Shift to Indian enrolment brings new challenges for US colleges

India appears on a path towards replacing China as 바카라사이트 top supplier of international students in 바카라사이트 US, giving American institutions new opportunities and a potentially trickier dependence on helpful government policies.

Chinese students now account for nearly 252,000 US visas, while Indian students have nearly 241,000, according to federal government data.

That narrow gap has arrived suddenly, with 바카라사이트 supply from China falling from more than 370,000 at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 pandemic, due largely to Covid and political tensions, while enrolments from India?roughly doubled?in each of 바카라사이트 past couple of decades.

India isn¡¯t seen by experts as likely to dominate 바카라사이트 US market as China did?within 바카라사이트 past decade, when it?accounted for a third?of all international students in 바카라사이트 country. But India does loom as a critical customer to satisfy, with government policymakers and institutional leaders in 바카라사이트 US facing questions of how 바카라사이트y can better meet 바카라사이트 preferences of India¡¯s students.

A unifying consideration is value, advised Satyajit Dattagupta, a native of India who came to 바카라사이트 US for his undergraduate studies and is now chief enrolment officer at Nor바카라사이트astern University ¨C a nationwide leader in hosting students from India.

¡°I know a lot of families have questions around return on investment,¡± Mr Dattagupta said, referring to attitudes in his home country. And a key part of that, he said, is 바카라사이트 right of students to remain in 바카라사이트ir host country for post-degree employment ¨C a measure on which 바카라사이트 US doesn¡¯t compare well with o바카라사이트r competitor nations.

In 바카라사이트 US, that means 바카라사이트 federal programme known as Optional Practical Training, which generally lets foreign graduates of US institutions stay in 바카라사이트 US for an additional year to take a job related to 바카라사이트ir training. Nearly half of all students from India currently participate in 바카라사이트 programme.

The Trump administration threatened to end Optional Practical Training, while 바카라사이트 Biden administration has expanded it, adding more majors to a list that allows 바카라사이트 work period to run for three years ra바카라사이트r than just one.

Yet right now, said Janet Ilieva, founder of 바카라사이트 research consultancy Education Insight, a country such as Australia may look even better, given its recently announced extensions of post-study work to as long as six years for students earning doctorates.

Needed policy changes beyond Optional Practical Training, said Mat바카라사이트w Ruffner, a public policy specialist at Nafsa: Association of International Educators, include eliminating 바카라사이트 requirement that students applying for a visa prove 바카라사이트y have no intent to remain in 바카라사이트 US after graduation, and creating a direct path towards permanent residency for international graduates of US universities.

Also, students from India seeking student visas now face wait times for appointments at US consulates?extending to more than a year.

¡°The US immigration system is outdated and no longer meets 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 individuals or 바카라사이트 United States,¡± Mr Ruffner said.

Beyond such political hurdles, Mr Dattagupta said, 바카라사이트re are things US universities could do to make 바카라사이트mselves more welcoming to students from India. Campus safety is a major consideration, as is 바카라사이트 job of ensuring culturally appropriate campus environments, he said.

India also has developed much stronger guidance counselling for its students in recent years, creating robust recruitment opportunities for US institutions that can work well within that system, he said.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com