Trine University is facing scrutiny over the size of its international graduate student population, its use of an India-based recruitment agency and payments made to that agency, according to a recent independent investigation that examined federal enrollment data, university records and tax filings.
The investigation, published by LayoffHedge and highlighted in a post by LayoffAI on X, says a separately registered Trine University entity reported 9,123 graduate students in Fall 2024, compared with 273 graduate students listed for the university’s main federal record.
The report said 98.3% of the graduate students on the separate record were classified as nonresident aliens in Fall 2023. It also identified millions of dollars in payments to an India-based recruitment company and raised questions about the relationship between the company and a Trine employee responsible for international graduate recruitment.
Trine is a private university based in Angola, Indiana, and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, an institutional accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
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Two federal records
According to the investigation, the U.S. Department of Education’s federal data lists Trine University and a separate entity called Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses, each with its own federal identification information.
The investigation said the main Trine record reported 273 graduate students in Fall 2024, while the regional/nontraditional entity reported 9,123 graduate students and 745 undergraduates.
For Fall 2023, the report said the regional/nontraditional entity had 7,786 graduate students, including 7,657 classified as nonresident aliens.
The figures are significant because Trine’s overall enrollment has grown sharply through its graduate, online and international operations. The university said in a 2024 announcement that its Detroit Education Center alone served nearly 5,200 students at the time of its new facility’s opening.
Trine’s own current materials also show a substantial focus on international hybrid graduate programs. Its website states that full-time graduate students in its hybrid programs generally enroll in at least six credits per semester.
India recruitment and Gurukul Overseas
The investigation identified Gurukul Overseas Inc. as an India-based recruitment agency associated with Trine.
Trine’s own graduate international application system currently includes Gurukul Overseas as an agent option, independently confirming that the agency has a recruitment relationship with the university. Trine has also publicly acknowledged Gurukul Overseas in connection with university activities. In March 2024, the university listed Gurukul Overseas among the sponsors of its annual International Night event, which celebrates Trine’s international student population.
The LayoffHedge investigation said Trine’s tax filings showed payments to Gurukul Overseas of approximately $1.17 million in fiscal 2022, $7.06 million in fiscal 2023 and $7.96 million in fiscal 2025, totaling roughly $16 million across those reported years.The report further said the agency operates from Hyderabad and Warangal.
Questions surrounding a Trine recruitment official
The investigation also drew attention to Vishnu Undyala, whom Trine identifies as its director of international graduate student recruitment.
A Trine news release about the August 2024 opening of its Detroit Education Center identifies Undyala by that title and lists him among university officials attending the event.
The investigation said Trine’s recruitment information identified Undyala as the contact associated with Gurukul Overseas.
The two pieces of information are independently supported by publicly available records, but they should not be interpreted as proof that Undyala owns or controls Gurukul Overseas. The investigation itself noted that it had not obtained a corporate filing establishing ownership of the agency.
The report also raised questions about why the payments it identified did not appear in Trine’s audited financial statements. It said its review of 11 years of audited statements did not find the payments in the university’s related-party disclosures.
That is an allegation based on the investigation’s review of financial records and should be distinguished from a finding by a regulator, auditor or court.
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The broader Day 1 CPT debate
The scrutiny comes amid broader debate over U.S. universities enrolling international students in programs that provide access to Curricular Practical Training, or CPT, during their studies. Trine itself offers graduate programs involving CPT. Its website says F-1 students can participate in CPT when the employment is an integral part of an established curriculum and that eligible students can work part time or full time when properly authorized.
The university also states that students seeking CPT must be enrolled and have a job offer, among other requirements.
Separate online sites have marketed Trine’s programs specifically to prospective international students interested in Day 1 CPT. One 2024 webinar listing described Trine as offering master’s CPT programs in fields including information systems, engineering management, business administration and business analytics.
However, participation in CPT by itself does not establish that a student or university has violated immigration rules. Federal regulations allow CPT when it meets the applicable requirements.
Trine also says F-1 students are expected to maintain full-time enrollment and specifies six credits per semester as full-time enrollment for graduate and doctoral programs.
Why the numbers matter for Indian students
The issue is particularly relevant to Indian students because India has become one of the largest sources of international students in the United States, while concerns over the cost, availability and immigration consequences of graduate education have intensified.
A recruitment system involving large numbers of international students can generate substantial tuition revenue for institutions and create a significant pipeline for students seeking U.S. educational credentials and employment opportunities.
But the scale of Trine’s reported graduate enrollment raises questions about how enrollment is categorized across federal records, how recruitment arrangements are structured and disclosed, and how universities account for payments to outside recruitment organizations.
Those questions are separate from the legitimacy of individual international students enrolled at Trine. The available information does not establish that the university’s international students have violated immigration law or that their degrees are illegitimate.
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What remains unanswered
The central questions raised by the investigation concern the relationship between Trine’s separately reported enrollment entities, the scale of its international graduate operation, the financial arrangements with Gurukul Overseas and the disclosure of those payments.
The investigation also said it was unable to establish from corporate records whether Undyala has an ownership interest in Gurukul Overseas.
Trine’s public materials confirm its relationship with Gurukul Overseas and identify Undyala as its director of international graduate student recruitment, but those records alone do not establish wrongdoing.
The questions could therefore warrant further examination of university financial records, federal enrollment data, recruitment contracts and corporate ownership records.
For Indian and other international students considering U.S. graduate programs, the episode also highlights the importance of looking beyond tuition and admission offers and understanding a program’s accreditation, curriculum, CPT eligibility, attendance requirements and immigration compliance obligations before enrolling.