“Change the discourse” on value of international students in US, DHS told

In November 2023, a group of education organizations, think tanks and advocates launched the coalition focused on international student success in the US, with the aim of working with government, businesses and institutions to achieve this goal.

The committee has already met with federal agencies to discuss the priorities of the coalition and Jill Allen Murray, deputy executive director, public policy at NAFSA told The PIE these meetings have all been “productive and positive”.

“Officials at each agency have expressed their commitment to stakeholder engagement and an interest in ongoing dialogue and collaboration. In particular, DHS was very happy to engage and appreciated concrete recommendations,” said Murray.

Now, further work of the coalition is underway, starting with the outlined solutions which, according to Fanta Aw, executive director and CEO of NAFSA, are focused on pressing issues such as “lengthy and unpredictable processing times, duplicative and burdensome paperwork, and lack of inter- and intra-agency coordination”.

According to the coalition, the US requires an immigration process that recognizes international students’ key role in US national security and innovation, while reflecting the country’s values as a welcoming and inclusive nation.

“Higher education institutions and international students deserve confidence that policies within and among agencies will align with and be recognized across the federal government,” it continued.

Within the recommendations set out, the committee is urging DHS to “champion the importance of international students by consistently articulating their value” and to meet regularly with the international education community to discuss issues affecting the sector’s ability to compete globally for international student talent.

“For the US to succeed, we need global talent on our campuses. When international students choose the US to earn their degrees, we all succeed,” said Jill Welch, senior policy advisor, Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration.

“International students create jobs, drive innovation and research, enrich our classrooms, strengthen national security and become America’s greatest foreign policy ambassadors. For these and many other reasons, diversifying enrolment of international students is imperative.”

Stakeholders in the wider sector are enthusiastic about the goals of the newly formed coalition, including Jane E. Gatewood, vice provost for global engagement, University of Rochester, who hopes the coalition’s efforts can help to “change the discourse” about the value of international students.

“Let’s not forget that international students contribute nearly $40 billion annually to the US economy when measured as a trade export,” said Gatewood.

“This figure is on par with the US exports of all agricultural food products, and exceeds the exports of wheat, corn, and soybeans combined. And international students need secure immigration pathways to continue building and contributing to a dynamic US economy post-graduation.”

The coalition wants to encourage the administration to improve both intra- and inter-agency sharing and management of data collected through forms, petitions, and case management systems to enhance agency efficiency and reduce the burden on applicants and petitioners.

The current system requires students to file “duplicative and often burdensome paperwork with various agencies”, said the coalition.

“The US for Success Coalition will consistently advocate for greater interagency coordination and collaboration, which is the lynchpin of a successful national strategy for international education—a long-held NAFSA priority,” said Murray.

The US for Success coalition is also seeking help from the DHS to endorse and implement the government’s Joint Statement of Principles in Support of International Education, which was announced in 2021 by secretary of state Antony Blinken.

The change-makers are also urging DHS to strengthen and reaffirm Optional Practical Training.

“OPT offers an experiential learning opportunity that serves as a key feature of the US higher education experience and is attractive to many prospective international students,” the document read.

The 2022/23 academic year saw 198,793 students pursue graduate work experience via OPT, 8% more than the previous year.

This was the first time in three years the number of students on OPT grew, and it seems that the coalition is keen to protect this growth.

In October 2023, the sector breathed a sigh of relief when the Supreme Court decided not to hear a case that threatened the end of OPT for international students.

In its recommendations, the coalition asserted that any changes to the OPT program should “encourage, not deter, prospective international students from choosing the US for their degrees”.

Although the coalition highlighted the positive steps the administration has already taken in this regard – adding 22 new fields of study to the STEM OPT program – it noted the need for an expansion to include health-related fields.

Further recommendations include the continuation of Special Student Relief for students whose home countries are experiencing crises that place the student under financial hardship, requiring them to take on more work opportunities.

Amit Sevak, CEO at ETS, told The PIE that the response to the coalition has been “overwhelming in the best way”.

“More organizations, institutions and agencies are raising their hands to be part of the coalition, a true testament to the vital importance of positioning the US as a global hub for international talent.”