Friday, December 30, 2016

Racing to capture international student revenue

Hans DeWitt weighed in on the growing international student market, numbering 5 million at present and expected to reach 8 million within another decade. The numbers indicate an obvious motivation for many institutions -revenue. DeWitt's brief summary links to several other reports on international student trends and concludes with the admonition that "the priorities must be the best interests of the students, the quality of education, and a commitment to the public good. Any other approach is neither sustainable nor wise."

Inside Higher Education cited a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research indicating that public funding cuts in the U.S.A. are in direct proportion to increases in international student enrollment. The report said, "A very small number of universities have a capacity to draw in sizable numbers of domestic out-of-state students" which leads to the largest international student increases unfolding at institutions that primarily serve in-state students.

When public institutions admit privileged international students who have the ability to pay high fees, they may be creating another level of classism on campus. An expectation of special treatment may accompany the higher socio-economic status of some international students, a dynamic that may further divide students among themselves.

Increasing the number of international students should be considered not only for its economic impact in balancing budgets but also for the impact that these increasing numbers can have on campus culture and learning.

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