Foreign Students' Enrollment For US Dropped 3% In 2017, Projected To Double This Year

The number of foreign students enrolling for American universities fell 3 per cent in the year 2016-17 and is expected to double this school year, according to a news report, and American universities are blaming the drop on the Trump administration's stringent immigration policies.

WASHINGTON, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Apr, 2018 ) :The number of foreign students enrolling for American universities fell 3 per cent in the year 2016-17 and is expected to double this school year, according to a news report, and American universities are blaming the drop on the Trump administration's stringent immigration policies.

Conversely, competitive universities in other countries are benefiting from the US immigration policies and aggressively enrolling students who, otherwise would have come to the American universities, a report by the POLITICO online news magazine said.

"The decline in foreign students enrolling in American colleges is just the latest evidence of Trump's immigration policies shutting doors in America. The U.S. is also granting fewer visitor visas to people from around the world," the report said.

Supreme Court is slated to take up the travel ban case this week and dozens of higher education groups in their submission for that case have blamed the ban for a drop in students' enrollment for American colleges.

They argue that the tough immigration policies, including the travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries, are sending a "clarion message of exclusion to millions" that in turn is impacting universities.

"We don't actually need to be negative about the American academy, as President Trump is doing more damage to "brand America" on his own than any competitor country ever could," Phil Honeywood, the CEO of Australia's international education association, was quoted as saying by POLITICO.

He said that immigrant policies toward Muslims and migrants were sending out negative messages to students who would, otherwise, have American universities on the top of their list. Australia posted 12 percent increase in international students last year while universities in Canada, China, New Zealand, Japan and Spain all posted double-digit increases in international enrollment, the report said citing data from the nonprofit Institute of International Education.

The drop in foreign student enrollment for American universities is the first in the 12 years since IIE started collecting such data. The decline is projected to double in 2017-18, based on findings of a separate online enrollment survey conducted by IIE in October.

"Universities say they need to continue to attract the world's brightest students for America to maintain its scientific edge. "They argue foreign students often become important economic drivers, pointing to famous foreign-born entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, who grew up in South Africa and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania.

International students can also help with the bottom line, since they often pay full freight, and some universities charge them more to attend," the report said.