Systems to Track International Students at American Colleges and Universities are Improving, Witnesses Tell Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Significant progress has been made in implementing systems to track and report on international students studying at American colleges and universities, members of Congress learned today during a joint hearing held by the U.S. House Subcommittees on 21st Century Competitiveness and Select Education.  However, the hearing revealed that some challenges remain, including coordination of information among numerous agencies, and an overall decline in the number of foreign students applying for admission to American institutions of higher education.

“Following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States , concerns were raised about the conditions under which individuals enter the country using a student visa.  The subcommittees on Select Education and on 21^st Century Competitiveness held two joint subcommittee hearings to gain insight into the rules and requirements of tracking foreign students and to learn about the implementation of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, called SEVIS,” said 21st Century Competitiveness Subcommittee Chairman Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA).

“Those hearings made clear to me the importance of continuing the exchange of ideas and cultures through international education while balancing our need for an accurate and timely screening process for protecting the safety and security of our citizens,” continued McKeon.

“As elected officials, we must preserve the safety and security of our citizens.  We also want to ensure that students from around the world continue to have access to the best education the world has to offer, and partake in our freedoms and ideals,” said Select Education Subcommittee Chairman Pat Tiberi (R-OH).  “I believe, as I know my colleagues believe, that international students are enormously beneficial to this country and to the classroom.”

“There is no better way to boost worldwide appreciation for democracy and market-based economics than to invite future international leaders to see it and live it for themselves -- to give direct exposure to America and Americans. When foreign students and visitors return to their home country, they take with them a first-hand understanding of this country and its values.  Certainly, some of America ’s strongest supporters abroad are those who have spent time in this country,” continued Tiberi.  “Having said that, we must also maintain a responsible system that ensures those who wish to enter this country to study are doing just that, and are accounted for during their time here.”

Representatives from the U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security testified at the hearing, describing their efforts to implement SEVIS, and maintain effective systems to allow foreign students to study at American colleges and universities.

“International students attending U.S. colleges and universities account for $13 billion in revenues each year.  Beyond the economic benefits, we as a nation gain immeasurably from international students and scholars who study at our colleges and universities and conduct research at our leading medical and scientific facilities,” said Stephen Edson, managing director of the Visa Services Directorate in the Bureau of Consular Affairs at the Department of State.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, took responsibility for SEVIS in 2003, and has made significant improvements in the system.  Victor Cerda, counsel to the assistant secretary at ICE, described some of the accomplishments in implementation of the program, including implementation of the SEVIS fee, centralized and enhanced school certification, implementation of SEVIS response team, IT enhancements, information sharing, outreach to the academic community, privacy safeguards, and a compliance enforcement unit liaison.

Witnesses at the hearing generally agreed that significant improvements had been made in the implementation and operation of SEVIS since its creation in 2001.  However, witnesses noted, challenges remain in the area of international students, particularly the recent decline in the number of international students applying for enrollment at American institutions of higher education.

“In the past few years, pre-dating 9/11, the international student market has become highly competitive—in part because of the development of higher-education infrastructure in other countries; in part because other countries recognize very well the advantages that international students bring, and they want some of those advantages for themselves,” said Lawrence Bell, director of the Office of International Education at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

“There is no question that America ’s reputation as an attractive place for international students to study took a big hit after 9/11—due partly to visa issues, partly to SEVIS issues, and partly to broader factors that affected our overall image in the world,” continued Bell .

As colleges and universities continue working to be competitive in the market for international students, efforts must be maintained to ensure an effective system is in place to track and report on foreign students, while also ensuring these students have the opportunity to come to America and enrich our higher education system as a whole, witnesses and members of Congress agreed.

# # # # #