OPINION: Why should U.S. universities educate international students? – By Juan E. González (Dallas Morning News) / Dec 6 2020
Educational immigrants make significant contributions to the U.S. throughout their lives
Why are we allowing international students into our universities and colleges?
Over 1 million international students attend institutions of higher learning in the United States, according to the Institute of International Education. Recent developments, such as the uncertainty in immigration laws, travel bans and new rules that make it more difficult for international students to stay and finish their studies, have led to a noticeable decrease in interest in the U.S. as an educational destination for these students.
You may ask, why we are allowing so many students from abroad into our institutions of higher learning. Aren’t colleges, particularly government-supported institutions, intended to educate U.S. citizens?
Let us consider some of the ways international students contribute to our educational mission and to the nation. The vast majority of the students who come from abroad pay a premium over full in-state tuition prices (tuition costs for out-of-state and international students can be three times higher than tuition costs for in-state residents). Those funds help support the academic and research missions of many of our institutions of higher learning.
