Where We Are Now –The Presence and Importance of International Students to Universities in the United States

Abstract

This paper highlights the importance of international students to the United States by discussing their impact and necessity to U.S. universities. International student enrollment is a major industry of importance to the U.S. economy and despite arduous visa processes and diminished job prospects their enrollment numbers continue to grow. The Institute of International Education (2012) reports that a lack of funding to public universities has increased their reliance on the revenue provided by international students while private universities also seek to bolster their position in the face of increased international competition. The importance of international students in under-enrolled majors, their necessity as a vital revenue stream for universities and the challenges faced by both student and host university are also discussed. The author provides recommendations for improving the educational experience of international students through improved relationships with university constituents in order to maintain the attractiveness and competitiveness of the U.S.

Impact of Government Policies and International Students on UK University Economic Stability

“…The expansion of programs and modernisation of equipment has a knock-on effect for home students, as they are provided additional opportunities for program specialisation. Hegarty (2014) remarked that international students gravitate towards STEM programs, historically unpopular with home students. These programs are dependent on international students' tuition fees as the domestic market cannot support large scale program diversity across multiple institutions (Hegarty, 2014).…”

“…Hegarty (2014) remarked that international students gravitate towards STEM programs, historically unpopular with home students. These programs are dependent on international students' tuition fees as the domestic market cannot support large scale program diversity across multiple institutions (Hegarty, 2014). To encourage increased home student engagement, the government scrapped the home student cap in 2015.…”

“…UK HEIs over the past decade have increased their marketing expenditure to penetrate high demand area: mainland China, India, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. Many institutions have little diversity when it comes to the international student population, with over-representation from a limited number of high demand countries (Hegarty, 2014). Mainland China alone accounted for 120385 registered students in UK HEIs, 35% of the total non-EU students or more than 5% of all students (HESA, 2020b).…”

COVID-19 Strikes U.S. Higher Education

“…During the 2018-19 academic year, more than one million (1,095,299) international students studied in the U.S., accounting for 5.5 percent of the total U.S. higher education student population-an all-time high (Institute of International Education, 2019a). There are a few characteristics that distinguish international students from any other student in the U.S. First, international students' permanent address must be located outside of the U.S., meaning international students must officially reside in a country or territory that is not considered part of the U.S. Second, international students must complete a cumbersome and exhausting visa process (Hegarty, 2014), so they may become holders of either a F-1 Student Visa (for study at an accredited U.S. institution or enroll in more traditional academic programs), a J-1 Exchange Visa (for participation in an exchange program, including high school and university study), or a M-1 Student Visa (for non-academic or vocational study or training in the U.S.), and be authorized to study or train in the U.S. (Durrani, 2019;Homeland Security, n.d.). Third, international students are responsible for adhering to immigration statutes associated with their student visa, ensuring they maintain status (i.e., remain authorized to study in the U.S.) at all times while studying in the U.S. to avoid jeopardizing their stay (Durrani, 2019;Homeland Security, n.d.).…”

Data analysis of Higher Education System Based on TOPSIS and Time Series Model

“…In addition, another article [2] pointed out the importance of institutional service quality and the quantity of educational resources, which are generally accepted by different stakeholders. In addition, an article [3] analyzes the importance of international students in the higher education system. The number of international students represents the university's contribution to the "personality" and financial health of the institution.…”