International Student Education: Cost vs. Benefit Barbara Doty Bryan Beverly EAD 805

Background US international student population: 582,984 international students in % of total student population Most are Graduate students seeking academic credentials Majority are from Asia- India- 83,833 China- 75,445

Administrative Challenge Balancing the costs of recruiting and educating international students with the economic impact for the university and the community

Institutional Benefits of International Student Education Diverse student body Cultural competency and exchange Research labor

International Fundraising/Donations Campaign for MSU 07/ /2007 Avg.annual giving MSU Alum 10,624,392 1,328,049 Friend 10,923,024 1,365,378 Corporation 621,663 77,708 Corporate Foundation250,297 31,287 Private Foundation 2,673, ,131 Group 4, Association 2,502, ,819 Other Organization 38,291 4,786 TOTAL $27,637,487 $3,454,686 Total for Faculty/Staff $374,641 $46,830 – (included in above totals) The numbers above cover the period of the last MSU Capital Campaign

Primary Source of Funding 2007/2008 International Students Personal and family 388,821 US College or Universities 161,633 Home Government/University 21,085 US Government 3,282 US Private Sponsor 6,013 Foreign Private Sponsor 6,522 International Organizations 1,390 Current Employment 29,399 Others Sources 5,660 TOTAL 623,805 Open Doors 2008: Report on International Education Exchange Table 15:

‘International Students contribute to America’s balance of payments because of money they bring with them from abroad’ The argument is flawed: – 1. Calculations ignore the subsidies to higher education coming from US tax dollars and endowment funds – 2. Calculations use highly questionable data techniques – 3. Stronger studies show international students make a heavy use of US funds to support graduate education -David North, former Assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Labor

Graduate MSU Over 3,000 total assistantships on campus 30% of all G. A.’s are held by International students Tuition, matriculation, & energy fees waived Stipends exempt from Social Security

Michigan State University Tuition UndergraduateGraduate Resident/In-State$3,265.75$ 10,264 Non-Resident/ - $11,766.00$25,772 International Academic Year Enrollment: 3,869 international students from 134 countries The ten top sources of international students are: South Korea (907), China (787), India (393), Taiwan (233), Canada (136), Japan (131), Turkey (74), Hong Kong (66), Thailand (54), and Saudi Arabia (53). International students comprise 8.4% of total enrollment

Oregon State University Tuition and Fees Undergraduate Graduate Resident $ 6,123 $10,962 Nonresident /$18,864 $16,845 International Academic Year Enrollment 950 international students from 90 different countries.

University of Arkansas Tuition and Fees (Assessed per credit hour of enrollment) Resident Undergraduate$ Non-ResidentInternational Undergraduate$ Resident Graduate$ Non-ResidentInternational Graduate$ Academic Year Enrollment 1040 International Students From 115 countries

Support Programs English as a Second Language International/ Cultural Orientations Arrival Assistance Immigration Matters International Student Employment TOEFL Prep EFL Teacher training

Economic Impact United States(total # of Foreign Students: 582,984) -$14.5 Billion during Academic year Contribution from Living Expenses: $10,438,000,000 Contribution from Tuition and Fees to U.S. Economy: $9,929,000,000 Total Contribution by Foreign Students: $20,366,000,000 - Less U.S. Support of $6,280,000,000 Net Contribution to U.S. Economy by Foreign Students and their Families: $14,499,000,000

Economic Impact Michigan: FOREIGN STUDENTS IN THE STATE22,857 (up 8.1%) ESTIMATED FOREIGN STUDENTS EXPENDITURE IN THE STATE$525.5 millions MSU- local $92 million

Economic Impact Arkansas FOREIGN STUDENTS IN THE STATE3,316 (up 14.4%) ESTIMATED FOREIGN STUDENTS EXPENDITURE IN THE STATE$66.4 million

Economic Impact Oregon FOREIGN STUDENTS IN THE STATE6,154 (up 6.7%) ESTIMATED FOREIGN STUDENTS EXPENDITURE IN THE STATE$158.7 million

Foreign Student Contribution from Tuition/Fees and Living Expenses ( ) Tuition and Fees Living Expenses Less U.S. Support Total Contribution and Dependents Arkansas $33.1 $42.7 $20.8 $54.9 Michigan $362.8 $333.1 $224.3 $471.6 Oregon $93.2 $104.3 $52.3 $145.3 (In Millions) from NAFSA

Suggested Action Eliminate tuition waiver for International students Reduce the waiver to a partial waiver for those who are financially needy Increase standards for proof of ability to pay educational costs to 4 years Reduce the number of tuition free credits available per semester for international students Seek out corporate funding to offset governmental contributions to international scholarships and aid

Works Cited Michigan State University,2008, International Studies and Programs Oregon State University, International Students & Scholarswww.oregonstate.edu University of Arkansas, International Programswww.uark.edu Association of International Educators, The Economic Benefits if International Education to the United States for the Academic Year: A Statistical Analysis. North, David, “Who pays? Foreign students do not help with the balance of payments”, Center for Immigration Studies. Moser, Kate, “New model for recruitment of foreign students sparks debate”, The Chronicle for Higher Education. Washington. June 27, p.A24 Anonymous, ”New Survey suggests continued growth in international student enrollments at US colleges and universities”, PR Newswire. New York, November 17 Hengel, Mark,2008. “International Students Aid Economy”, Arkansas Business. Little Rock, Aug 18 p. 1