An overview of educational opportunities for Nepali students to study in America
With globalization and demand of international Level education abroad study have been a very popular alternative for millions of young students all over the world.
The United States higher education system is composed of roughly 4,200 accredited postsecondary institutions, attended by 16 million students, of which 565,321 are international students, according to the IIE‟s Open Doors report in 2005 (an annual report on international educational exchange published by the Institute of International Education with support from the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs).These international students play an important part in U.S. higher education, not only because they contribute more than $13 billion to the U.S. economy every year, but also because many academic programs rely on them to conduct research and serve as teaching assistants in key fields of science and technology.
More importantly, their diverse perspectives help internationalize American classrooms and enhance the quality of teaching, research and discussion on campus. Given the highly decentralized nature of the higher education system in the U.S., there is no comprehensive national policy or strategic plan that guides the recruitment of talented students from abroad. As with the U.S. higher education system in general, the international component of postsecondary education in the United States is large, diverse, decentralized and competitive. The recent decline in foreign student enrolments has stimulated academic institutions, higher education groups and the U.S. Government to take pro-active steps to reverse the decline and to ensure that the United States retains its position as a destination of choice for internationally mobile students. This paper provides a brief overview of higher education in the United States, and discusses how international students fit into this system and what academic groups and the U.S. Governments are doing to continue to attract international students to its institutions, and to ensure that enrollment levels do not decline.
International Students in the Context of the U.S. Higher Education System
With nearly 600,000 international students, the United States is host to about one-quarter of all internationally mobile students, according to UNESCO data, which estimates that 2 million students currently study outside their home country. Among leading host countries, the U.S. share is 40%, and more than double the number hosted by any of the other leading hosts. In the United States, unlike most countries hosting international students, these students represent a very small fraction (4%) of the overall higher education enrolments of 16 million, although in science and technology fields they represent a much larger percentage of enrolments, especially at the graduate level. The large higher education sector leaves the United States with an unrivalled absorptive capacity for international students. It is hard to overestimate the importance of international students to U.S. higher education. The international students study at thousands of college and universities in all 50 U.S. states.
They contribute to the diversity and internationalization of their classrooms, their campuses and their communities. They also contribute to the preeminence of U.S. research and development and to the U.S. economy with expenditures estimated at more than $13 billion. The U.S. Department of Commerce ranks international education as the 5th largest service sector export. Since September 11, 2001, public awareness of the importance of international students has changed. While educators had called for a national policy on international education well before the events of September 11, they have certainly intensified this effort and have been joined by business and congressional leaders. In light of the recent decline in international student enrolments, there is now a consensus that a broad policy and strategies are needed if the United States wants to retain its market share of international students, and steps are being taken at the institutional, state and national level.
International Scholarships
For international students hoping to study in the US, scholarships can be an invaluable help toward financing your goals. Whether you are an incoming first year, a student going on to graduate school or simply returning to college for a new year, there is financial assistance out there for you. You can ask to your School, no matter where you live or attend school, your first step when searching for scholarships should be your school’s financial aid office. Most colleges offer scholarship programs specifically for international students attending the institution. Eligibility for a scholarship depends entirely on the scholarship; there is no general rule of thumb on whether you are eligible for a financial award. Some scholarships require students to have a certain TOEFL score; some ask that you are from a certain country; some ask for you to have a certain grade point average. You will need to do your own research to see as with eligibility, there is no set rule on how to apply for scholarships. While some just require you to complete an application form, others may require a specially written piece of work, or for you to be pursuing studies in a certain field. If you find a scholarship for which you think that you may be eligible, contact the award administrator of that award. All the scholarships found in the InternationalStudent.com Scholarship search contain contact details of the award administrator.