Ms. Schmiegel, who has been in the United States on a student visa since 1996, works on campus as an international-student adviser, as part of her graduate work in education policy. She worries that the fee could place a significant financial burden on many students coming from impoverished countries. The database itself, she adds, makes her uneasy. It treats us as if we are kind of unwanted and a burden. We are not.
International education offers a two-way exchange.
Many campus officials say they worry that the new database, and its fee, could hinder the efforts of colleges in the United States to recruit foreign students. In addition, some say they fear that the fee and the database it supports may indicate that colleges and universities will have to begin shouldering more legal responsibility if international students violate U.S. immigration laws. Some lawmakers who support the database argue that the new tracking system would help students and colleges. They say it could make it easier for international students to track their visa status and to get information from government agencies. The database also could help colleges keep better records of their international students, supporters argue.