International students' perceptions of the value of U.S. Higher education

The number of international students in the United States reached 820,000 in 2013, and it continues to grow despite increasing competition from Great Britain, Australia, and the sending countries (Alberts, 2007; Institute of International Education, 2013) Some research indicates that the decision to study in the United States is primarily driven by international students' expectation to improve their future career opportunities, and to obtain experience that will eventually lead to employment (Hazen Alberts, 2006) International education is expected to allow students to obtain a new perspective on their field of study, get a broader and more practice oriented education, develop personally, and build intercultural friendships and networks (Obst Forster, 2007) These motivations are somewhat similar to those of U.S. students participating in study abroad programs, who often go abroad to master a foreign language, travel, and learn about a different culture. Despite some parallels, the experiences of U.S. students and international students do differ. Most study abroad programs are short term, and they might create a somewhat "sheltered" environment, with the participants tending to remain connected to their U.S. peers and having a limited contact with the host country members (Allen, 2010).Higher education greatly benefits not only culturally but also financially from international students' presence, but the support available to these students is not always sufficient or appropriate (Breuning, 2007) Language and cultural difficulties and the dearth of social support make it challenging to navigate U.S. institutions. For many international students, personal relationships with U.S. Americans, fluency in English and comfort using the language significantly impact the experience of U.S. higher education and positively contribute to their academic success and social adjustment (Yeh Inose, 2003) However, access to those relationships is not equal for all international students. Western Europeans who communicate well in English and who experience fewer cultural barriers are more likely to befriend U.S. Americans, interact with them more often, and consequently be better adjusted to the new environment (Trice, 2004).To this end, our study examined the personal and professional value of U.S. higher education for international students. Specifically, the study explored what personal and professional goals influence the decision to study in the United States and the extent to which those goals are achieved, taking into account students' own engagement in goal achievement as well as institutional support.LITERATURE REVIEWMultiple studies report that international students encounter a variety of challenges caused by cultural, linguistic, social, and educational differences (Crockett and Hays, 2011; Olivas Li, 2006) The intensity of the problems related to cultural adjustment of international students depend on a variety of factors, such as students' English language ability, the perception of social acceptance, the length of time in the host country, students' race and ethnicity, and their experiences with discrimination (Constantine, Okazaki, Utsey, 2004; Yeh Inose, 2003) One of the challenges consistently reported in extant research is international students' difficulty with their social integration, which ultimately affects their learning and perception of success (Grayson, 2008; Yeh Inose, 2003) Although some of international students' difficulties are related to their personal backgrounds and experiences, host institutions can address many issues by providing appropriate support structures and facilitating an integration of international students in campus communities. In order for universities to identify specific barriers to international students' goal attainment, institutions need to better understand students' personal and professional goals, students' and institutional efforts in supporting these goals, and the extent to which these goals are attained.