US Had Fewer Students Last Year From India, and Japan

Which schools had the most foreign students, where they came from and what they studied.

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More than five hundred sixty thousand foreign students attended an American college or university during the 2005-2006 school year. It was the seventh straight year with more than half a million international students in the United States.

Last year's group was about the same size as the year before -- which was good news for schools. Why? Because the number of students coming to the United States had been falling for two years.

Today, in our Foreign Student Series, we present numbers from the latest "Open Doors" report. The information is from the Institute of International Education, based in New York.

India again sent the most students in the school year that began in autumn of 2005. India passed China in 2001 as the leading sender of foreign students to the United States.

American schools last year had more than seventy-six thousand Indian students. That was a five percent drop from the year before -- the first reduction since 1996.

China had more than 62,000 students in American schools, roughly the same as the year before.

South Korea was third with an increase of 10%. And Japan was fourth -- but with an 8%drop.

The report says there were also sharp decreases in students from Turkey, Colombia, Pakistan and Malaysia. But there were notable increases in students from Nepal and Vietnam.

For the fifth year, the school with the most foreign students was the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. It had almost 7,000.

Columbia University in New York was second. Others with large numbers included Purdue, New York University, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

What were the most popular areas of study? 18% studied business and management. 16% studied engineering. 9% were in the physical and life sciences. 8% studied social sciences, and another 8% studied mathematics and computer science.

There were fewer international students in computer science and engineering last year. But there were more in areas including art, health and intensive English language.

For Foreign Students in US, Financial Aid Is Limited

Most international undergraduates get little or no money, but American schools are more likely to pay for graduate study.

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Financial aid is the subject this week in our Foreign Student Series on higher education in the United States.

Students who want to study in the United States may find that their chances for financial aid are limited. They often have to pay for their education with their own savings or their family's money.

A recent report from the Institute of International Education in New York looked at the 2006 six school year:

Colleges and universities in the United States had more than half a million foreign students. Sixty-three percent of them paid for school mostly by themselves or with family help. Twenty-six percent were supported by the school they attended.

There are other sources of financial aid for international students. These include a student's home government or university, or the United States government. Private sponsors, international organizations and employers may also provide support.

Yet during the last school year, not many students were able to depend on any of these other sources. Current employers provided the most help. Still, they represented the main support for just four percent of international students.

Those at the graduate level, however, are more likely than undergraduates to receive financial aid in the United States.

More than eighty percent of foreign undergraduates depended mostly on personal and family money to pay for school last year. The same was true of less than half of graduate students. Most of the others received financial aid from their college or university in the United States.
A list of American schools that offer financial aid to foreign students can be found at a useful Web site. The address is edupass.org.

This site also provides information about scholarship programs. But it warns foreign students not to pay if there is any charge for scholarship application forms. You could be cheated out of your money.

Our Foreign Student Series continues next week with more information from the Institute of International Education.

College Costs in US: Tuition, Housing ... and Health Care

Schools want to know that all of their students can pay for their medical needs.

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We talked last week about the costs of higher education for students who want to study in the United States. Today, as our Foreign Student Series continues, we discuss a cost that students may not always consider: health insurance.


Medical care can be very costly if a person has an accident or gets sick. Health insurance might pay for most or all of it. Students might already be covered under their parents' health plan. If not, many schools offer plans of their own.

Most American colleges and universities have student health centers. Some have hospitals where students can go for more serious problems.


Our example this week is the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. It has more than 4,600 international students this year.

All University of Michigan students pay a health service fee. This fee is included in the cost of tuition at the school. It pays for some kinds of medical care and examinations through the University Health Service. It also pays for health education, physical therapy, X-rays and most laboratory tests.

But the health service fee does not pay for everything. For example, it does not pay for medicines or eyeglasses or routine eye exams. It also does not pay for hospital care.

University officials say international students are required to have health insurance.

The University of Michigan offers its students a choice of plans. One is especially for international students. This plan is designed to pay for medical care in emergencies.

It does not pay for things like dental care. And it generally does not pay for treatment of conditions that existed before the student arrived at school.

Students can also buy private insurance policies from independent companies, but the university must first approve them.

Whatever the plan, schools want to know that all of their students can pay for their health care needs.

Our series on higher education in the United States continues next week with a report on financial aid.

Adding Up the Costs of Study in the US

Students must show they can pay for each year of classes.

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This week in our Foreign Student Series: the cost of higher education in the United States.

Students who want to attend an American college or university must explain how they will pay for their education. They have to show that they will be able to pay for each year of study.

Students have to consider not only the tuition, the cost of classes, but also meals and a place to live, known as room-and-board. They also need money for books and supplies. And they need money to spend for social activities and other things.

Educational advisers say foreign students should keep enough money in a local bank to pay for at least two months of spending.

So how much will a year at an American school cost? Generally speaking, the answer is: a lot.

A leading state university in the Pacific Northwest will serve as our example. The University of Washington says foreign students are paying more than 36,000 dollars this year.

This major research university currently has 2,600 foreign students from more than one hundred countries. There are many schools that cost less, but also others that cost more.

Its Web site says the University of Washington does not offer financial assistance to international students. This is generally true of American schools, especially at the undergraduate level.

The international application for the university includes a Statement of Financial Responsibility that must be signed. Students must also provide a bank letter or statement from within the past six months. And they have to name anyone who will help with payments. These people must send proof from a bank to show that they have the money.

Your government or employer may be able to help you pay all or some college costs. A good idea is to ask at least eighteen months before you want to start classes in the United States.

Our Foreign Student Series, including links to Web sites discussed in our reports, can be found at voaspecialenglish.com. To learn more about higher education in America, the State Department has a special Web site: educationusa.state.gov.

Next time we will discuss another cost that should be considered: health insurance.

Your Questions About Admissions Tests

In our continuing series on US higher education, we answer more e-mail about exams, and also about recommendation letters.

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And this is week fifteen of our Foreign Student Series on higher education in the United States. Next week our subject will be the cost of attending an American college or university. But today we are going to stop and answer some more questions we have received.




The first one has to do with our recent discussion of admissions tests, including the Graduate Record Examination, or GRE.

Bhargavi Pottam writes from the American state of Pennsylvania to ask the difference between the GRE general test and subject tests. The GRE subject tests measure how much you know in an area like biochemistry, literature or mathematics. Graduate schools will tell you if they require one of these subject tests, or just the general test.

Marius Meledje from Ivory Coast wants to know if tests like the GRE and TOEFL must be taken before coming to the United States. In general the answer is yes.

After all, the tests must be taken before applying to colleges. So, unless you will be in the United States before starting your applications, you should take the tests in your home country.
Arnaud Kubwakristo from Rwanda asks how to begin applying to American graduate schools. And Bui Duc Kinh from Vietnam wants to know what kinds of tests they would require for a foreign student in environmental economics.

To answer the first question, our advice is to ask local professors which American schools have good programs in the area you want to study. Then go to the Web sites for those schools to find their requirements -- including the tests needed to apply.

Another listener from Vietnam, Loat Ngo, asks about recommendation letters -- why they are important and what they should contain. Letters written by teachers, employers and others can provide valuable information about you and your abilities and personality.

Schools may provide forms for you to give to the people who have agreed to write your recommendations.

You can get more information at sites like collegeboard.com or collegeview.com. Or just do an Internet search about letters of recommendation.