This morning, 10/2/2018 I had the wonderful  experience of presenting and facilitating discussion at the Commission of International Adult Education Conference. The international scholars were thoroughly engaged with the research developed by Masha Krsmanovic (PHD Candidate), Dr. Kathleen P. King, and Dr. Lou Sabina entitled,;

“Where is the Equity? Different states, different hurdles and rules for international students: Affordability of and access to U.S. Higher Education for international students”

In brief, this study reported the unexpected results of our recent research regarding potential equity issues in admissions of international students in U.S.public higher education institutions.

Context: While recent studies have revealed that due to many factors, the U.S. has experienced an unprecedented decline in attracting new international students (IIE, 2017) in higher education. In addition to obvious changes in the political climate and competition, national and institutional barriers contribute to this phenomenon. Other countries, specifically Australia, Canada, and England are seeing their international student population increase while the United States continues to show a consistent decline over the last 10 years. Moreover, the cost of attendance, fees, and additional charges applied to foreign students, vary by dozens of thousands of dollars on institutional or state levels (SHEEO, 2008; US News, 2012).

The Study: Examining international student residency classification issues from a critical race theory perspective, this study included an institutional survey and quantitative analysis of institutional, state, and federal policies. Our objectives were to (1) examine the costs associated with access to undergraduate and graduate education, (2) identify potential challenges to equal opportunity and access of international students, and (3) provide recommendations for increasing the affordability and enrollments of this student population.

This short paper is being developed into a much more detailed manuscript for journal submission.