And for some students, an extra $100 to an already costly registration process could pose a financial burden. The Harvard College Financial Aid Office had not heard about the DHS’s proposal as of yesterday afternoon, but Associate Director of Financial Aid Janet Irons said she expected the new fee will be compensated through the College’s financial aid program if it proves a burden for the University’s international undergraduates. Official financial aid policy—which presently does not compensate visa fees—will emerge from discussion within the department, she said.

Ladd and her colleagues are also waiting to see what action Harvard’s peer institutions will take. The University belongs to the Association of International Educators, a coalition of colleges and universities serving as a forum for discussion of international student issues and a public voice on the topic.

Casey, who lobbies in Washington, D.C., in consultation with Ladd, said he plans to work with several similar associations to which the University belongs, reporting back to the government as soon as a consensus emerges on the DHS’s proposed fee.

“Normally on something like this we work with the administrations as a community,” he said.

—Staff writer Nathan J. Heller can be reached at heller@fas.harvard.edu.