International Students Contribute $18.8 billion to U.S. Communities

Today, on the first day of International Education Week, NAFSA released its annual economic impact statements that calculate the financial contribution international students and their families make to local communities and states through tuition, fees, and living expenses. International students contributed an incredible $18.8 billion to the United States economy in the 2009-2010 academic year, which is a $1 billion increase from the previous year.

At http://www.nafsa.org/eis, you can find the statements, which contain the following information organized by state, institution, and congressional district:

·  Number of foreign students enrolled

·  Cost of tuition and fees

·  Cost of living expenses (including those of dependents)

·  U.S. financial support

·  Total financial contributions of foreign students and their dependents

On the NAFSA blog, Katie O’Connell go into a little more detail as to why these statements and other contributions of international students important are for advocacy: Foreign Students Bring $18.8 Billion to U.S. Communities – and Much More.

Photo credit:  Public Domain Photos