Countering U.S. trend, international students still flocking to CT schools

Colleges and universities are big employers, and many, including UConn and Yale, use H-1B visas to hire foreign faculty members. Foreign students often attend U.S. schools on another type of visa, called an F-1, but some try to get an H-1B visa after graduation so they can work here. Educators are keeping an eye on foreign enrollment trends as a potential indicator of how students from other countries view their prospects in the U.S. There are some signs that opinions have soured. For example, over the past two years, U.S. universities have seen consecutive dips in new enrollment by foreign students, according to the Institute of International Education (IIE). However, the trend in Connecticut doesn’t match that. The total number of new international students enrolled at four-year universities here has steadily increased since 2012, and totaled 1,066 in 2018, according to data compiled for HBJ by the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges. The total number of international students studying in the state has also been increasing, totaling 15,278 last year, according to IIE. UConn's population of first-time international students has been rising in recent years, hitting a 2017 peak of 421. But last year, that dipped to 381. Asked if international students are perhaps seeing dimmer prospects for themselves in the U.S. of late, UConn spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz cautioned against linking the dip to any single driving factor, and said there's been a positive growth trend overall. "It's not unusual for UConn or other institutions to see international student applications and enrollment figures increase or decrease from one year to the next," Reitz said. "Generally speaking, UConn’s international enrollment has been strong, and alumni have often returned to their countries to praise their experience and encourage other students to consider UConn."   Read more Denial rates for skilled-worker visas skyrocket in CT