Chinese boost for US colleges

FIVE years ago, there were 87 undergraduates from China at Indiana University in Bloomington. This year there are 2,224.

Figures released yesterday show that international enrollment at US colleges and universities grew nearly 6 percent last year, driven by a 23 percent increase from China, even as total enrollment was leveling out.

Nationally, there were 765,000 foreign students on US campuses last year, with China (158,000) the top source, followed by India, South Korea and Saudi Arabia (the fastest growing thanks to an ambitious scholarship program by the Saudi government). The Department of Commerce calculates they contribute US$22.7 billion to the US economy, and many stay after graduation.

Indiana charges in-state students US$10,034 for tuition and non-residents US$31,484, so the appeal of foreign students is straightforward.

But while international students bring revenue, there are also costs, obliging universities to expand services such as international advisers, English instruction, and even targeted mental health services.

There is growing concern about the isolation of international students on campus. One recent study found 40 percent of international students reported no close American friends.

Kedao Wang, a Shanghai native and one of about 6,400 overseas students at the University of Michigan, said his experience has been excellent but the growing numbers won't solve the isolation problem. Virtually all Chinese students struggle to fit in, due to language and cultural barriers, he said.

Wang has bought football season tickets for four years and loves the games, but rarely sees fellow Chinese students at Michigan Stadium. When he first arrived he tried not to hang out only with Chinese students, but his social life has since moved in that direction.

Still, he said, the shy students who once studied in the United States on Chinese government scholarships have been replaced by better-off Chinese who pay their own way and arrive more familiar with Western culture.

Wang said Chinese students are under no illusions why they're recruited. "It's a market economy. There are people who want this who are willing to pay."

Recommended News: People have fun at Angry Birds theme park Sexy models and fancy cars rock Hangzhou auto show Flash mobs dance 'Gangnam Style' Panda travels home and away Students receive cabin attendant training for A320 Exciting performance on motorcycle China's new-type rescue ship to be put into service   Hospital with five-star facilities open Austrian-born panda arrives a 'happy tiger'