07
Aug
15
Apr
Fewer Foreign Students Opt for UK, Enroll in US, Australian Universities
For the first time in thirty years, foreign students attending UK universities dropped. The number of international students enrolling on university courses in the U.K. fell to 307,205 in 2012-13 from 311,800 in 2011-12 according to a report by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).
The data is a concern for the 73-billion-pound ($121-billion) higher education sector, with international and EU students making up 30 percent of full-time university entrants, worth 10.7 billion pounds a year in fees and other spending.
Below are some additional key findings:
- The number of students from Pakistan and India fell by 11 percent and 13 percent from 2011-12 to 2012-13 respectively
- Iran also saw a big decline of 39 percent.
- International entrants onto postgraduate courses fell to 144,760 in 2012-13 from 150,425 in 2011-12
- Undergraduate courses saw a fall of almost a quarter in international students from the European Union
- Tuition costs rose from £3,465 to £9000 in September 2012
Since 2010-11, there had been a drop of 51% in the number of Indian students enrolling on English universities. This corresponded with an increase in the number of Indians going to the US (10%) and Australia (40%).
So what is causing this drop? According to HEFCE, stricter visa regulations, imposed as Britain tries to curb immigration, and higher tuition fees in England explained the decrease in international students. The report noted that rival countries such as the USA, Australia and Canada were “working hard and successfully to attract students.”
Programs like the Institute for Global Student Success make it easy for foreign students to be successful in the United States. A successful stay means each student does well in class, makes lifelong friends from various countries around the world and has meaningful internships and/or jobs where he/she learns in real-life environments. It is one of the many reasons that sets the US apart from other countries as we strive to build the prosperity of international students.
20
Mar
More Indian Students Are Taking Graduate Entrance Tests
The following article was written by Vimal Patel of The Chronicle of Higher Education about the number of Graduate Record Examinations taken by students in India, which increased 70 percent in 2013 from the year before. The article explores possible explanations for this high jump and describes how this trend may continue as US international students increase overall.
The number of Graduate Record Examinations taken by students in India increased 70 percent in 2013 from the year before, according to figures released last month. The G.R.E. is the entrance test used by most graduate-school programs in the United States.
The numbers, from the Educational Testing Service, a nonprofit company that administers the G.R.E., suggest that a recent surge in the number of Indian students entering American graduate schools may continue. A report released last fall by the Council of Graduate Schools showed a 40 percent rise in first-time graduate enrollments from India from 2012 to 2013.
The new figures from E.T.S. show that more than 90,000 G.R.E. tests were taken by Indian students in 2013. The number of tests taken in the United States increased 5 percent from the year before, while tests taken in Asia over all increased 35 percent.
The total number of G.R.E. tests taken worldwide last year was the second-highest in the 65-year history of the test, at 731,000, the company said. The highest number was in 2011, when more than 800,000 tests were taken.
Christine Betaneli, a G.R.E. spokeswoman for E.T.S., said the company expanded its reach in India last year by conducting more visits to campuses and student fairs. It also increased emphasis on social media engagement with Indian students.
“I believe that translated into increased awareness and knowledge,” Ms. Betaneli said. “But a 70 percent increase is enormous, and there’s probably a lot of factors that go into that jump.”
Rahul Choudaha, director of research and strategic development at World Education Services, a nonprofit organization that studies international education trends, said the increase in G.R.E. taking in India could be the result of “pent-up demand” from that nation’s poor economy in recent years. He also said an increasing number of business schools were using the G.R.E.
According to E.T.S., more than 1,100 business schools accept G.R.E. scores for their M.B.A. programs, an 8 percent increase from the previous year. The number of international programs accepting G.R.E. scores increased by nearly 12 percent, compared with 2012, according to E.T.S.
Debra W. Stewart, president of the Council of Graduate Schools, said she was not sure exactly what might be driving the increase in graduate enrollments from India that her group documented in a report in November.
“I don’t have any confidence in explanations about this topic,” she said.
Applications to American graduate programs from India increased 1 percent from 2009 to 2010, 8 percent from 2010 to 2011, 3 percent from 2011 to 2012, and 22 percent from 2012 to 2013.
“India has over time been much more difficult to predict than the patterns in most other countries,” she said.
When the council released its report in November, Ms. Stewart said that she had often heard speculation that a devaluation of the Indian currency, the rupee, could explain the increase, but she was skeptical.
“That can work two ways,” she said. “People can say the Indian economy is in trouble, and therefore people are escaping and coming to the U.S. in large numbers. Or they could say the Indian economy is in trouble, the currency is down, and therefore they can’t financially afford to come to graduate school in the U.S.”
Ms. Stewart noted, however, that Britain, which has traditionally drawn large numbers of Indian students, had recently become less attractive to international students because of drops in international-student funding and changes in immigration policies. That, she said, might be a factor making the United States more attractive to Indian students.
05
Feb
Indian Students to Spend up to $700m on Higher Studies in US | MyDigitalFC
This article is courtesy of MyDigitalFC.com, where it was originally published by Sangeetha G.
The financial contribution of Indian students doing higher studies in the US is estimated to go up to about $700 million by 2024 from $400 million. However, India will continue to occupy the second slot as a source of international students for the US after China.
Around 103,000 Indian students are engaged in under-graduate, post-graduate and other specialty courses in the US. As per various estimates by various organisations, this is projected to increase to 153,000 in 2024. “By 2024, the number Indian students should be up by 50,000. The financial contribution of these students is around $400 million, which includes academic and living expenses. This can go up to $700 million by 2024 if the currencies remain at the same level,” said Mark W Harris, president and CEO of US-based ELS Educational Services.
However, India will still be the second largest source market for US after China. Currently 135,000 Chinese students are pursuing various courses in the US and the number is projected to grow to 190,000 by 2024. According to Harris, since the US liberalised the visa norms for Chinese students in 2007, their number has been growing fast. One the other hand, India, which used to send the largest number of students, has been slow since 2011.
The declining number of domestic students getting enrolled in higher studies is making US universities look for more international students. “The University-going population is on a decline in the US after having touched the peak in 2012. The number domestic students in various universities would have come down by 200,000 in the past few years. The slowing economy, limited federal support for higher education and the higher levels of unemployment too has been resulting in a decline in the number of domestic students,” said Harris.
ELS Educational Services, which provides English language preparation and professional counseling for international students in 102 countries on behalf of universities in the US, Australia, Europe and Malaysia, has become active in India.
“Indian students do not need English training. So our focus in India will be on providing counseling on various courses and acclimatising the students to the US conditions. About 30,000 Indian students go to the US for higher studies every year. Our target is to serve at least 10 per cent of them by 2018,” said Mallik Sundaram, regional director of recruitment in south and south east Asia, ELS Educational Services.
Moreover, US universities find Indian students better qualified academically for their various programmes. “India is an important partner for the US in the space of higher education, especially research, science and technology, engineering and mathematics. Indians settled in the US have extensively contributed to various businesses and we hope that the bilateral relations will get even closer,” said Harris.
ELS operates centres in the campuses of over 55 Universities in the US. Apart from Australia, it is also ramping up its presence in the Europe and Malaysia.
