Australia is aggressively and successfully recruiting students from Asia as a means of making up for budget cuts at home. British universities have long been active in attracting students worldwide as a means of making up for budget shortfalls. Only the United States seems to be turning its back on foreign students and scholars. Foreign students and scholars contribute an immense amount to American higher education. Two-thirds pay for their education in the United States.
Foreign students earn about one-third of the doctoral degrees awarded annually.
They serve as research and teaching assistants in fields that attract few Americans at the doctoral level. Foreign students and scholars lend a multicultural and multiethnic presence to American campuses. When foreign students return home, they often maintain close relationships with the United States. The small proportion of foreign students who remain in the United States after finishing their studies play a useful role in the American economy and academic system. Current trends are alarming.