Hefty drop in Indian students going to US
Perception of a rise in student visa denial and unwelcoming climate top concerns
US universities registered a hefty drop in the number of applications from Indian students amid a spate of hate crimes and fear about potential changes to visa policies by the Trump administration.
According to the preliminary results of a survey of more than 250 American colleges and universities conducted by six top American higher education groups, students from India this fall registered a 26 per cent decline in undergraduate applications and a 15 per cent decline in postgraduate applications.
The full version of the Open Doors 2016 report is slated to be released later this week. Higher educational institutions reported a drop of an average of 40 per cent application from international students.
The report said that India and China currently make up 47 per cent of US international student enrollment, with almost half a
With a rising number of hate crimes and denial of visas, students from India registered a 26% decline in UG applications and a 15% decline in PG applications
million Indian and Chinese students studying in the US.
China reported a drop of 25 per cent application in undergraduate studies and 32 per cent from graduate studies, said the survey report.
The most frequently noted concerns of international students and their families, as reported by institutionbased professionals, include the perception of a rise in student visa denials at US embassies and consulates in China, India and Nepal, and the perception that the climate in the US is now less welcoming to individuals from other countries.
US universities have registered a hefty drop in the number of applications from Indian students amid a spate of hate crimes and fear about potential changes to visa policies by the Trump administration.
According to the preliminary results of a survey of more than 250 American colleges and universities conducted by six top American higher education groups, students from India this fall registered a 26 per cent decline in undergraduate applications and 15 per cent decline has been reported in graduate applications.
The full version of the ‘Open Doors 2016’ report is slated to be released later this week. These higher educational institutions reported a drop of an average of 40 per cent application from international students. The report said that India and China currently make up 47 per cent of US international student enrollment, with almost half a million Indian and Chinese students studying in the US.
China reported a drop of 25 per cent application in undergraduate studies and 32 per cent from graduate studies, said the survey report.
The survey was conducted jointly by American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, the Institute of International Education, Association of International Educators, the National Association for College Admission Counseling and its focus subgroup International Association for College Admission Counselling.
The most frequently noted concerns of international students and their families, as reported by institution-based professionals, include perception of a rise in student visa denials at US embassies and consulates in China, India and Nepal and perception that the climate in the US is now less welcoming to individuals from other countries. It also includes concerns that benefits and restrictions around visas could change, especially around the ability to travel, re-entry after travel, and employment opportunities.
“I’d say the rhetoric and actual executive orders are definitely having a chilling effect on decisions by current applicants/admitted students, and by extension are likely to affect future applicants as well,” Wim Wiewel, Portland State’s president, who was recently in India told Inside Higher Education.
“Those events affect us, whether we like it or not. The impact is not just going to be on Indian nationals. It could impact other students from other countries who may now be concerned about coming,” Ahmad Ezzeddine, associate vice-president for educational outreach and international programs, at Wayne State University, said.