NEW YORK -- A new study says the number of foreign students attending US colleges increased by less than 1 percent in 2002-03 -- the lowest growth rate in seven years. It is just the latest piece of evidence that international students are shying away from the United States because of tough immigration rules. The Institute of International Education said tightened visa procedures enacted after the 2001 terrorist attacks, which have delayed the entry of many foreigners, contributed to the low growth rate.
Increase in foreign students slows
Drop in rate linked to tighter security
The IIE said in its annual "Open Doors" report, to be released today, that foreign enrollment increased by only 0.6 percent last year.
In each of the two previous academic years, foreign enrollment had increased by 6.4 percent.
"It's not just the policies themselves, but the understanding and perception of the policies that have really affected the numbers," said Peggy Blumenthal, the IIE's vice president of educational services.
"The word of mouth is out in certain countries about the difficulty getting a visa. And the perception is having as much of an impact as the delays."
Foreign students started experiencing delays entering the country in the wake of the terrorist attacks on Washington and New York, as the federal government responded to calls for tighter domestic security. One of the Sept. 11 hijackers held a student visa.
US schools want foreign students both for the revenue they bring in -- the IIE said international students spend up to $12 billion annually between tuition and other expenses -- and their contributions to academic research.
A continuing decline in foreign student enrollment "may damage our ability to attract the best and the brightest," said Alice Gast, vice president of research and associate provost at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In a separate online survey, the IIE said 46 percent of US colleges reported declines in foreign enrollment in the current school year. There were 586,323 international students studying in the United States last year, said the IIE, which promotes closer educational relations between the United States and other nations.
The IIE's findings are similar to those that the Association of International Educators, known as NAFSA, expects to reveal when it releases a survey of 2003-04 foreign student attendance later this week, said Victor Johnson, NAFSA's associate executive director.
NAFSA conducted its report in conjunction with the Association of American Universities and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges.
Johnson said that, unlike previous slowdowns in foreign enrollment, this one was triggered by a change in US policy and not economic declines or political unrest.
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