International students are everywhere. Students not only move abroad to get the education they want, but they also gain new friends and at the same time explore the world. America is one of many countries that attract students to their institutions. International students boost economies. However, according to a survey conducted by the Institute of International Education, new arriving international students has seen a decline of 7% in 2017.
Looking throughout history, there are few declines in the population of international studies. Russell C. Carswell is the author of Attracting International Students for Higher Education. One event that made the international student population decline was the 9/11 incident. This tragedy made “the total number of international students studying in the United States level off and even dropped slightly after 2002.” Carswell not only focuses on international students in the context of why students move to America, but he also focuses “on the goals and policies in attracting international students to the United States and the implications for global competitiveness.” Carswell talks about how the influence of 9/11 made international students statistics in America drop for the first time in thirty years.
International students bring lots of dollars to the United States, and this is explored in Paul Stephens article from the Washington Monthly magazine. Statistics show that international students “contributed roughly $22 billion to the U.S. economy in 2012, according to one estimate.” Another statistic showing how much tuition an international student pays is from Tamar Lewin’s article. In University of Washington the tuition for each international student is $28,059, which Lewin further states is “about three times as much as students from Washington State.” This is an important statistic to look at, because this is why Washington State chose to increase international admission and take in-state admission to a lower level. Stephen’s article highlights how “government support for state schools decline, and the tuition paid by foreign students is ever more important.” This is a central problem. Colleges and universities benefit from international tuition, but the in-state students suffer. Simply put, the university profits more from an international student than from a in-state student.
Another factor which determines the importance of international students are the tuition fees for schools. Alison DeNisco explains that in Newcomb Central School District they need international students in order to run the school “International students have brought in about $100,000 to the districts general fund.” International students as a financial agenda is not been taken well by Philip Wainwright, vice-provost of Emory University. He states in his article that international students shouldn’t be seen as “cash cows.” He suggests that “they should be part of the classroom’s diverse culture.” He also states, that “By shifting away from the view of international students as a solution to budget deficits, and by linking international diversity to core institutional missions of education and research, self-conscious and well-thought-out internationalization can enhance a universities’ ability to achieve their goals.”
The future is international studies and the importance of exchanging culture and habits. Shara Keller, former academic advisor at Antioch University Santa Barbara, believes that international studies is something “positive” and she loves to hear success stories about students. When asked about the future of colleges across the country and whether the tuition fees is going to decline, she was a bit skeptical. Keller believes that tuition fees are going to be the same, especially “with the administration we voted for.” Keller also shares that so far President Donald J. Trump hasn’t put so much emphasis on international students, and this is evident by the 45% drops in international enrollment. Keller wants to see a “Universal School System’ where students don’t have to struggle to transfer into undergraduate programs.This is something we should put focus on; Make it easy for students to cross borders in the education system.
Students travel around the world to get their education, and it is extremely beneficial to study in another country. Studying abroad should be encouraged because students expand their knowledge of other cultures learning to empathize with different people around the world. America is the leading country in receiving international students, but there are so many controversies and problems that arise from this subject. The main goal is to educate young people, and teach them about our world. It is critical that students and institutions are not impeded by money burdens when it comes to offering educational opportunities. The true value of being a domestic or international student is learning, and financial roadblocks should never get in the way of true learning and real-life experience.
