Higher Education
United States' and Other Countries' Strategies for Attracting and Funding International Students Gao ID: GAO-08-878T June 19, 2008In the years following September, 11, 2001, the United States experienced its first drop in the number of international students coming to the United States in over 30 years. The United States tightened its immigration policy during this time, which may have made it more difficult for foreign nationals, including international students, to apply for a visa and, subsequently may have fueled the perception that the United States is unwelcoming. While enrollment numbers have started to rebound, they have not returned to pre-September 11 levels. This testimony is based on ongoing and published GAO work. It includes themes from a June 2007 testimony on challenges in attracting international students. It also includes ongoing work to review other countries' efforts to attract and fund international students.
The U.S. federal government seeks to improve global attitudes towards America through a variety of diplomatic means, including funding study for international students inside the United States. Such study, which is funded primarily through the U.S. Department of State (State), is aimed at fostering a sense of common interests and values between Americans and people throughout the world. However, this funding is one component of a larger effort to attract international students, with funding for the vast majority of students coming primarily from sources other than the federal government. GAO identified the following about the efforts of the U.S. Department of State and other countries we are reviewing as part of ongoing work with respect to funding study for international students: (1) State funds a small number of programs having a public diplomacy focus, which bring a small number of international students to the United States for undergraduate study. Specifically, State funded eight programs for 321 undergraduate students in fiscal year 2007. Combined funding for these programs totaled approximately $11.7 million. These programs allow undergraduate students the opportunity to study in both 2-year and 4-year institutions, with some leading to a degree. While State's programs target students from all regions in the world, participants typically come from only a few countries in Europe and South/Central Asia. (2) As part of our ongoing work, GAO has been reviewing other countries' governments' efforts to attract and fund international students. International comparative analysis is complicated by different countries' national objectives and funding structures. The countries we are reviewing employ various strategies to attract diverse international student populations but also fund and administer programs in different ways. We will be learning more about these other countries' efforts as we continue our work. We expect to issue a report on our findings in early 2009.
GAO-08-878T, Higher Education: United States' and Other Countries' Strategies for Attracting and Funding International Students
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Testimony before Congressional Committees:
United States Government Accountability Office:
GAO:
For Release on Delivery:
Expected at 9:30 a.m. EDT/EST:
Thursday, June 19, 2008:
Higher Education:
United States' and Other Countries' Strategies for Attracting and
Funding International Students:
Statement of George A. Scott, Director:
Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues:
GAO-08-878T:
GAO Highlights:
Highlights of GAO-08-878T, a testimony before Congressional Committees.
Why GAO Did This Study:
In the years following September, 11, 2001, the United States
experienced its first drop in the number of international students
coming to the United States in over 30 years. The United States
tightened its immigration policy during this time, which may have made
it more difficult for foreign nationals, including international
students, to apply for a visa and, subsequently may have fueled the
perception that the United States is unwelcoming. While enrollment
numbers have started to rebound, they have not returned to pre-
September 11 levels.
This testimony is based on ongoing and published GAO work. It includes
themes from a June 2007 testimony on challenges in attracting
international students. It also includes ongoing work to review other
countries‘ efforts to attract and fund international students.
What GAO Found:
The U.S. federal government seeks to improve global attitudes towards
America through a variety of diplomatic means, including funding study
for international students inside the United States. Such study, which
is funded primarily through the U.S. Department of State (State), is
aimed at fostering a sense of common interests and values between
Americans and people throughout the world. However, this funding is one
component of a larger effort to attract international students, with
funding for the vast majority of students coming primarily from sources
other than the federal government. GAO identified the following about
the efforts of the U.S. Department of State and other countries we are
reviewing as part of ongoing work with respect to funding study for
international students:
* State funds a small number of programs having a public diplomacy
focus, which bring a small number of international students to the
United States for undergraduate study. Specifically, State funded eight
programs for 321 undergraduate students in fiscal year 2007. Combined
funding for these programs totaled approximately $11.7 million. These
programs allow undergraduate students the opportunity to study in both
2-year and 4-year institutions, with some leading to a degree. While
State‘s programs target students from all regions in the world,
participants typically come from only a few countries in Europe and
South/Central Asia.
* As part of our ongoing work, GAO has been reviewing other countries‘
governments‘ efforts to attract and fund international students.
International comparative analysis is complicated by different
countries‘ national objectives and funding structures. The countries we
are reviewing employ various strategies to attract diverse
international student populations but also fund and administer programs
in different ways. We will be learning more about these other
countries‘ efforts as we continue our work. We expect to issue a report
on our findings in early 2009.
What GAO Recommends:
This testimony does not contain recommendations.
To view the full product, including the scope and methodology, click on
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-878T]. For more
information, contact George Scott at (202) 512-5932 or ScottG@gao.gov.
[End of section]
Chairman Delahunt, Chairman Hinojosa and Members of the Subcommittees:
I am pleased to be here today to discuss the federal government's
efforts to improve global attitudes toward Americans by funding higher
education for undergraduate international students. In the years
following September 11, 2001, the United States experienced a slight
drop in international student enrollment for the first time in over 30
years. In the aftermath of September 11, the United States tightened
its immigration policy and made it more difficult for foreign
nationals, including international students, to apply for a visa. These
actions may have fueled the perception that the United States is
unwelcoming. While enrollment numbers have started to rebound, they
have not returned to pre-September 11 levels.
The U.S. government seeks to improve global attitudes toward America
through a variety of diplomatic means, including funding study for
international students inside the United States. A major goal of these
programs is to foster a sense of common interests and values between
Americans and people throughout the world. The United States provides
significant funding to attract international students to the United
States to fill critical skill gaps, particularly in the science,
engineering, and math fields. However, our review focuses on the
programs funded and administered by the Department of State (State)
that have as a goal improving relationships among the United States and
other countries.
Mr. Chairman, you asked us to look at Department of State programs that
support international undergraduate students studying in the United
States. My testimony today outlines the types of international student
programs funded by the Department of State and provides preliminary
information about the types of efforts other countries' governments
have in place to attract international students. My remarks are drawn
from previous GAO work on global competitiveness and higher education,
supplemented by ongoing work for the House Committee on Foreign
Affairs, Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and
Oversight. We conducted this performance audit from October 2007 to
June 2008, in accordance with generally accepted government auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit
to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable
basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives.
We believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for
our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives.
In summary,
* The Department of State funds eight programs having a public
diplomacy focus, which bring 321 international students to the United
States for undergraduate study. These programs allow undergraduate
students the opportunity to study in both 2-year and 4-year
institutions, with some programs leading to a degree. While State's
programs target students from all regions in the world, participants
typically come from only a few countries.
* International comparative analysis is complicated because of
differences in countries' recruitment objectives and higher education
funding. Specifically, countries we are examining as part of ongoing
work employ various strategies to attract a diverse set of
international student populations, and they fund and administer these
programs in different ways.
Background:
Following the events of September 11, 2001 the total number of
international students studying in the United States leveled off and
even dropped slightly after 2001 (see fig. 1) . According to the
Institute of International Education, the decline in the number of
international students attending U.S. higher education institutions
between 2002 and 2003 was the first drop in over 30 years. Further, the
U.S. share of international students worldwide dropped substantially
between 2000 and 2005 (see fig. 2). Although international student
enrollment in the United States shows signs of rebounding, many in the
international community continue to view the United States as
unwelcoming. According to the Pew Global Attitudes Project, since 2002
the United States' image has declined in both the Muslim world and
among many of America's oldest allies. In the wake of September 11, the
United States also tightened its immigration policy and made it more
difficult for foreign nationals, including international students, to
apply for a visa. For example, face-to-face interviews were mandated
for most applicants, and the number of security reviews for students
and scholars in certain science and technology fields increased. As we
previously reported, these changes, made to help protect our nation's
security interests, may have contributed to our declining share of
international students and the perception that the United States was
not a welcoming place for international students[Footnote 1]. Another
factor that may be contributing to the decline is the financing
structure in the United States that makes the cost of attending college
in the United States among the most expensive in the world.[Footnote 2]
Among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
countries, the U.S. ranks second with respect to public university
tuition and first with respect to private university tuition. Some OECD
countries provide free or relatively low-cost higher education for
undergraduates. Moreover, other countries' governments have begun to
more aggressively market their universities to international students
while expanding educational opportunities in their own countries to
retain their students. Greater competition has prompted some countries
to offer courses in English, expand their recruiting activities, and
develop strategic plans or offices focused on attracting international
students.
Figure 1: Estimated Number of International Students Enrolled in U.S.
Higher Education, 1984/1985 to 2005/2006:
[See PDF for image]
This figure is a line graph depicting the following data:
Year: 1984-1985;
Estimated number of International students: 342,113.
Year: 1985-1986;
Estimated number of International students: 343,777.
Year: 1986-1987;
Estimated number of International students: 349,609.
Year: 1987-1988;
Estimated number of International students: 356,187.
Year: 1988-1989;
Estimated number of International students: 366,354.
Year: 1989-1990;
Estimated number of International students: 386,851.
Year: 1990-1991;
Estimated number of International students: 407,529.
Year: 1991-1992;
Estimated number of International students: 419,585.
Year: 1992-1993;
Estimated number of International students: 438,618.
Year: 1993-1994;
Estimated number of International students: 449,749.
Year: 1994-1995;
Estimated number of International students: 452,635.
Year: 1995-1996;
Estimated number of International students: 453,787.
Year: 1996-1997;
Estimated number of International students: 457,984.
Year: 1997-1998;
Estimated number of International students: 481,280.
Year: 1998-1999;
Estimated number of International students: 490,933.
Year: 1999-2000;
Estimated number of International students: 514,723.
Year: 2000-2001;
Estimated number of International students: 547,867.
Year: 2001-2002;
Estimated number of International students: 582,996.
Year: 2002-2003;
Estimated number of International students: 586,323.
Year: 2003-2004;
Estimated number of International students: 572,509.
Year: 2004-2005;
Estimated number of International students: 565,039.
Year: 2005-2006;
Estimated number of International students: 564.766.
Source: Institute of International Education (IIE) data.
[End of figure]
The U.S. government seeks to improve global attitudes toward America
through a variety of diplomatic means, including funding education for
international students in the United States. Many of these programs are
administered through the Department of State's Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs and are part of the federal government's effort to
help foster a sense of common interests and values between Americans
and people throughout the world. One component of this strategy
includes funding study for undergraduate international students seeking
to study in the United States. However, this is just one component of a
larger public diplomacy effort. For example, State also administers and
funds student exchanges, language acquisition, and programs for high
school students. In addition, the federal government also provides
funding, particularly at the graduate level, to attract international
students to fill critical skill gaps. In recent years international
students have earned about one-third or more of all of the U.S. degrees
at both the master's and doctoral levels in several of the science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.[Footnote 3]
While State's undergraduate programs are an important component of the
U.S. government's public diplomacy effort to introduce international
students to the United States, the vast majority of international
students entering this country are not funded primarily through the
federal government. According to the Institute of International
Education's Open Doors 2007 report, approximately 583,000 students came
to the United States to study during the 2006/2007 academic year and
more than three-fifths of all international students reported their
primary source of funding for education as coming from personal and
family sources. Many students also received funding directly from host
universities, while less than 1 percent of all international students
received funding primarily from the U.S. government. Although the
primary source of funds for the vast majority of students that enter
the United States is not provided by the federal government, students
funded through other sources indirectly support U.S. public diplomacy
efforts.
Figure 2: Estimated Percentage of All International Higher Education
Students Enrolled in a Selection of Countries by Destination, 2000 and
2004:
[See PDF for image]
This figure is a multiple vertical bar graph depicting the following
data (percentages are extimated from the graph):
Country: New Zealand;
2000: 1%;
2004: 3%.
Country: Japan;
2000: 4%;
2004: 5%.
Country: Canada;
2000: 7%;
2004: 6%.
Country: Australia;
2000: 6.5%;
2004: 7%.
Country: France;
2000: 7.5%;
2004: 9%.
Country: Germany;
2000: 10%;
2004: 9.8%.
Country: United Kingdom;
2000: 12%;
2004: 11%.
Country: United States;
2000: 26%;
2004: 23%.
Country: Other OECD countries[A];
2000: 15%;
2004: 14.8%.
Country: Non-OECD countries[B]:
2000: 14%;
2004: 14.5%.
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
data.
Note: Information in this graph includes only those countries for which
both 2000 and 2004 data were available, except for Canada, for which
the year of reference is 2002. GAO did not assess the reliability of
the data for the percentage of students enrolled in schools outside the
United States. Also, the definition of international students is not
uniform across countries.
[A] Other OECD countries include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland,
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico,
the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey.
[B] Non-OECD countries include Brazil, Chile, India, Malaysia, the
Russian Federation, South Africa, and others.
[End of figure]
Moreover, U.S. universities have increasingly established branch
campuses overseas, providing another means through which to introduce
international students to U.S. culture and values. For example,
Education City--an educational complex in Qatar--now houses branch
campuses of six U.S. universities, allowing students to get an American-
style education without having to leave their country.[Footnote 4]
Likewise, in the United Arab Emirates, Michigan State University has
begun offering courses that will lead to degrees that are equivalent to
those offered by the university in the United States. Even in countries
where U.S. universities have little or no physical presence, students
increasingly have access to U.S. postsecondary education through the
Internet.
State Funds a Small Number of Undergraduate Programs for International
Students:
As part of its public diplomacy efforts to fund longer-term study for
undergraduate international students in the United States, State funded
eight programs for 321 undergraduate students in fiscal year 2007.
[Footnote 5] Most of these programs provided funding for a relatively
small number of students. Specifically, 5 of the 8 programs fund
undergraduate education for 12 or fewer students. Two of the primary
public diplomacy programs were the Eurasia Undergraduate Exchange
Program (UGRAD), which funded 171 students, and the Near East and South
Asia Undergraduate Program (NESA), which funded 29 students. UGRAD,
which has funded nearly 4,000 participants since its inception in 1992,
offers students from Eurasia the opportunity to spend 1 academic year
in the United States studying in a diverse range of programs. Its
objective is to promote cultural understanding between Eurasia and the
United States. NESA provides students with one semester to 1 academic
year scholarships that can be used at accredited 2-and 4-year academic
institutions in the United States. The program seeks to increase mutual
understanding between young emerging leaders in these countries and the
United States. A third program, the Community College Summit
Initiative, offers students pre-academic English language training and
one-year certificate programs at U.S. community colleges. However, its
primary objective is to develop students' skill sets that enable them
to participate in the economic development of their countries.
As shown in table 1, combined funding for these programs totaled
approximately $11.7 million and varied across these eight programs,
ranging from $5 million for the UGRAD program to $197,600 for the U.S.-
South Pacific Scholarship Program. On a per student basis, the average
funding across the programs was lowest for both NESA and UGRAD--about
$29,000 per student - and highest for the U.S.-Timor-Leste Scholarship
program--about $100,000 per student. In general, according to State
Department officials these programs cover a range of student expenses
including airfare, tuition and fees, room and board, and living
stipends.
Table 1: Characteristics of U.S. Department of State programs in FY
2007 that fund academic year or longer U.S. undergraduate education for
international students[A]:
Undergraduate Programs: Eurasia Undergraduate Exchange Program, UGRAD -
(1 academic year);
Number in Program: 171;
Degree Granting? No;
School Type: 2- or 4-year;
Budget Allocation: $5,000,000;
Average Per Student: $29,240;
Region of Origin: Europe, South/Central Asia.
Undergraduate Programs: Near East and South Asia Undergraduate
Program - NESA - (1 academic year)[B];
Number in Program: 29;
Degree Granting? No.
School Type: 2- or 4-year;
Budget Allocation: $849,642;
Average Per Student: $29,298;
Region of Origin: Near East, South/Central Asia.
Undergraduate Programs: Fulbright Trans-Sahara Program (2 academic
years);
Number in Program: 12;
Degree Granting? Yes;
School Type: 4-year;
Budget Allocation: $570,624;
Average Per Student: $47,552;
Region of Origin: Sub-Saharan Africa.
Undergraduate Programs: Fulbright Afghanistan Undergraduate Program (2
academic years plus pre-academic English)[C];
Number in Program: 9;
Degree Granting? Yes;
School Type: 4-year;
Budget Allocation: $574,328;
Average Per Student: $63,814;
Region of Origin: South/Central Asia.
Undergraduate Programs: U.S.-Timor Leste Scholarship Program(up to 4
academic years);
Number in Program: 5;
Degree Granting? Yes;
School Type: 2- or 4-year;
Budget Allocation: $500,000;
Average Per Student: $100,000;
Region of Origin: East Asia/Pacific.
Undergraduate Programs: U.S.- South Pacific Scholarship Program(up to 4
academic years)[D];
Number in Program: 2;
Degree Granting? Yes;
School Type: 2- or 4-year;
Budget Allocation: $197,600;
Average Per Student: $98,800;
Region of Origin: East Asia/Pacific.
Undergraduate Programs: Cyprus-America Scholarship Program(up to 4
academic years)[E];
Number in Program: 10;
Degree Granting? Yes;
School Type: 4-year;
Budget Allocation: $980,000
Average Per Student: $98,000
Region of Origin: Europe.
Undergraduate Programs: Community College Undergraduate Summit
Initiative (1-2 academic years)[F];
Number in Program: 83;
Degree Granting? No;
School Type: 2-year;
Budget Allocation: $3,000,000;
Average Per Student: $36,145;
Region of Origin: East Asia/Pacific; Sub-Saharan Africa; Near East;
Europe; South/Central Asia; South America.
Total Funding for Undergraduate Programs: $11,672,194;
Total Number of Undergraduate Program Participants: 321.
Source: Source: Department of State data.
Notes:
[A] A number of programs not presented here whose participants enroll
for less than one academic year. In addition, the Community College,
UGRAD, and NESA programs all enroll large numbers of such students. See
the Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
Internet page for further information.
[B] The NESA program awards semester and academic year scholarships.
Participant totals and funding above reflect academic year students
only. Total program funding for both semester and academic year
participants was $3,008,000 ($2,211,397 for 105 NEA students; $796,603
for 41 SCA students).
[C] The Fulbright Afghanistan Program closed after 2007.
[D] The U.S.-South Pacific Scholarship Program awards scholarships for
both undergraduate and master‘s degree study. Participant totals and
funding reflect undergraduate students only. Total program funding for
both undergraduate and master‘s participants was $494,000 for five
students.
[E] The Cyprus-America Scholarship Program is funded via ESF transfer
from USAID.
[F] The Community College program is a pilot program initiated in
summer 2007. The program is projected to enroll an additional 300+
students in FY 2008.
[End of table]
The UGRAD, NESA and Community College Undergraduate Summit Initiative
programs do not allow participants to receive a degree.
State Programs Draw Students From a Small Number of Countries:
Although State programs target students from all regions of the world,
they tend to attract students from specific countries. The largest
program in terms of both funding and enrollments--UGRAD--draws students
only from Europe and South/Central Asia. Moreover, when looking at
enrollment across all programs, only students from certain countries
participated. Students from sub-Saharan Africa, for example,
participated in only two of the eight programs. Similarly, students
from South America participated in only one program and all of the
students came from just one country (Brazil). In addition, relatively
few of the students came from the Near East region (which spans
northern Africa and the Middle East).
Other Countries Use Various Strategies to Recruit and Retain
International Students:
As part of its ongoing work, GAO has been reviewing other governments'
efforts to attract international students to their countries. We are
analyzing countries with the largest populations of international
students in 2005 according to OECD data. International comparative
analysis is complicated because countries employ various strategies to
attract diverse international student populations and also fund and
administer programs in different ways. For example, the Prime
Minister's Initiative 2 in the United Kingdom targets over 20
countries, including China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Ghana. France has
close ties to North Africa, where it is creating specialized education,
notably in management, and supporting a major network of preparatory
classes for the local and French Grandes Ecoles (Morocco, Tunisia). In
their efforts to attract international students, EduFrance partners
with 177 member institutions of higher learning that pool their
experience and expertise to assist foreign students. The organization
also has offices abroad (88 offices in 37 countries) in partnership
with diplomatic posts, institutes and cultural centers, and French
language schools.
Moreover, these countries have developed different ways to fund and
administer their programs. For example, in France many grants are made
available through bilateral assistance programs, in which grants are
jointly financed by France and a foreign government. New Zealand's
International Aid and Development Agency, a nongovernmental agency,
administers and funds both short-term and long-term awards to students
from developing countries, while China's College Scholarship Council
administers undergraduate programs of up to 4 years in length, which
are available to students from various countries based on bilateral
exchange agreements. Last year in Germany, 269 undergraduate students
from North America participated in the Research Internships in Science
and Engineering (RISE) program. The RISE program is supported by the
German Federal Ministry for Economics and Technology, and by large
industry organizations in Canada, Germany, and the United States. RISE
is administered by the German Academic Exchange Service's (DAAD),
Germany's national agency for the support of international academic
cooperation. DAAD has five strategic goals, including increasing the
appeal of Germany's higher education systems among students, academics,
and scientists from around the world. To achieve these objectives,
Germany has established an organizational structure to administer a
variety of international education programs. Similarly, the European
Commission established the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive
Agency, in part, to implement the European Union's 5-year, 296 million
euro[Footnote 6] Erasmus Mundus program.
We will be learning more about these other countries efforts as part of
our ongoing work. We expect to report on these findings in early 2009.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my prepared statement. I would be happy to
respond to any questions you or other members of the subcommittee may
have at this time.
For further information regarding this testimony please contact (202)
512-5932. Individuals making key contributions to this testimony
include Sherri Doughty, Carlo Salerno, John Brummet, Daniel Novillo,
Chris Lyons, Eve Weisberg, Rebecca Rose, Susannah Compton, and Alex
Galuten.
[End of section]
Footnotes:
[1] GAO, Higher Education: Challenges in Attracting International
Students to the United States and Implications for Global
Competitiveness, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-
1047T] (Washington, D.C.: June 29, 2007).
[2] GAO, Higher Education: Tuition Continues to Rise, but Patterns Vary
by Institution Type, Enrollment, and Educational Expenditures,
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-245] (Washington,
D.C.: Nov. 28, 2007).
[3] GAO, Higher Education: Federal Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Mathematics Programs and Related Trends, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-114] (Washington, D.C.: Oct.
12, 2005).
[4] The six American universities are Virginia Commonwealth University,
Weill Cornell Medical College, Texas A&M University, Carnegie Mellon
University, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, and
Northwestern University.
[5] The Fulbright Afghanistan Program closed after 2007.
[6] According to the European Commission, the Erasmus Mundus budget is
230 million euros for 5 years (2004-2008), plus 66 million euros for
student scholarships for citizens coming from a range of specific
countries. For more information, see [hyperlink,
http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/mundus/programme/facts_en.html]
[End of section]
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Washington, D.C. 20548:
Public Affairs:
Chuck Young, Managing Director, youngc1@gao.gov:
(202) 512-4800:
U.S. Government Accountability Office:
441 G Street NW, Room 7149:
Washington, D.C.
