Asian students make up the largest proportion of international students who study in the United States. Seeking a degree in higher education can be challenging for any student, but Asian students often encounter more obstacles to completion than many other international and domestic students. Culture, family and health concerns, and safety are some of the largest concerns that this study found among Asian students in the US. The study found that East-Asian international students had more issues than students from other parts of Asia and difficulty with the English language was of major importance to respondents. In addition, safety is an issue that Asian students were concerned with while studying in the US. The study was exploratory in nature and informs the field on future avenues of research.

A survey was given to 115 students at a Western U.S. land grant university to further explore academic issues for both international and domestic students. Students' most important concerns were class discussions, collaboration with other students, and understanding the requirements of one's degree. International students had more difficulty knowing on whom to rely in the academic system when compared to domestic students. Furthermore, domestic students found textbooks harder to understand than international students. Both groups of students may benefit from a better understanding of specific academic issues that students face and this study sought to clarify academic issues among both groups of students.

Universities throughout the United States struggle with fiscal issues that can be improved by greater retention and graduation rates. One step often taken is to cut student service spending, which hurts students’ ability to finish a degree. While some have advocated for greater spending in student services, we contend that current services may suffice. Since many students do not understand the services available, many do not take advantage of university offerings. This study looks at differences in perceptions between international and domestic students concerning awareness, use, and value of services available at a western U.S. land-grant university. We found many students, both international and domestic, are not aware of available programs, which correlates to less use and perceived value of these services and programs.