From: ngopalas@ha15.eng.ua.edu (Nath S. Gopalaswamy)
Subject: Re: Ridiculous Health Insurance Policy
Organization: The University of Alabama
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 18:40:44 GMT

In article <1992Jul23.180509.6267@reed.edu>, vganesan@reed.edu (The Phoenix) writes:
|> In article <4775@sumax.seattleu.edu> harrity@sumax.seattleu.edu (Elan Morin Tedronai) writes:
|> >In article <1992Jul23.133012.7486@menudo.uh.edu> mece1e3@Jane.UH.EDU writes:
|> >
|> 
|> >
|> >Listen, I don't think we should close the door on foreign students.
|> >Everyone would be poorer for that. But put yourself in the position
|> >of a Canadian or US student graduating with loans in excess of 
|> >30,000 to pay off, and then ask yourself if you'd not be just a
|> >trifle curious as to why it is seen fit to subsidize foreign students.
|> 
|> Actually it is the American Govt who actually gains from all
|> this. One note the American govt has a policy never funds 
|> non U.S citizens directly. All forms of federal and state aid
|> is earmarked for U.S citizens.
|> 

I know of a person who, though he has a GRE combined total of 2320/2400,
he was not offered a research assistantship or fellowship. It went to an
American student with far less.I am not complaining.In fact I fully agree that 
the Dept should give it to the American student to encourage him. After all
their first priority should be US citizens and it always is. Only from
left over funds did they fund him. So I do not believe we have any kind
of advantage over American students. 
Incidentally he teaches a whole course for about 350$ /month and got excellent
ratings from his evaluation by American students. 

|> Now the Private Universities and Public Universities with private
|> funding do dole out aid to foreign students. Not because of charity
|> but because they get cheap and highly skilled labour at a throw away
|> price. Take Reed for example, they offer financial aid for 3-4 students
|> every year, around 200 international students applied. Their average
|> SAT scores was 1370, almost 400 above the national average. Now Reed
|> picks the best among the lot and gives the students money, in return
|> Reed gets a thousand and one photo opportunity in their catalog to 
|> parade us in a show of diversity, and claim that the schools population
|> is truly diverse and varied. Having already seleted the top few, the 
|> school also gains when these students become successful alumni.
|> 
|> Now  tell me how this badly affects the American students. In the case
|> of grad school, Americans are given first priority for everything. They
|> get the first looks for all the fellowships and scholarships, it is only
|> when they can't find enough Americans do they open all these for the
|> Intl students. All these is of course based on science related 
|> disciplines, humanities unfortunately is woefully underfunded and that
|> is sad.
|> 
|> >
|> >I'm inclined to say, tough shit. If that's the argument, stop
|> >whining.
|> >
|> >I, for one, would've liked more than anything to have completed
|> >my masters program in Australia, but the cost of doing it, all
|> >things considered, would have made things prohibitive.  Should I
|> >gripe to the Australian government because they'd not subsidize me?
|> >After all, I'm a foreigner, and I might even want to stay afterward!
|> >Should the Australians therefore be forced to pay *my* way through
|> >school? Like I said, I just don't get the logic of this argument.
|> >
|> 
|> If you think the American colleges are funding Intl students out of 
|> kindness, banish the thought, they only do so because not enough
|> americans want to become engineers, chemists, physcists etc, and 
|> want to teach a bunch of freshman Phys 100. If Australia faces a 
|> similar shortage, she will beckon you, until then tough shit.
|> 
|> Peace
|> 
|> The Phoenix
|> 
|> 
|> -- 
|>   The Greatest burden in the world is to have              The Phoenix
|>    a great potential.                                      Reed #252
|>                      Linus from "Peanuts"                  Reed College
|>                                                          Portland, OR-97202
Xref: sparky soc.culture.canada:5163 alt.california:1532