The United States has long been one of the most popular destinations for international students. Several European, Latin American, and Asian countries have been sending students to the United States since the middle of the last century. Those students have helped create many technological advances in the U.S. and have also supported a number of American endeavors abroad.
However, as the global economy continues to suffer, international student enrollment has been declining. This could have far-reaching consequences for Texas. In fact, the drop has caused a loss of more than a thousand jobs.
Earlier this year, a survey of 500 U.S. higher education institutions examined the decline in international student enrollment. During the 2017-2018 academic year, new international student enrollment fell by 6.6%. Despite the decrease, more than 1.1 million international students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities for the 2019-20 academic year.
The drop in international students’ numbers is due to a variety of factors. It’s been argued that the decline is a result of the highly polarized immigration debate, negative perceptions of the U.S., and increased competition from other countries’ higher education institutions.
Another key factor is the increasing cost of attending U.S. schools. International students can often receive scholarship opportunities that enable them to study in the U.S. Without this financial support, prospective students may decide to attend a foreign institution instead.
In addition to the aforementioned factors, the Trump administration’s restrictive policies on immigration have negatively impacted the number of international students. For example, the Trump administration made it harder for foreign-born workers to remain in the U.S.