Student Union
- By Reuters
Senior US Diplomat Backs Foreign Students, Including Chinese
The State Department's No. 2 diplomat expressed strong support on Wednesday for foreign students in the United States, including Chinese students, less than two weeks after the Trump administration abandoned a plan that would have barred thousands from the country.
"I strongly agree with you on the importance of these student programs," Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun told a Senate hearing, acknowledging that there had been "a little bit of turbulence" on the issue.
President Donald Trump's administration on July 14 abruptly abandoned a plan that would have forced out tens of thousands of foreign students, following widespread condemnation of the decision and pressure from universities and businesses.
The administration had announced on July 6 that international students at schools that had moved to online-only classes due to the coronavirus pandemic would have to leave the country.
Trump has made a hard line on immigration a centerpiece of his presidency and presidential campaigns.
Opponents of the plan to block the students had noted that there are more than 1 million foreign students at U.S. colleges and universities, and many schools rely on them for income because they pay full tuition.
Nearly 370,000 of the foreign students in the United States come from China, by far the largest number.Some U.S. officials have become increasingly alarmed about what they say is the security threat — focused largely on intellectual property theft — from some Chinese students.
Supporters of foreign students had also argued that U.S. universities play a crucial role in "soft power" diplomacy, nurturing what often become lifelong ties to the country.
Biegun also said, in response to questions from Democratic Senator Chris Coons, that the State Department was making visas for foreign students a high priority.
See all News Updates of the Day
- By VOA News
International students face barriers in applying to Princeton, students say
International students face special challenges in applying to Princeton University, a story in The Daily Princetonian, the campus newspaper, says.
They include navigating Princeton's "holistic" immigration process.
Read the full story here. (November 2024)
- By VOA News
International students at Amherst ponder visa concerns in Trump administration
International students at Amherst College talk about Donald Trump's upcoming U.S. presidency and what it might mean for them in this story from the student newspaper, The Amherst Student.
Specifically, they worry that the new president's administration might make it harder to get visas to study and work in the U.S.
Read the full story here. (November 2024)
Several students charged in hazing case at University of Alabama
Several students were accused in a reported fraternity hazing incident at the University of Alabama in which a pledge said he was shoved, stepped on and had things thrown at him, according to NBC News.
Four men, age 20 to 22, were charged with two counts of hazing at the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. NBC News reports that some of the actions were captured on video. (October 2024)
San Diego school requires course in climate change
If you want an undergraduate degree from the University of California, San Diego, you’re going to have to take a course in climate change.
The requirement, which affects students who will graduate in 2028, is meant to prepare students for the future, according to a report by ABC News. (October 2024)
‘Study away’ programs in the US can provide enrichment opportunities
While studying abroad can expose students to new cultures and experiences, researchers are finding that domestic ‘study away’ programs can be helpful as well.
Some students, including those on an international visa, may not be able to study abroad, but they can travel to other locations in the U.S. for enrichment experiences, Ashley Mowreader writes in Inside Higher Ed. (October 2024)
