For decades, the US has been one of the most sought-after countries for higher education. Institutions like Harvard, Yale and Stanford have developed a global reputation as leading universities, inspiring youngsters and parents from all around the world to work hard and sacrifice to be accepted into their famous campuses.
However, since the start of the Trump administration, things have started to change. Some of the controversial policies produced and issued by the government, as well as Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric is believed to be one of the main causes of this decline in popularity.
The National Foundation for American Policy found that enrolment rates for American universities are on the decline. In 2016, there were approximately 4% more international students enrolled, than in 2017.
Similarly, a report by Wall Street Journal said that, in the year ended Sept. 30, 2017, the State Department issued 17% fewer student visas than in the previous year, and 40% fewer than the peak year of 2015.
International students bring in $39 billion in revenue to colleges and universities, according to the New York Times. This makes them particularly valuable as they pay more tuition due to the fact that they do not qualify for financial assistance from the state. In many universities and educational establishments, it is normal to charge foreigners a higher fee and this is a practice that is done internationally.
The whole economy is bound to also feel the effect fairly soon. International students are a part of the billion-dollar enterprise on education, contributing to the economy and subsidizing education for resident students. But what could arguably be more damaging for the US is the potential fall of its reputation and popularity among the world’s students, which had taken considerable time to build.
The US higher education industry has developed and flourished in such a way that has put it in a special place in the minds and hearts of the world’s academicians. The academic institutions in America has maintained its prestige through its Ivy League universities and have been the dream of many. This is partly due to the funding and support the universities have received, but also has to do with the quality of education received on the campus. Paired with forward thinking and encouraged innovation, American universities have produced graduates with the skills to succeed – if not pave their own way.
Moreover, the US is also known to be a fabulous place for international students because of the support and facilities it offers them. There are plenty of support groups provided for international students to feel welcomed in American society and comfortable with the culture. To get used to the language for example, students can take advantage of support classes on offer or even learn English online. Plenty of things can be done prior to and during the study period to help international students get ready for their classes.
Another huge attraction of US as a place for higher education learning is its rich cultural diversity. Historically, there has been a strong effort within the structure of these institutions to make sure that to make cultural diversity a central effort. Students are often assigned to dorms with differing ethnicities and nationalities rather than grouping a selective cultural group together. The opportunity to experience a wide range of cultures is an eye-opening experience for all.
However, this quality of diversity will be squashed by newly implemented of the Trump administration. Apart from his much-known and publicly contested anti-immigration policies and rhetorics, Trump has also introduced some new policies deemed unfriendly to students from abroad.
While there has been certain allowances for students and visitors to gain a foothold into the American economy, the new ruling government has announced that there are plans to re-evaluate how to calculate “unlawful presence” of foreigners on domestic soil. There is mention of having punishments of a decade-long ban from the country. Such strict policies will inevitably make the United States less attractive to potential students overseas.
Interestingly, the US’ loss will be another country’s gain, as international students will inevitably start to look elsewhere for an opportunity to receive high quality higher education.
The UK, France and Australia are known to be some of America’s main competition in the realm of higher education. Over the past few years, there has been an increase of international students enrolling in Australian and universities in the United Kingdom, especially from Muslim majority countries. However, many of the students are from minority ethnic groups such as the Malaysian or Indonesian Chinese.
In fact, according to the nonprofit Institute of International Education, Australia saw a 12 percent increase in international students last year, while other universities in bordering the states have seen a significant increase of international students.
These are statistics that American universities will not best pleased about. They will be eager continue to attract the world’s brightest students for America to maintain its scientific edge.
However, they will need the government to be pulling in the same direction, which unfortunately at this moment, does not seem very likely.