U.S.: UT Tyler Canceled More Than 50 Scholarships for International Students With Almost No Notice

UT Tyler’s new full-ride Presidential Fellow Scholarship – covering $27,000 worth of annual tuition, fees, and expenses — was offered to over 200 students, including a large number of Nepalese candidates, for the upcoming school year. Shockingly, between 50 and 60 of those offers for the full scholarship have been rescinded in April, and replaced with an offer for a $5000 “Tyler Patriot Scholarship.” The Nepalese students had been encouraged to apply for the scholarship as the university had been developing a very welcoming reputation among current students from the country. Though this is not the only example of Universities over-promising in recent years, the lateness in the admissions season and pre-paid commitment fees make the situation especially harsh for those involved.

Texas Monthly
May 4, 2018

Mexico’s brain drain leaves universities struggling to fill research posts

The education system in Mexico is faced with a number of problems – from abject poverty throughout much of the country, to corruption in primary and secondary levels, to the under-funding of research and development sectors. These factors, coupled with the violence of ongoing drug wars, make studying in the country less attractive than it needs to be to attract and retain necessary academic talent.

Times Higher Education
May 3, 2018

U.S.: American Higher Education Hits a Dangerous Milestone

In the last year, the major source of funding for public universities in the United States has changed from government appropriations to tuition. This shift in funding from tax-sources to individuals comes along side a number of interesting demographic changes – notably with kids of color making up a majority of K-12 students (as of 2014) and projected to be the majority of high-school graduates by 2025.

The Atlantic
May 3, 2018

U.S.: American Colleges Want More Rural Students

Furthering the goals of inclusiveness implied by international student programs and increasing minority enrollments, some colleges are starting to ramp up efforts aimed at recruiting students from rural areas. Identifying and marketing to rural students is a common initial challenge, as is the possible lack of preparation – very few AP classes are available in rural areas, for example.

Voice of America
April 30, 2018

US restricts job options for international STEM students under OPT extension

New guidance from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), is changing the employment landscape for many international students under the OPT program. Current practice which allows employers to hire recent STEM graduates and then place them with client companies is being changed, which will make it much harder for recent international graduates who have no direct contact or opportunities with the larger hiring companies – who themselves rely on contracting this type of work through agencies.

Times of India
April 21, 2018

Brazil marks a second year of strong growth

After a slight decline (7 percent) in 2015, outbound Brazilian has recovered with a combined increase of 40 percent over 2016 and 2017. Canada and the United States have been the number one and two destinations both years, though in the past year the United Kingdom moved up a few spots to number three in 2017, largely due to the favorable exchange rate.

ICEF Monitor
April 18, 2018