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US Withdraws Unpopular Student Visa Rule  

FILE - International students carry their national flags at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo.
FILE - International students carry their national flags at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo.

The Biden administration has withdrawn a highly unpopular proposed rule for international students that would have set student visas to shorter fixed terms.

The proposal would have required international students to apply for visa extensions to complete their studies. Public comments about the proposed rule, published late last year, complained that the cost of application fees and related requirements would burden foreign students and scholars.

Also, if students had been from a country with a visa overstay rate above 10% or a country on the U.S. State Department’s State Sponsors of Terrorism list, they would have been limited to a fixed two-year term for student visas, meaning that they would have to reapply within that time period, doubling their paperwork.

“We are withdrawing the NPRM [notice of proposed rulemaking] and will analyze the entirety of the NPRM … to determine what changes may be appropriate and consistent with Department of Homeland Security’s needs, policies and applicable law,” the Biden administration stated Tuesday in the U.S. Federal Register, a daily journal of the U.S. government that publishes federal regulations, proposed rules, executive orders, proclamations and other federal documents.

When the Trump administration proposed the rule in September 2020, the Department of Homeland Security, which administers visas after the U.S. Department of State issues them, received 32,000 public comments opposing the rule.

Sofia Elkin Becerra, a Costa Rican senior at the University of Maryland and president of the university’s International Student Union, told VOA in October 2020 that the rule was "pretty unclear" and said that "even the international student advisers don't have all the answers for students in my situation. So, I’m left uncertain of if or how it will even affect me.”

Less than 1% of public commenters expressed support for the proposed rule, with many of them saying they believed it would deter illegal immigration, protect U.S. workers and stop espionage, according to the Federal Register.

Others said the proposed rule would discriminate against some nationalities and “significantly burden the foreign students, exchange scholars, foreign media representatives and U.S. employers by requiring extension of stays in order to continue with their programs of study or work,” the Federal Register stated.

International students typically study for four years to earn an undergraduate degree, and many students and graduates pursue additional studies or training, such as the Optional Practical Training extension to the student F-1 visa, to acquire hands-on working experience in their fields.

The proposed changes also would have burdened U.S. employers, commenters said. If extension applicants had not applied or received approval in a timely fashion, it could have delayed their start dates for work or caused them to breach agreements with employers.

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Fewer students disclose race in applications to top colleges 

FILE - An unidentified person walks past Harvard yard at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, December 7, 2023
FILE - An unidentified person walks past Harvard yard at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, December 7, 2023

FAfter the Supreme Court’s decision to end affirmative action in college admissions last year, fewer students are disclosing their race or ethnicity in applications to top colleges.

Writing in USA Today, Zachary Schermele notes that the data is preliminary, but it could signal a change in the way students are approaching college applications. (October 2024)

Overall college enrollment is up, first-year enrollment down 

FILE - A student delivers packages to the dormitory at DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024.
FILE - A student delivers packages to the dormitory at DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024.

For the second year since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, college enrollment has climbed in the United States.

But the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center noticed a substantial drop in the number of freshmen, which could be troubling for future enrollment, according to a report in Forbes. (October 2024)

South African universities embrace AI, seeing it as equalizing tool

South African universities embrace AI, seeing it as equalizing tool
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The rise of AI tools like ChatGPT has sparked debate in higher education, raising questions about ethics and integrity in teaching, learning and knowledge creation. In South Africa, some academic institutions are taking a proactive approach, integrating AI into their curricula. Experts say this step is not only innovative but also helps level the playing field among students. Zaheer Cassim reports from Johannesburg.

International students may be able to get jobs at school 

FILE - Northeastern University graduate student Shabbir Hussain, of Indore, India, left, views a computer screen at the entrance to the Snell Library on the Northeastern University campus in Boston on May 24, 2016.
FILE - Northeastern University graduate student Shabbir Hussain, of Indore, India, left, views a computer screen at the entrance to the Snell Library on the Northeastern University campus in Boston on May 24, 2016.

International students studying in the United States may be able to work on campus.

Jobs can include working in libraries, labs, food service and dormitories – but students will have to research the rules before applying for jobs, according to U.S. News & World Report. (September 2024)

Report says college rankings have the potential to mislead

FILE - Students walk at Main Quadrangle on the University of Chicago campus, Monday, May 6, 2024, in Chicago.
FILE - Students walk at Main Quadrangle on the University of Chicago campus, Monday, May 6, 2024, in Chicago.

Each year, prominent lists of college and university rankings are compiled and released to the public, but a report conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago says those rankings have the potential to mislead.

Writing in Forbes, Vanderbilt University Chancellor Daniel Diermeier says changing methodologies can distort results, and profit motives can create doubt. He argues that rankings should be replaced by an objective rating system. (September 2024)

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