Condoleezza Rice Says U.S. Wants to Increase the Number of Foreign Students at U.S. Universities

According to the latest data obtained by JBHE from the Institute of International Education, increased security measures and tightened controls on visa applications have resulted in a drop in enrollments of foreign students at U.S. universities. Overall, foreign student enrollments dropped 2.4 percent in 2004. Enrollments of students from African nations dropped by an even greater 5 percent. In 2004 there were 38,150 African students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities. JBHE estimates that about 25,000 of these students are from black African nations.

At the U.S. University Presidents Summit on International Education in Washington, D.C., earlier this month, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stated that the United States "has never been more eager" to increase the number of foreign students studying at U.S. universities. She said that initially security concerns prompted delays in processing student visa applications, particularly from students in Middle Eastern countries. "There are legitimate security concerns that must be met," Rice told the university presidents. "If you are prepared to help us make certain that we can achieve a balance between openness and security, we are prepared to work with you. We are now approving 97 percent of our visa applications in one or two days."

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