I’m Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Education Report.
A recent report says more international graduate students are seeking to
continue their education in the United States this year than last year.
The Council of Graduate Schools announced the report. It is based on a study
of more than 150 colleges and universities. They include schools that have the
most foreign students. The study says graduate applications from international
students increased eleven percent from last year. This growth follows a two-year
decrease of thirty-two percent.
Graduate students have already completed at least four years of college and
have earned at least one degree. They are seeking to earn an advanced degree.
The report said the number of requests or applications increased the most
among students from India and China. Applications from students in India rose by
twenty-three percent. Applications from students in China increased by
twenty-one percent. Each year these two nations send the largest number of
students to American colleges and universities.
The Council of Graduate Schools said applications increased in all areas of
study, including the sciences. Applications to study engineering, for example,
rose by seventeen percent. Those from students wanting to study the life
sciences increased by sixteen percent.
However, international applications are still down twenty-three percent
since 2003 for the universities in the study. Experts say this was the
result of increased security in the United States after the terrorist attacks in
2001. This increased security made it more difficult for students to get
permits, or visas, to enter the United States. Security measures also increased
the time to process these visas.
Debra Stewart is president of the Council of Graduate Schools. Ms. Stewart
said the federal government has made progress in improving the visa process for
foreign graduate students. She said the process has been helped by small policy
changes made by the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department.
Ms. Stewart noted that international competition for foreign graduate
students is increasing. She said the United States must make sure the best
students attend graduate schools in this country.
This VOA Special English Education report was written by Jerilyn Watson. Read
and listen to our reports at voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Steve Ember.
