| Effective on July 1, 2006, it will be more difficult for U.S. | | | | agreements reducing the number of times a student |
| students to both become eligible for and borrow | | | | must renew or reapply for a visa; directing all U.S. |
| federally subsidized student loans, due to legislation | | | | embassies and consulates to put student and |
| signed by President Bush in February 2006. Known as | | | | exchange visitors at the head of the line when |
| the Budget-Deficit Reduction Bill, it wipes out $12 billion | | | | scheduling visa interviews. |
| from the federal student loan program. The interest | | | | Also of note, is that during the 2004-2005 school year, |
| rates will climb to a fixed rate of 6.8 % for a student | | | | there were 565,039 foreign students enrolled in |
| applying for a federal loan, referred to as the Stafford | | | | institutions of higher learning in the U.S., meaning, there |
| Loan program, with a capped rate of 8.5% for parents | | | | now are that many fewer slots for American students |
| applying on behalf of their child, known as PLUS loans, | | | | when applying to college. But Harty adds, "We do not |
| also subject to additional variable rates. Many parents | | | | want to lose a single foreign student and we don't |
| are considering home equity loans as an alternative, | | | | want them to miss the beginning of school, so the |
| which provide far lower borrowing interest rates. | | | | State Department has made processing of student |
| But with college tuition rates rising each year | | | | and exchange visitor visas a priority at every post." |
| sometimes more than double the rate of inflation, it is | | | | And alarmingly so in a post-9/11 world, Harty states |
| becoming more and more impossible for the middle | | | | that "Some 97.5% visa applications are processed |
| class to afford a college education. With the federal | | | | within two days, and that the screening process for |
| loan limit for years now remaining at $20,000.00 per | | | | the 2.5% visa applicants subject to special screening |
| school year, it requires many to apply for private bank | | | | requirements for security reasons has been |
| loans in addition to the federal loan. Many students | | | | streamlined, typically taking one week to two weeks." |
| take as many as seven years to complete an | | | | If true, Americans can only dream that other |
| undergraduate degree as they must work full-time at | | | | government services flowed so quickly and efficiently |
| low-paying jobs, in order to afford tuition and living | | | | for them. In contrast, U.S. students applying for federal |
| expenses, thus delaying their ascendance into the | | | | loans must wait months to find out the status of their |
| permanent work force. | | | | applications and whether or not they will be able to |
| According to the Department of Education, as many | | | | afford the school year's tuition. |
| as 400,000 U.S. students each year forego a higher | | | | But at the heart of the proposed expansion of the |
| education entirely, dissuaded by tuition costs and fear | | | | student visa program is another issue embedded in the |
| of the inability to repay college loans. In the last several | | | | Senate's immigration bill which would raise considerably |
| years, due to declining interest rates, students were | | | | the amount of H1-B visas allowed, which are allotted to |
| able to consolidate their student loans in order to lower | | | | foreign workers to work in U.S. industry on a supposed |
| the rates on previous accruing loans. With the new | | | | temporary basis. Beginning in Fiscal Year 2006, the |
| legislation, the fixed rate will preclude them from doing | | | | amount of such visas were limited to 65,000 but an |
| so in the future, regardless of a decline again in interest | | | | additional 20,000 were eventually added, at the 11th |
| rates. | | | | hour, for foreigners who graduated from U.S. graduate |
| The higher education dilemma in the U.S. is rather | | | | and Ph.D. programs. In the new bill, measures call for |
| complex and multi-faceted, however, and universities | | | | doubling the number of skilled worker temporary visas |
| have already begun to look to other resources in order | | | | to 115,000 per year with an option of raising the cap |
| to fill their coffers by going abroad. That brings us to | | | | 20% more each subsequent year. |
| the present immigration bill making its way through the | | | | And in a new visa category known as the F-4 visa, |
| U.S. Senate which is a far more liberal version than the | | | | students pursuing advanced degrees in science, |
| U.S. House of Representatives' bill which passed at the | | | | technology, engineering, or mathematics would be |
| end of 2005. Buried in the text of the Senate bill is a | | | | granted permanent U.S. residence if they find a job in |
| restructuring of the student visa process, which was | | | | their field. They would only be required to pay a fee of |
| largely slowed down after September 11, 2001 and | | | | $1,000.00. The rallying cries from such notables as |
| eventually put under the auspices of the Department | | | | Microsoft Chairman, Bill Gates, and Sun Microsystems |
| of Homeland Security by 2003. | | | | CEO, Scott McNealy, have made it clear that they |
| In April 2005, President Bush met with King Abdullah | | | | desperately need the government to increase the |
| Bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia at his Crawford, TX | | | | number of H1-B visas. But telling, as Microsoft's |
| ranch. At such time, they made an agreement to | | | | Manager for Federal Affairs, Marland Buckner, states, |
| encourage more Saudi students to receive their | | | | "It's in the best interests of Microsoft and we believe in |
| undergraduate educations in the U.S. Presently, there | | | | the best interest of national competitiveness from an |
| are approximately 5,000 Saudi Arabian students | | | | innovation standpoint, to bring as many smart people to |
| studying in U.S. colleges and universities and 15,000 | | | | the U.S. as possible." Bill Gates wants no restrictions at |
| applications in the pipeline, although confirming the | | | | all on H1-B visas. |
| exact figures is one momentous task, if not impossible | | | | But according to Ron Hira, Vice President of |
| to find. | | | | IEEE-USA, an organization representing 225,000 |
| The deal which King Abdullah proposed to President | | | | electrical and computer engineers, says, "Many U.S. |
| Bush was to allow 5,000 students per year the | | | | companies don't even bother to recruit Americans |
| opportunity to study in the U.S., with all tuition costs | | | | because they can find foreigners willing to work longer |
| footed by the Saudi Arabian government. The | | | | hours for less pay." But with business and science |
| scholarship program, which was not publicly announced | | | | leaders focusing almost exclusively on loosening laws |
| by either the White house or the Saudi Embassy, was | | | | in order to acquire foreign talent, they are seemingly |
| an attempt for the Saudi government to fast-track the | | | | turning their backs on educating Americans first, |
| student visa program to which the administration has | | | | necessary to maintain a thriving, innovative economy |
| now agreed. | | | | for Americans. |
| Of importance, and publicly disclosed and lauded by | | | | Much like all other sectors of our government as well |
| Maura Harty, the State Department's Assistant | | | | as commercial industry, both lawmakers and CEO's |
| Secretary for Consular Affairs, when attending the | | | | myopically concentrate on the bottom line, while the |
| U.S. University Presidents Summit on International | | | | U.S. educational system is being systematically |
| Education, - a two-day forum to promote international | | | | abandoned and essentially dismantled. By not providing |
| education and hosted by Secretary of State | | | | future livelihoods for future generations of Americans |
| Condoleezza Rice in January 2006 - is that the | | | | all in the name of globalism, the U.S. may find itself |
| system to expedite the student visa application | | | | incurably behind, not only in terms of innovation but in |
| process has been a top priority since 9/11. She | | | | terms of a basic standard of living. How can we |
| remarked that 500 new consular positions have been | | | | expect our students to compete with such an agenda |
| added since 9/11; negotiations extended reciprocity | | | | if they are no longer the top priority? |