International students offered graduate admissions. . .

By Jeffrey Thomas

Washington -- For a third consecutive year, the number of international students receiving offers of admission to master’s and doctoral programs at U.S. colleges and universities has risen, with a 16 percent increase in admission offers to Chinese students leading the way, according to a new study by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS).

Applications from students in the Middle East rose 14 percent and offers of admission 17 percent. Applications from students in India -- the top country of origin for U.S. international students -- rose just 2 percent, as did offers of admission to those students. Admission offers to South Korean students fell 3 percent.

India, China and Korea are the top three countries of origin for international students enrolled in U.S. graduate schools, accounting for about half of the total, CGS says. Students from the Middle East account for 6 percent of total enrollment.

The report, released August 21, also confirms the recent trend toward international collaborative graduate programs.

Overall, admission offers to international students rose 4 percent from 2007 to 2008, less than the 8 percent rise last year and a 12 percent rise two years ago.

CGS President Debra Stewart expressed concern about the slowdown in the growth of international students pursuing graduate studies in the United States. Such a trend holds long-term implications not only for U.S. graduate education, but also for U.S. competitiveness in the global economy, she said.

“Happily, U.S. graduate schools are proactive as they continue to establish collaborative degree and certificate programs with institutions overseas as one response to intense global competition,” she added.

The report cites two sources of competition as the causes of the slowdown. Institutions of higher education in Europe, Australia and Japan are actively recruiting international students. And the largest source countries for prospective U.S. international students -- India, China and South Korea -- are providing inducements for their students to study at home.

International students also may face such challenges as economic uncertainty in their home countries, currency fluctuations, the rising cost of higher education, or lack of sufficient English language skills, particularly among disadvantaged populations.

There were 2.7 million international students worldwide in 2005, according to the latest UNESCO data, up from 1.8 million in 2000 and 600,000 in 1975. A little more than one-fifth of international undergraduate and graduate students were studying in the United States as of 2005, the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development estimated.

Under the U.S. educational system, graduate students work toward master’s, doctoral or other advanced degrees.

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIVE GRADUATE PROGRAMS GROW

According to the new CGS survey, the percentage of U.S. graduate schools that have established joint, dual or other collaborative degree programs in partnership with international colleges and universities has risen from 29 percent in 2007 to 38 percent in 2008, including six of the 10 largest.

In dual, or double degree, programs, students take courses and receive a degree, diploma or certificate from each participating school. For example, through a program established by the State University of New York (SUNY) and Turkey’s Council of Higher Education, Turkish students can receive two undergraduate diplomas, one Turkish and one from SUNY, after dividing their four years of study between a Turkish campus and a partner SUNY campus.

In joint degree programs, on the other hand, students take courses at each participating college or university but receive only one degree, diploma or certificate from the school at which they are registered.

Most collaborative programs are at the master’s degree level, and most are with European universities. Some collaborative doctoral programs are being offered, and some of the partnership programs are with institutions in China, India and other countries outside Europe. Business is the most common field of study, but a significant number of collaborative master’s degree programs are in engineering, the physical sciences and the social sciences.

The most common collaborative programs at the doctoral level are in the physical sciences.

The CGS study found that 31 percent of U.S. graduate schools plan to establish new collaborative programs in the next two years.

CGS is an organization of more than 480 institutions of higher education in the United States and Canada aimed at improving graduate education. CGS surveys U.S. graduate schools three times each year: in February to learn how many international students are applying; in June to learn how many international students are being admitted; and in September to learn how many international students actually enroll in U.S. graduate schools.

The CGS data are based on the responses of 177 graduate schools, including all 10 of the institutions with the largest graduate student enrollment and 84 percent of the largest 25.

The full text of the CGS report is available on the organization's Web site.

For information on studying in the United States, see the State Department’s EducationUSA Web site. Information on visa procedures and traveling to the United States is available at www.travel.state.gov and in the State Department eJournal See You in the U.S.A.

International student enrollments rise. . .

The number of non-U.S. students enrolled in U.S. higher education institutions during the 2007-2008 academic year jumped 7 percent to a record total of 623,805, according to a report from the Institute of International Education (IIE).

“In today’s competitive international environment, the increase in enrollments noted in this year’s Open Doors data demonstrates again that the U.S. remains the premier destination for international students,” said Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Goli Ameri in welcoming the report, Open Doors 2008. “The U.S. government joins the U.S. higher education community in a commitment to welcome international students to the United States. As someone who graduated from an American university as an international student, I have experienced America’s welcome personally and can testify that America’s universities not only accept and welcome international students warmly, but transform their lives.”

First-time enrollments increased 10 percent in 2007-2008, following a similar 10 percent rise the previous year.

California State University, Fresno

CSU, Fresno affords you a moderate cost of living and an excellent academic experience. Few full scholarships are available, but several programs assist students with partial aid. International students are eligible to apply for university scholarships, which range from U.S. $100 to $2,000 per academic year.

International students may work on campus after their first successful semester and graduate students may be selected for teaching or graduate assistantships by their department. Transfer students from a U.S. institution are eligible to work on campus during their first semester.

California State University Fresno awards over a thousand scholarships totaling more than 2.5 million dollars to incoming and continuing students. Institutional scholarships range from $100 to almost $8,000 and are awarded to both undergraduate and graduate students. Regardless of accomplishments, interests, or background, we encourage all students to apply for scholarships.

All scholarship awards are dedicated to students enrolled at California State University, Fresno.

The George Washington University

GWU is a large, prestigious urban university located in downtown Washington, D.C. It is a private institution, and while it is expensive compared to state universities, international students pay the same tuition and fees as U.S. students. Because of this, it may be more cost effective to attend a university such as this.

The main scholarship page is simple, though difficult to find on the GWU website. However, there is a separate link for scholarships focused entirely on international applicants.

The text from this page reads:

The University is committed to the pursuit of academic excellence and awards qualified international students with academic scholarships. These scholarships are only available for students entering GW as freshmen, and, though you may meet the qualifications for several scholarships, only one will be awarded. Students awarded one of the scholarships listed below are guaranteed this award for up to 10 consecutive semesters as long as they maintain continuous full-time enrollment and satisfactory academic progress. Unless indicated, applicants are considered for scholarships at the time of admission and no application is required.

Graduate students may be interested in this site.
If you found this posting interesting or helpful, use the email link below to send this to your friends or family.

The University of Utah, Salt Lake City. . . .

The University of Utah, located in Salt Lake City, Utah, appears to be a large school, offering many undergraduate and graduate programs. The homepage for the university is unfortunately very text-heavy, meaning that students must hunt for the information they need.

The university website contains many links to external sites, focused on international student scholarship resources. This is a hint that perhaps this university does not offer any international scholarships of its own. That doesn't mean you shouldn't at least take a look at the resources that are available on the site---perhaps one of them will meet your needs perfectly!

Illinois Wesleyan University. . . .

Illinois Wesleyan University is located in Bloomington, Illinois. It offers undergraduate programs only, no graduate programs at all. This isn't necessarily a drawback, since an international student could easily finish a bachelor's degree at Illinois Wesleyan and then transfer to another institution for a master's degree or Ph.D. program.

It appears that Illinois Wesleyan offers merit based scholarships to international students in amounts ranging from $3,000 to $18,000 per year. Merit-based means that the student's test scores, grades, and possibly letters of recommendation. These are variables that students need to be considering early in their education, so when they are ready, their scholarship applications show them in the best light. . . .

Nelnet. . . . scholarship site for international students. . . .

Nelnet is a site which allows students, including international students, to register to search a database of more than 420,000 scholarship opportunities. It is a private site, so by registering, you will probably receive advertisements in your email box or by snail mail concerning different products and schools. But if you don't mind that, this site appears to be a very good one!

In addition to funding information, Nelnet allows prospective students to search for programs and majors, both undergraduate and graduate, that appeal to them. This seems like a great resource for students who don't want to search the internet for hours looking for that perfect program.

Louisiana State University. . . Baton Rouge

Louisiana State University has a campus in Baton Rouge. The International Student Services office contains great links to admissions information, visa and immigration regulations, and also student employment. The university offers graduate and undergraduate programs in Business Administration, Computer Science and Engineering, as well as in other Engineering programs.

International student scholarships are available, although they are limited. Therefore, an international student should seek to apply to the university early enough to be considered for any awards. This section of the LSU website has a listing of all of the scholarship opportunities available to international students, and is quite comprehensive.

EduPASS: The Smart Student Guide

EduPASS is a great website, focused on interational students who are just beginning to think about studying in the U.S. There are sections devoted to Admissions Requirements, Scholarship Searches, and Learning English as a Second Language (ESL).

In addition, prospective international students can learn about such topics as how to obtain a student (F1) visa, life in the United States, and other issues.

This appears to be a non-profit site, which means that there is a minimum of spam, pop-up ads, and other advertising. Definitely a recommended site.