds comply with the administration’s policy to “terminate illegal discrimination obscured under the label ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ or similar terms and programs promoting gender ideology.” Ohio State is actively monitoring the executive order as it moves through the implementation process to discern impacts to the university and its community. According to a statement by the Secretary of Education: “Closing the department does not mean cutting off funds from those who depend on them — we will continue to support K-12 students, students with special needs, college student borrowers, and others who rely on essential programs.” An act of Congress is required to fully close the department.

The university remains committed to shared governance and respects the role of its Faculty Council. It is not legally permissible for the university to participate in a common defense fund. It’s important to remember that Ohio State is a member of the American Council on Education, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, the Association of American Universities, the Big Ten Academic Alliance and other organizations who advocate in support of the university mission. Ohio State is committed to maintaining an environment in which students, faculty and staff have the resources needed to fully participate and succeed in teaching, learning, research and patient care.

On January 21, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order entitled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” (“2025 EO”). Among other things, this 2025 EO rescinded Executive Order 11246.  Executive Order 11246 required organizations doing business with the federal government to affirmatively recruit women and minorities for employment and ensure employment practices did not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. Executive Order 11246 also mandated that contractors develop annual affirmative action plans measuring their compliance with these objectives.  

The university has conducted a review of its policies and procedures and taken appropriate actions to ensure we are compliant with the 2025 EO. A few of the actions we have taken include revising the Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy; revising the website of the Civil Rights Compliance Office (“CRCO”), as well as its resources; revising all CRCO trainings; removing affirmative action requirements from the audit structure; and ceasing the development of EO 11246 compliance plans and reports, including recruitment goals.

Notably, the rescission of EO 11246 did not affect the university’s obligations under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act, which exist independently of Executive Order 11246. The university also continues to be subject to Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Equal Pay Act, and other applicable laws which mandate equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination. Thus, we continue to have an obligation to evaluate our employment practices to ensure they are free from discriminatory effect and enact policies and processes to do the same.

On Thursday, August 7, President Donald J. Trump issued two executive orders that seek to increase transparency in college admissions and tighten federal oversight of discretionary grant funding to align with the Administration’s priorities:

• Ensuring Transparency in Higher Education Admissions: This order directs the Department of Education to improve the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) to make college admissions data more accessible to the public. Institutions receiving federal financial aid will be required to submit more detailed and accurate admissions information, with enhanced checks to ensure data integrity and timely reporting.
• Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking: This order increases federal oversight of discretionary grants by requiring agency heads to select a senior appointee(s) to independently review awards annually for alignment with agency priorities.  It prohibits funding for initiatives involving racial preferences, gender ideology and other activities deemed inconsistent with public safety or Trump Administration priorities. Agencies must also review grant terms to ensure they allow termination if awards no longer support program goals or national interests.

Fact sheets on both executive orders can be found on the White House website: Ensuring Transparency in Higher Education Admissions and Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking.

On Tuesday, July 22, the U.S. Department of Education sent a Dear Colleague Letter to current and future grantees, with guidance on the use of federal grant funds to improve education outcomes through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the classroom.  The guidance explains ways AI can support key areas in education, lays out principles for using AI responsibly, and makes clear that using AI is allowed under current federal education programs – if it follows existing laws and rules. U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon highlighted priority areas for expanding responsible AI education, including:

• Integrating AI literacy into teaching practices to improve student outcomes;
• Expanding AI and computer science education in K-12 schools and higher education institutions;
• Supporting professional development for educators on teaching AI and computer science fundamentals; and
• Using AI to personalize learning and support differentiated instruction, improving outcomes for students at all levels.

• Ohio State has confirmed that this executive order is not intended to include state colleges and universities. The language specifically states that it applies to state agencies, boards, and commissions under the authority of the governor. 
• Offices, units and departments should not make changes to policies, procedures or rules without direction from the Office of Legal Affairs, Office of Academic Affairs or their senior vice president. If impacts are determined and changes need to be made to processes or that necessitate faculty or staff to change a procedure or way of operating, Ohio State will communicate that information as needed.

• In November 2024, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed into law Senate Bill 104, which requires the university to designate multi-use student restrooms, locker rooms, shower rooms and changing rooms for only the male biological sex or only the female biological sex.  
• The law prohibits the university from knowingly allowing individuals to use multi-use student restrooms, locker rooms, shower rooms and changing rooms designated for the opposite biological sex and prohibits the university from establishing or maintaining gender neutral or gender inclusive multi-use restrooms, shower rooms, changing rooms or locker rooms.
• After an initial review, the university’s facilities were determined to be in compliance with the law. All multi-use student restrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms, and shower rooms are designated by male or female biological sex. 
• There are more than 450 single-occupancy restrooms across all campuses. Additional information and answers to frequently asked questions are available on the Facilities Operations and Development site.

On Feb. 12, 2025, the Ohio Senate passed Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), also known as the “Advance Ohio Higher Education Act.” The Ohio House of Representatives amended several items during consideration and passed the bill on March 19, 2025. On March 26, 2025, the Ohio Senate voted to concur with the house version of the bill, and Governor DeWine signed the bill on March 28, 2025. Full text of the legislation is available here.  The legislation went into effect on June 27, 2025, though a number of provisions in the bill have delayed effective dates. Amendments adopted by the Ohio House into the final version of the bill include allowing universities and colleges to ask the Ohio Department of Higher Education for an exemption to diversity, equity and inclusion prohibitions to follow state or federal law, protect accreditation or ensure licensures aren't affected. Lawmakers also clarified that individuals with disabilities and sororities and fraternities would not be impacted by the bill’s requirements.

Throughout the entire legislative process, Ohio State has advocated for changes to SB 1 that would preserve and enhance academic freedom, embrace diversity of thought, and foster civil discourse on campuses where all individuals feel welcomed and respected. While some improvements were made, the university had hoped for more.

The university has set up an implementation committee with representatives from multiple units that work across our campuses. The committee is utilizing multiple workstreams so that the many facets of implementation can be completed by the time SB1 goes into effect. Some of the groups providing input through the workstreams include University Senate (through its faculty leaders and its Government Affairs committee); college and regional campus curricular and associate deans; the Research Security Governance Board; the university’s Faculty Ombuds; and the University Policy Review Committee, which includes representatives from all policy-owning offices, University Senate, the Wexner Medical Center and regional campuses. Faculty participating in these workstreams represent a variety of departments and disciplines across several colleges and academic centers. Every college and regional campus has representation, and this engagement will continue to expand as implementation work continues.

In order to provide transparency throughout this process, the university launched a centralized website dedicated to SB 1 implementation and the work being done to ensure compliance. Information will continue to be shared with the community as it is available.

Ohio State will continue to work with the legislature and other public officials on policies that advance the university's priorities.