Higher fees charged for international students in the U.S.A.

Elizabeth Redden summarizes a variety of different fees charged for international students studying in the U.S.A. Spokespeople from the various universities, largely Big 10 conference, justified the charges based on the extra provisions they must offer for international students. However, in some cases the revenue from the international student fees go to the general budget or in one case (University of Illinois $3,000 per student surcharge in engineering), half the revenue goes to fund scholarships for Illinois residents.

While this free-enterprise approach may seem logical in a time of state and federal funding cuts for higher education in the U.S.A., are other groups who require or demand special support charged comparable fees? If the rational of universities for the fees is that international students pay neither state or federal tax, then what effort has been taken to analyze the true proportion that should be fairly charged back to international students?

The article also notes that some less-prestigious universities offer scholarships to international students to attend their institutions because they bring the value of broader cultural value to the institutions they attend. Do not all universities benefit from the presence of international students?